Kelly Simmons (standing, at right) enjoys high tea at Grand Hotel with a group called Ruby Red, a chapter of the Red Hat Society from Davison. The tea is part of a Red Hat Society celebration in the St. Ignace Area Saturday, June 3. A celebration by the Red Hat Society drew 190 members from all over Michigan and the United States to St. Ignace last weekend. That is up from the 144 Red Hats who attended last year, said Kelly Simmons of the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau, a member of the local Red Hat chapter, called Jewels of the Straits, which hosted the weekend's events.

The Red Hat Society, a national phenomenon with an international following, is for women over 50 who want to have fun, dress up in colorful outfits, and flaunt freedom from the responsibilities they have accepted throughout much of their lives. Their national mission is to do nothing, and their responsibility is to have fun. Their local chapters can have no rules, except to dress at meetings in full regalia.

Founded just eight years ago in 1998, red-hatted women in purple dresses are now common throughout the country, and gift shops everywhere feature items with the red hat themes. Chapters are now in 30 countries.

The dress is derived from Jenny Joseph's poem, "Warning," which begins, "When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple with a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me."

Members under 50 must wear pink hats with lavender outfits.

"We believe that aging should be something anticipated with excitement, not something to dread," proclaims the organization's official Web site.

Red Hat chapters came to St. Ignace this year from Lake Orion, Middleville, Bay City, Wayland, Eaton Rapids, Traverse City, Big Rapids, St. Helen, Lansing, Holland, Negaunee, Howell, Warren, Clarkston, Bay City, West Bloomfield, Benton Harbor, Galesburg, Houghton Lake, Grand Rapids, Davison, Sault. Ste. Marie, Mount Morris, Adrian, Grand Ledge, Canton, Roscommon, Rochester Hills, Wolverine Lake, Essexville, Orange, California, Seven Hills, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Milford, Indiana, Denmark, Wisconsin, and Barlett, Illinois.

The Whacky Red Hatters of Essexville received $250 for creating the best banner.

The festival included a concert by the Chenille Sisters at Little Bear East Arena and Conference Center, high tea at Grand Hotel, a Mardi Gras cruise on the Straits of Mackinac, and a fashion show with a special appearance by the granddaughters of the Jewels of the Straits Red Hat Society. Proceeds from the fashion show were donated to the Mackinac County Relay for Life.

The St. Ignace Visitors Bureau, Jewels of the Straits, and the Quality Inn St. Ignace will host the Third Annual Red Hat Celebration June 1 through 3 next year.