CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — Cedar Springs will host its annual Red Flannel Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4, continuing one of Michigan's longest-running community celebrations.
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The festivities kick off Friday evening with a community-wide carnival and a Firefighter and First Responders Parade scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Main Street.
Saturday's events begin at 9 a.m., building up to the Red Flannel Festival Grand Parade at 3 p.m.
Festival organizers are warning attendees to come prepared with proper attire. Those not wearing red will be "arrested" by costumed Keystone Cops and must pay $1 to be released from the mock jail – a longtime festival tradition.
The Red Flannel Festival traces its origins to the harsh winter of 1936, when a New York feature writer claimed red flannel underwear was nowhere to be found in the nation. The Cedar Springs Clipper newspaper responded by boasting that the town's merchants had plenty of the warm undergarments for sale.
The community has celebrated Red Flannel Day annually since then, always on the first Saturday in October.
Additional information about the festival is available at redflannelfestival.org
