South Haven's 150th Celebration at the National Blueberry Festival

South Haven is turning 150 and we are celebrating! A celebration like this only comes once, so National Blueberry Festival is pulling out the stops to highlight the 150th Anniversary during our city wide activities August 8th - 11th. The 150th theme bolsters our classic events by way of costumes, float decorations, and walks down memory lane:

• The DeGrandchamp Farms Parade will host a special category of “best historical entry.” 
• Winners of the “South Haven Past, Present, and Future Student Exhibition” will be showcased during the The Youth Pageant & Community Opportunity. 
• The Adult Pie Eating Contest is turning into a costume party - and participants that wear a costume (any theme) get a valuable 5 second head start at their pie! 

But that’s not all:
The nightly Mainstage Ceremonies will put the spotlight on South Haven, as we entertain with stories of the past. Thursday Night’s Opening Ceremonies will take a fun look at the years of farming and farm culture in the area. MBG Marketing - The Blueberry People, sponsor that night’s entertainment and kick off the weekend providing the high energy band - Blue Water Kings! 

During Friday’s Ceremonies, crowds can enjoy a splash of the past as the South Haven Yacht Club’s Patrick and Tara Miller share stories of the past, present and future of the local boating industry. Established in 1939, this iconic part of South Haven has provided a home to many a sun soaked boater, and a few tugs and freighters before that. Just to show you how far back we are talking, the first club fees were only $10 a year! Entergy then hits us up with a stunning show from Slim Gypsy Band, followed by The Dweebs! 

Clementine’s Blueberry Blow Out: 
Throughout all three throwback nights, Clementine’s will be providing excitement by shooting off 150 ping pong balls out of a canon (provided by Stoke’s Blueberries)!
Each night, five lucky people will catch the winning ball and receive a free stack of onion rings redeemable at Clementine’s restaurant!  

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Brothers of the Brush: 
Saturday night ceremonies host our 150th Grand Finale - the Brothers of the Brush Unite! This beard competition, yes you heard that right, will be held on the Mainstage during the 7pm music break!
No registration is necessary, just some preparation on your part...namely - growing a beard!! Grow the best beard and receive a trophy signed by a few of the original Brother’s of the Brush. Or present the best false beard and win that category. Or enter your mustache, side burns, or eye-brows into the Freestyle category! 
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How does this all fit in? At South Haven’s 100th Anniversary, male celebration goers where required to have either a beard and a Brothers of the Brush pin on button, or a Shaving Permit button. If you had neither, the female Keystone Cops (shown here with Carole Renner, and children Debbie and Susie ) would literally put you in a jail cell where you would plead your case before the presiding judge! This was such a great memory, that 50 years later people are still talking about. So, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to unite the Brothers of the Brush!  

To learn more about the Brothers of the Brush Unite competition click here, or follow our event on Facebook. 

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