Dunes Resort's Furball weekend energizes fall party season

Saugatuck, MI - Pumpkins, falling leaves, Thanksgiving turkeys, a slight chill in the air...wait, hold on, we're not quite there yet. Even though this week marked the first full week of autumn there is still time to get in another fun summer-style long weekend getaway with some furry friends at The Dunes Resort, just a couple hours away from Chicago.

"It's beautiful with the changing of the colors," says Mike Jones, co-owner of the Dunes. "And we have a bear weekend." 

 This weekend, from September 28th to September 30th, is FurBall. The Dunes Resort transforms into a weekend mecca for beautiful bears and their admirers. The events, presented by Joe Fiore, turns kick off Friday with an Underbear Party, complete with meet and greets, drink specials and go-go boys galore.

The fun continues Saturday with an afternoon barbecue and the FurBall event that evening; followed on Sunday by the Drag Gospel Brunch and the famous Dunes Tea Dance from 4-9 pm.

 Owners Mike Jones, Danny Esterline and Greg Trzybinski, who purchased the Douglas Resort almost two decades ago, have created an inviting family atmosphere that beckons visitors to come to the resort and the surrounding Saugatuck-Douglas lakefront area year after year.

 "We're just an element of what makes the community amazing; besides having a beautiful beach, we have great restaurants," Jones told ChicagoPride.com.

 And the Dunes Resort has always been a successful and beloved retreat in the Midwest.

"The pool is always the hot spot for us. We have themed weekends every week, and there's always a different theme behind what we're planning," says Jones. "We take a lot of pride in this place, and we take a lot of pride in being welcoming to everybody, including straight people."

And the autumn fun continues into October.

"Halloween is one of the busiest weekends in all of Saugatuck-Douglas. Douglas has an adult parade and we're the official after party for the parade. It's something that people come and say, "I'm coming to Halloween every year." It's insane."

"There are so many gays from small towns, gays and lesbians, transgenders that don't have the opportunity to express themselves at home or can't express themselves at work and we try to give them a venue where they can. They can be exactly who they want to be and no one will judge them," Jones told ChicagoPride.com this summer.

"I think that's what the legacy of the Dunes will always be - an opportunity for people to come and just be who they are."

A weekend pass for all events is $40 and available at www.furballnyc.com or $45 at the door when you arrive at the resort.

For more information about the Dunes Resort and all of their upcoming events, visit the Dunes Resort website and follow the Dunes Resort on Facebook or @dunesresort on Twitter.