Dear Friends and Guests,
It is hard to deny this winter is turning out to be a long slog and cold season. Due to the state mandates set forth last November, the hotel has taken a bit of a pause.
​
We plan to open our doors again this April. We look forward to having you all visit the Saugatuck area soon. Be assured staff will continue all the health protocols instituted last year to ensure your safety. While closed, the staff have made a thorough cleaning of the facility.

Hopefully, we are on the other side of this painful and frustrating period. I want to thank all those guests that supported us last year. We truly look forward to seeing you again.

The Holland Tulip Festival will go forward this spring. While the event has been scaled down to meet guidelines set forth by the state, it is still a wonderful time to visit the area. Our reduced rates for the event have been posted on our website. Reduced rates are only available via direct booking to the hotel website.
I and the staff look forward to seeing all of you again this season. Till then be safe and be well.
 
Catherine L. Simon
Owner

a month-long celebration this June of arts and culture that have made the Art Coast of Michigan a tourism destination for 150 years.

Here is a quick highlight of the weekends:
​
 Week One: The Culinary Arts
Saugatuck/Douglas is home to an astounding number of talented chefs, restauranteurs, sommeliers and culinary professionals. The first week of Expo will showcase all of the delicious ways to experience our region through our foodie-focused events.
- Taste of EatDrinkSDF - June 1, 1 - 4 p.m.
Downtown Saugatuck, Parking lot adjacent to Wick's Park
Taste of EatDrinkSDF is an outdoor food festival with more than 10 area restaurants offering "tastes" of some of their new summer menu items. Taste of EatDrinkSDF will take place in the parking lot adjacent to Wick's Park in downtown Saugatuck. Entry is $6 and includes 2 food tickets. Entertainment like live music as well as a blind smell/taste competition will also take place during this fun event.
- Restaurant Week - June 2 - 9
Downtown Saugatuck and Douglas, Varying locations
To get a true taste of our communities, visit Saugatuck/Douglas during the first week of June, and bring your appetite. Eat out at any of our participating restaurants for community-wide specials that showcase the true talent and creativity of our area's chefs. Come experience curated, specially-coursed menus with items at $10, $15 and $30 price points.
 
Week Two: Fine Arts
The second weekend of Saugatuck Expo celebrates our region's long-standing reputation for fostering and supporting the fine arts. With dozens of working artists residing in our communities, there's no better place to host these fine art-focused events.
- Exhibition Opening - June 7, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Downtown Saugatuck, Saugatuck Center for the Arts
The SCA's exhibition opening kick's off the fine arts weekend with live music, food trucks and of course, art at their summer gallery opening. This family-friendly event is open to the public and is free to attend, however, a cash bar and food trucks will be available for refreshments.
- Summer Gallery Stroll - June 8, 6 - 8 p.m.
Downtown Saugatuck & Douglas, Varying locations
Experience the Art Coast of Michigan, strolling through our many galleries in downtown Saugatuck and Douglas. While every participating gallery will have artwork on display and for sale, each gallery will offer unique experiences like refreshments and live music.
 
Week Three: The Art of Music
The third week of Saugatuck Expo celebrates the art of music with live performances all over town. Expect pop-performances, shows at restaurants and bars and of course, other fun events throughout our towns.
- Sounds of Summer - June 14-16
Community-wide, varying times and locations
Many of our local bars, restaurants and organizations begin hosting live music for the summer in June. Download our music lineup at www.saugatuck.com/expo/ for the full list of artists, venues and show times.
- Town Crier 5k, 10k and Half Marathon - June 15, 8 A.M.
Since 2002, this event has been benefiting the Saugatuck High School Cross Country and Track teams. For runners who vacation here, this is an annual tradition. There's no better way to experience our towns than through a run. All races start at Saugatuck Public High School and end at Beery Field, Douglas.             
 
Week Four: The Performing Arts
The fourth week of Saugatuck Expo celebrates the performing arts. Theater productions, comedy shows and even sporting events will make this week entertaining and fun.
-  "In the Heights" Opening - June 21-23
Downtown Saugatuck, Saugatuck Center for the Arts
"In the Heights" tells a captivating story of a neighborhood on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions to take with you, and which ones to leave behind. Expect Latin rhythms, electrifying dancing and another entertaining show at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Purchase tickets at www.sc4a.org.
- Laugh Shore Comedy Festival - June 21 - 23,
The Laugh Shore Comedy Festival will feature four, 90-minute comedy shows at venues throughout the Saugatuck area. Tickets to each show are $10/person. Ticket sales and comedian lineup to be announced on April 1.
 
