Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in O'Saugatuck and McDouglas

A picture of me at last year's St. Patrick's Day Party (actual size).

The Saugatuck/Douglas Convention & Visitors Bureau will be sponsoring the 9th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday March 17 at 2:00 p.m. Chicago and New York City have some stiff competition for their parades as the contagious Irish spirit abounds right here in West Michigan. O'Saugatuck and McDouglas get into the Irish spirit by changing their names for the special day.

Back by popular demand is the pet themed, "Erin Go Bark! People & Their Pets Parade." All creatures great and small are invited to participate in the parade to express their "Irish side" by dressing in a "wee bit of greenery." Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed pets.

You don't have to claim Irish lineage to celebrate, so tint your dog green, build a shamrock float, dress like a leprechaun or decorate your car. Line up for the parade will be in the parking lot at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts at 1:30 p.m.

Once every seven years, St. Patrick's Day is on a Saturday and all the more reason to make it an all day celebration. "Top o' the mornin' to ya!" by making your way to the Saugatuck Brewing Company, in Douglas where the Lucky Stone Pub will be serving a full, hearty and generous Irish breakfast buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 12 and under. Included with admission will be live Celtic music and the first pint is free for adults. Tickets available at Saugatuck Brewing Company,(269) 857-7222, or visit saugatuckbrewing.com.

The Ship 'n Shore Motel in downtown Saugatuck will sponsor its 6th Annual Pub Crawl. Participants will be invited to join in the parade through downtown and the Pub Crawl will begin immediately following. The crawl includes five bars in the downtown area, all within walking distance. There is also an after party at the Coral Gables Crow Bar, where all of the teams reunite for live entertainment, prizes and drink specials. For more information contact Ship n' Shore Motel at (269) 857-2194, shipnshoremotel.com.

May the road rise up to meet you and take you to the Belvedere Restaurant where Chef Shaun Glynn who was born and raised in Galway, Ireland, will prepare your Irish dinner. This award winning chef will show that a St. Patrick's dinner is not always corned beef, cabbage and boiled potatoes. Other area restaurants and pubs will be preparing a variety of Irish drinks, traditional fare and live music which will have you dancing a jig.

Head back over to the Lucky Stone Pub in Douglas where starting at 6:30 p.m., Irish party band Kinfyre will be performing. Admission is free.

Wearin' of the green, marching in a parade and singing in the pubs are all things that contribute to the gaity and good times that abound on St. Patrick's Day. They also allow all of us, if but for one day, to share the spirit of the Irish not only in the Saugatuck/Douglas area but across America.