Saugatuck - Community Spotlight

Saugatuck is a community that has it all –great shopping, wonderful restaurants, a lively arts scene, and a colorful history. To top it off, it has a lovely harbor with some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. It is no wonder that Saugatuck is one of the top tourist destinations in Michigan if not the Midwest. In fact it has been called, “One of the top 25 art destinations in the U.S.”

One of the amazing things about Saugatuck is that everyone you meet has come from somewhere else. The native population of Saugatuck and its neighbor, Douglas, are both very small. Felicia Fairchild, director of the Saugatuck-Douglas Convention and Visitors Bureau notes that there are several types of people who are part of the scene in Saugatuck: the day tripper, the weekenders, the cottage people, and the boat people. The day trippers wish that they were weekenders; the weekenders wish they were cottage owners or boat owners; the cottage owners long for the day that they can live here full time. Visitors look to see what has changed since their last visit but hope nothing has.

People have been vacationing in Saugatuck for over 100 years. This history contributes to the Victorian charm of the village homes and shops. Saugatuck became an artist colony in the early 1900s with the establishment of the Summer School of Painting on Ox-Bow lagoon in Saugatuck. Today the Ox-Bow institute is operated by the Art Institute of Chicago and continues to be an influence in a community filled with art galleries and exhibitions, public art, theater, film, and music. The title “The Art Coast of Michigan” truly is indicative of the flavor of the Saugatuck/Douglas community.

Yet, Saugatuck and Douglas are not villages content to rest on their laurels; the communities actively seek to preserve the best and aim for a glorious future.

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts: A case in point
Many frequent visitors will recall the pie factory which could be found on the main street of Saugatuck. When the company moved their offices elsewhere, the building was left empty: an eyesore in a community that prides itself on its beauty. A group of citizens purchased the site, but funds were difficult to find to renovate the building which they hoped would become an art center. In 2004, Governor Granholm announced her “cool cities” project and the group received a grant to make the dream a reality. Today, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts has classroom and exhibit space, a staff, and more amazingly two additional tenants; The Mason Street Warehouse professional theater and the Waterfront Film Festival. An additional grant from the Department of Natural Resources is being used to create a street front garden which will be watered by a system which will utilize the building’s run-off water. This watering system is a prototype of the type of system that the DNR believes will be used on public buildings state-wide. The eyesore is becoming the centerpiece in the community. www.sc4a.org

The Felt Mansion: Restoring a gem
The Felt Mansion, which sits just north of the village of Saugatuck, has had a checkered history. It was built by Dorr Felt, a Chicago inventor, in the early 1920’s on 1000 acres of beachfront land. The 17,000 foot house was built like a factory so that it would house Felt’s children and grandchildren far into the future. The family retained it as a summer home until 1948 when it was sold to the St. Augustine Seminary which operated it until the mid 1970s. Because of a stipulation that it had to stay in public hands for public use, the property was sold to the State of Michigan who turned the seminary school into a prison and the mansion into a state police post. The beach front became a day-use state park (described in the hidden beach article). Laketown Township purchased the site in the 1990s, had the prison torn down and changed the history of the property once again. Volunteers spent two years restoring the mansion and revitalizing the property. The mansion now serves as a rental venue for garden parties, weddings and other events. All summer, the management will be offering tours on Sundays from 2-6 p.m. Additionally, visitors can walk on the grounds as part of a State Park hike.

The Felt Mansion is located at the end of 138th in Laketown Township. It is adjacent to the Saugatuck Dunes State Park between Holland and Saugatuck. The address is 6597 138th Avenue. If you are coming from I-196 it is Exit 41. Turn North on 64th (at the Burger King) and follow the signs to the State Park. www.laketowntwp.org/FeltMansion.htm

What to do on a day trip to Saugatuck: It depends on your whim

Want to be on the beach?
Saugatuck is home of one of the best beaches in the United States. This beautiful beach was named one of the Top 25 beaches in the world by Condé Naste Magazine and one of the two top fresh water beaches in the USA by National Geographic Traveler Magazine and was named by MTV as one of the 5 best beaches in the United States. Oval Beach is found at the end of Oval Beach Road one mile west of the Saugatuck Ferry landing across the river from downtown Saugatuck. Further south on Lakeshore Drive is Douglas Beach, Pier Cove Park and West Side Township Park. North of town is Saugatuck Dunes State Park. All have outstanding beaches and sand dunes for exploring.

How about some other water activities?
Saugatuck/Douglas has a wide variety of available water activities, including a Titanic era ship, the S. S. Keewatin, to explore, boats and sail boats to charter, and canoes and kayaks to rent. The sternwheeler, Star of Saugatuck, offers a pleasant tour of the river and along the shoreline. The last hand-cranked chain ferry in the United States can take you across the river and an amphibious “duck” offers land and sea service to Saugatuck and Douglas.

Seeking greater adventure?
Consider a hike to the top of Mt. Baldhead sand dune. If you can make it, you are greeted with a stunning bird’s-eye view of the harbor and lake. Or, travel across the dunes on a dune schooner ride which will delight young and old alike.

Interested in art?
There are over 30 art galleries in the Saugatuck/ Douglas area. An entire day can be spent doing this alone. Guides to the galleries are available at the Convention and Visitors Bureau and at the galleries themselves. Many are located on Butler Street in Saugatuck and in Douglas along Blue Star Highway. The Express Yourself Art Barn offers one day events for children and adults to create their own art.

Want to shop or eat?
There’s lots of fun shopping for everyone in the Butler St. area of Saugatuck. Several toy shops offer delights for the children in your family and ice cream parlors abound. There are lots of excellent restaurants in the area offering both indoor and outdoor dining. There’s a restaurant for every taste – from hot dogs to seafood.

Just in time for a festival?
The area has a lot of festivals during the summer season. Early in June, the Waterfront Film Festival, now ranked one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States, kicks off the season in early June and the Harbor festival is mid-season on the last weekend in July. Season ending festivals include the Taste of Saugatuck in August and the Heritage Festival in mid September and the Chili Cook-off in October. Information about festivals can be found on the Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

How to get information
The Convention and Visitors Bureau offers wonderful information for those coming to Saugatuck-Douglas for the day, the weekend, or a lifetime. Check out their website www.saugatuck.com for all the information you might need to plan a trip. The Bureau also has a beautiful guide to the area, which can be found at their offices on Blue Star Highway in Douglas and at most retail stores in both Saugatuck and Douglas. They can be reached at 269-857-1701.