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Adults listened to the bands dotting area venues and visited the shops, while younger children jumped around in the bouncy toys and older ones gave the climbing tower a go.
Guests purchased $10 “meal tickets” that listed all the restaurants. At every stop, a volunteer server checked off their restaurant’s box. After visiting as many their stomach allowed, visitors provided an email address, dropped the ticket in a collection box and entered a drawing for $25 gift certificates from many of the participating eateries.
The writer and his wife volunteered as servers at Julian’s Brick Oven Pizza — with New Haven-style thin crust, their website reports. Visitors could sample the Pizza Margherita, a cheese, sliced tomatoes, garlic and basil pie, or a “plain” mozzarella and tomato sauce slice, along with a small cup of penne pasta. This one seemed to be a favorite.
Other favorite spots? Tarry Lodge, The Whelk, Kawa Ni — and the ice cream at Saugatuck Sweets — drew praise from the crowd.
Walking around as the afternoon was ending, we enjoyed Dunkin’ Donuts' two seasonal offerings — iced dark brew coffee and a bite of its pumpkin doughnut, then wound up at the Black Duck just in time to help polish off leftover Duck Spicy Wings: Spicy and delicious.
And there was music, music, music. Silver Steel at Bridge Square, Grosvenor Square at the Duck, Suzanne Sheridan at Tarry Lodge, and a half-dozen others were spread throughout Saugatuck.
A Battle of the Bands featured three groups from Staples High School at Luciano Park, followed by a Voodoo Carnival and Miss Suzy’s Opus to entertain those who stayed late.
The park also hosted Human Foosball and a handful of Maker Faire demonstrations.
It was a great afternoon, as the forecasted rain skirted Westport, visitors enjoyed treats from the restaurants, and the money raised funded a donation by the Chamber of Commerce to Homes With Hope’s Gillespie Center Food Pantry.
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