Week Five: The Art of Shakespeare
The final weekend of Saugatuck Expo will encompass a mini-renaissance festival, anchored by multiple performances by the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company.
- Shakespeare in the Park - June 29, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Shakespeare in the Park is more than a show, it's a mini renaissance festival. The entrance to Coghlin Park will open at 6 p.m. The show and festival is free to attend, and food and drinks will be available for purchase. Activity tents and restrooms will be available on-site. At 7 p.m., the two-hour outdoor performance of Romeo & Juliet by Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will begin. Participants are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the show. The performance will end by 10 p.m. and the park will close at this time as well.
- Shakespeare Mini-Performances - June 28, 29 & 30
In addition to the other large performance of Romeo & Juliet on Saturday, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will be performing other mini shows you can catch for free throughout the weekend as well. Showtimes and locations are as follows:

• Friday, June 28 - 8 p.m., at the Saugatuck Women's Club
• Saturday, June 29 - Noon, at the Saugatuck Women's Club
• Sunday, June 30 - Noon, at the Saugatuck/Douglas History Museum

​

April 27th, 2018
Saugatuck Brewing Company at   6:30 - 9:00 P.M.  - Nicholas James
April 29th, 2018
​Salt of the Earth  at 7:00 - 9:00 -  Escaping Pavement & Drew Nelson
May 4th, 2018
Saugatuck Brewing Company at 6:30 P.M. - Sean McDaniel
​May 5th, 2018
​Saugatuck Brewing Company at 6:00 P.M. - Toby Bresnahan
May 6th, 2018
Salt of the Earth at 6:00 P.M. Josh Rose & Kaitlin Rose Parmenter
May 11th of 2018
​Saugatuck Brewing Company at 6:30 P.M. -  El Brandino
​May 12th of 2018
​Saugatuck Brewing Company at 6:00 P.M. -  Joe Jason

Saugatuck-Douglas in the 1950s-1970s Saugatuck, Douglas as a Mirror of American Life in the “Atomic Age”
Currently closed for the winter. Will re-open May 26th 2018, Noon-4pm
Daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day, weekends in September and October

This exhibition chronicles how the two small lakeshore villages of Saugatuck and Douglas reflected the contrasting worlds of fear and fun during the Cold War era of the 1950s-1970s.
Prior to World War II, the villages had a remarkably good relationship with visitors, but in the post-war years this cozy relationship was disrupted amid a rapidly changing world. New cars, superhighways, and plenty of cash drew the pre-war tourist clientele to more exotic destinations, leaving the towns ripe for invasion by wild youth in fast cars and motorcycle gangs who arrived on summer weekends by the thousands. Some were hippies, most were not. Some were locals, most were not. The streets were clogged with cars parading up and down. Ruffians zoomed through town on loud motorcycles. Bars were plentiful—from classy to trashy—and the live jazz and rock music was the best in Michigan. Add in big boats and the Oval, the marvelous “drive-in” beach, to complete a '50s scene where automobile, sand, water, and beach crowd met like nowhere else.
Looming above it all, from high atop the once-friendly old Mt. Baldhead dune, beamed a frightening message. In the new Cold War, a U.S. Air Force radar station was built to monitor approaching Russian bombers—a scary and omnipresent threat of a nuclear attack from abroad. Dauntingly, the tower and its constantly revolving radar screen looked down upon a divided nation, ushering in an unsettling era of fallout shelters, school “duck and cover” practice, and air-raid drills, as well as assassinations, student protests, and anti-war music and culture.
Troubling, unsure, but also happy, it was a time of sharp contrasts. Local authorities, although fair and adept, found the young visitors impossible to control. The music played on, and the visitors had a blast. It was indeed the hottest town in Michigan.
Welcome to Cold War|Hot Towns.

For nearly 90 years, millions of people have gathered to participate in Holland’s Tulip Time Festival.  Only a 15 minuet drive from downtown Saugatuck. With over 5 million tulips blooming throughout the City of Holland and hundreds of Dutch dancers, Tulip Time has been celebrated as the nation’s Best Flower Festival. From traditional Dutch  dance to renowned entertainment, Tulip Time celebrates Dutch culture.  This year, participate in all the festival offers — parades, carnival rides, wooden shoes, food, fireworks and tulips.  Other activities are Nelis' Dutch Village, Veldheer Tulip Gardens and Windmill Island. 

Wednesday, April 11 | 7:00 PM$5 Members | $7 Not-yet member  
Tickets available ONLY at the door

About the filmFrom a graffiti artist speaking out against domestic violence in the favelas of Brazil to a dancer rehabilitating sex-trafficking survivors in India, each of these women is contributing a stone to the mosaic of the women’s movement through their art. Directed by EMMY® Award-winning, Detroit-based filmmaker Sophia Kruz and cinematographer Meena Singh (HOLLIDAYSBURG), with music by Amritha Vaz (500 DAYS OF SUMMER), Little Stones was named Best Documentary at the 2017 Vail Film Festival, Best Foreign Documentary at the Female Eye Film Festival, and an Award of Excellence from the Impact Docs Awards.
​

Intriguing Conversation

MARCH 1 | 7:00 - 8:30PM 
$16 | Cash Bar
Ticket includes ​a signed copy of Lake Michigan Mermaid
Join authors Linda Nemec Foster and Ann-Marie Oomen with illustrator Meridith Ridl for an exciting book launch celebration and conversation inspired by our exhibition "Surface Tension". 
 
