By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Saugatuck celebrated Fat Tuesday and the start of the Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse) in Mardi Gras fashion Feb. 17.
Dry, near 50° weather greeted costumed participants in a Second Line Pub Crawl between five downtown taverns. The Great Lakes Brass Band led them as the First Line from spot to spot.
Proceeds went to the nonprofit Red Horse Collaborative Leadership Center, which offers Allegan County kids therapeutic mental health, art and leadership development through interacting with nature, dogs and horses.
Paraders held ahigh brightly-colored equine placards to celebrate.
At stop one, Wally’s Bar & Grill, punch cards and party gear (beads, feathered boas and more) were passed out but no revelers had (at least yet).
The band began playing Big Easy dance tunes for a growing throng of partiers.
Players burst out the doors, marched in not always tight precision before fellow crawlers east on Hoffman Street, veering right at Landsharks onto Butler Street to Phil’s Bar & Grille, thence:
- The Sand Bar Saloon,
- The Butler and
- Wicks Park Bar & Grille
- To climax at The Southerner with a Cajun buffet and final band show.
Still in high spirits, many who remained availed themselves of Interurban buses to drive them cheaply and safely home.
