Page 16 - Leisure Living Magazine August 2017

Get Out Your Green –
It’s Half Way To St. Patrick’s Day
By JD Noll, Feature Writer
Can’t wait until March 17? Put-in-Bay will be wearin’ the green with all things Irish on Saturday, September 23 when it celebrates Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day.
This is about the 25th year for the event which was initially organized by Terry Winchester, member of Put-in-Bay’s Chamber of Commerce
and former manager of the Round House. Missing the traditional March holiday, “It was a way for the seasonal island, where most of the island’s businesses are
closed for the winter, to have fun,” says Eric Booker, co-owner of The Boardwalk Family of Restaurants and Hooligans Irish Pub. Today, the date is promoted jointly by Hooligans and the Chamber.
Chamber of Commerce Director and Island Ambassador, Peter Huston says, “Our job is to represent the businesses and organizations by getting our message out to the public. The businesses expand to shoulder seasons when the weather starts to warm in May and June, and then cool in September and October. We want to extend the seasons, and Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day allows us to share a winter holiday.”
A full time island resident, Eric says the planning began a couple of months ago with the hiring of a popular band, the West Side Irish American Club Pipe Band from Cleveland
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There will be fun and prizes for everyone joining the parade whether it be a decorated golf cart, float or marching unit.
16 |LeisureLiving August 2017 www.LeisureLivingMagazine.com