During this debut event Foster and Oomen will showcase their process, original illustrations, read a few excerpts

and share their story of conception --  speaking exactly
​ ​
10 years later, in the very location the Mermaid project concept originated! 

The Lake Michigan Mermaid is a new tale that feels familiar. The breeze off the lake, the sand underfoot, the supreme sadness of being young and not in control—these sensations come rushing back page-by-page, bringing to life an ancient myth of coming of age in a troubled world. 
 
This is a gripping tale in poems of a young girl’s desperate search for guidance in a world turned upside down by family and economic upheaval. Raised in a ramshackle cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan, Lykretia takes refuge in her beloved lake in the face of her grandmother’s illness and her mother’s eager attempts to sell their home following her recent divorce. One day Lykretia spots a creature in the water, something beautiful and inexplicable. Is it the mythical Lake Michigan mermaid, or an embodiment of the stories her grandmother told as dementia ravaged her mind? Thus begins a telepathic conversation between a lost young girl and Phyliadellacia, the mermaid who saves her in more ways than one.

Accompanied by haunting illustrations Lake Michigan Mermaid offers a tender tale of friendship, redemption, and the life-giving power of water. As it explores family relationships and generational bonds, this book is an unforgettable experience that aims to connect readers of all ages.
 
Linda Nemec Foster is the founder of the Contemporary Writers Series at Aquinas College. She is also the author of nine collections of poetry including Amber Necklace from Gdansk, Talking Diamonds, Listen to the Landscape, and Living in the Fire Nest. Foster was selected to be the first poet laureate of Grand Rapids, MI from 2003-2005.
Anne-Marie Oomen is author of Love, Sex and 4-H (Next Generation Indie Award for Memoir), House of Fields andPulling Down the Barn (both Michigan Notable Books) and Uncoded Woman (poetry), among others. She teaches at Solstice MFA at Pine Manor College (MA), Interlochen’s College of Creative Arts (MI), and at conferences throughout the country.

Meridith Ridl is an artist and an art teacher with a BA from the College of Wooster and MFA from the University of Michigan. She is represented by Lafontsee Galleries in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Meridith lives with her wonderful husband Brent, in Saugatuck, Michigan and loves wandering the lakeshore and dunes much like Lyk
​retia​
.

 Winemaker’s Dinners join us for an elaborate affair you will not soon forget. These dinners start with a sparkling wine and cheese reception followed by a coursed dinner paired with wine.
Each course contains a Fenn Valley wine specifically paired by the chef and winemaker. The winemaker and other Fenn Valley staff are also available to talk about the wine and theory behind the pairings.
Upcoming Dinners

• March 17th – Around the World with the Winemaker – Ireland (On Sale Now)
• April 14th – New Release Winemaker’s Dinner (On Sale March 1st

Price is $75/person and includes sparkling wine reception, food, wine, and gratuity.
“That was one of the most amazing dinners I have ever had!! Every single dish was impeccable on taste, service, and presentation! The wine pairings were perfect. I especially love the fact the family is all part of not only the winery, but the event. My family owned several smaller restaurants and know having your own business is not easy and requires a lot of work.”
– Rick & Michelle Kethcart, Crystal Lake, IL

Around the World with the Winemaker Dinner
A Journey to Ireland
March 17th, 2018
6pm Eastern Welcome Reception – Fruit and Cheese Board
Wine – Blanc de Noir and Bubbling Demi-Sec
First Course – Potato-Leek Pancake
Smoked salmon, herbed creme fraiche
Wine – Edelzwicker 2016
Second Course – Warm Salad of Fish and Chips
Frisee, baby romaine, croutons, fried Black Cod, beet chips with vinaigrette and whole grain mustard cream
Wine – Fenn Valley Hard Cider
Third Course – House Corned Local Beef Brisket
               Potato torte with bacon – cabbage and Irish Cheddar, pickled mustard seeds, Guinness Jus
Wine – Merlot 2016
Fourth Course – Individual Shepards Pie
Irish stew baked in a flaky pastry with duchess potato topping
Wine – Meritage 2016
Dessert – Ginger stout Tatin
With butter pudding and brandy snaps
Classic Port
Please Note: Wine and menu subject to change without notice.