Creative Things to Do in Saugatuck: Cooking Classes and Art Workshops

Saugatuck has always been a destination for creativity. From its galleries and studios to its scenic landscapes that have inspired generations of artists, the town has earned its reputation as Michigan’s Art Coast. But you don’t have to simply admire the art while you’re here. You can become part of it.

During your next getaway, set aside time to try something new. Learn a few culinary techniques from a local chef, create your own piece of artwork, or discover a new hobby you didn’t even know existed. These hands-on experiences are some of our favorite things to do in Saugatuck because they turn a weekend away into a souvenir or skill you can take home with you.
 

Learn New Skills at a Saugatuck Cooking Class

Exploring the local dining scene is a highlight of any vacation, but stepping into the kitchen with a local chef gives you a completely different perspective on the region's food culture. It's also one of our favorite rainy day things to do in Saugatuck when the weather calls for an afternoon indoors.

Lulu Cadieux

Right in the heart of downtown Saugatuck, Lulu Cadieux offers hands-on cooking classes where you can learn everything from knife techniques to flavor building. The experience is part lesson and part dinner party. After the cooking is done, everyone sits down together to enjoy the multi-course meal.

It’s a wonderful option for couples looking for a unique date night or anyone who wants to bring a little bit of Saugatuck home with them.

Distinctive Dining Private Classes

For a more personalized experience, Chef Jim LaPerriere of Distinctive Dining hosts private group cooking classes and interactive demonstration dinners. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Jim hosts these tailored sessions in his custom-designed teaching kitchen located just minutes outside of town. Tucked back in a wooded setting on a private lake, the impressive space features twenty feet of work islands and a traditional wood-fired pizza and bread oven. You can work directly with the chef ahead of time to build a custom multi-course menu around your group's specific tastes.

The Chef’s Cabin with Sue Chef

Another intimate option, Sue Chef hosts private demonstration-style classes in her cozy cabin kitchen in Fennville. Designed for groups of 8 to 12 people, these sessions feel like an upscale dinner party. Guests gather around her large kitchen island to watch her prepare a multi-course menu, ranging from authentic Spanish paella to multi-course holiday appetizers, while sharing tips, tricks, and wine pairings. You'll enjoy a full meal during the evening and head home with a complete packet of recipes to recreate the dishes later.

Hands-On Food & Drink Experiences Beyond the Kitchen

From brewing your own beer to learning about coffee roasting, these hands-on activities offer another fun way to experience Saugatuck's food and drink scene while trying something new.

Wild Mushroom Foraging Classes

If you've ever been curious about mushroom foraging, Mycophile's Garden offers classes on wild mushroom identification, cultivation, and cooking throughout the year. While based out of Grand Rapids, they frequently bring their expertise to farms, nature centers, and conservation districts across Allegan County. Their programming ranges from beginner-friendly guided foraging walks through the woods to hands-on log-cultivation workshops where you drill and inoculate your own mushroom grow kit to take home.

Check their events calendar for upcoming sessions near the lakeshore.

Brew Your Own Beer at Saugatuck Brewing Company

For craft beer enthusiasts, Saugatuck Brewing Company has the only Brew On Premise program in Michigan. You'll spend about 4 hours working with the brew team to create your own batch using their professional equipment and natural ingredients. Then you come back in 2 to 3 weeks to bottle it and take it home, which is the perfect excuse for a return trip.

Roaster for a Day at Uncommon Coffee Roasters

If you want to understand your morning cup a little better, Uncommon Coffee Roasters offers a unique "Roaster for a Day" experience at their Saugatuck headquarters. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at sourcing green coffee beans, learn the variables that affect flavor profiles during the roasting cycle, and create your own custom blend. They also offer shorter, focused coffee cupping and tasting classes to help you develop your palate.

Create Something New at a Saugatuck Art Workshop

You can’t visit Michigan’s Art Coast without making time for creativity. Whether you’re an experienced artist or someone who hasn’t picked up a paintbrush in years, Saugatuck’s workshops make it easy to try something new.

Ox-Bow School of Art Workshops

The historic Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency has long been part of Saugatuck’s creative community. While famous for its intensive summer residencies, Ox-Bow also opens its campus to the public through its "Art on the Meadow" workshop series. These single-day or weekend courses are explicitly designed for open-minded beginners. You can register for workshops in botanical illustration, watercolor painting, papermaking, or outdoor metalsmithing.

If you want something more tailored, Ox-Bow also offers private classes and studio rentals for small groups of 2 to 6. You can design a custom session in their glass, ceramics, printmaking, or metals studios with hands-on instruction from their staff. Try glassblowing for the first time, learn to weld a steel sculpture, or spend a few days diving into a print process. Private classes can run anywhere from a few hours to multiple days, and they'll work with you to match your experience level and interests.

Express Yourself Art Barn

Located in a beautifully converted barn just north of downtown, Express Yourself Art Barn is a fantastic option for a completely relaxed, self-guided afternoon. They operate on a walk-in basis with no reservations required. You simply walk in, select your project baseline from their inventory, and use their tools and supplies. Projects include pottery painting, mosaic tiling, and glass fusing, with staff members on hand to offer technical tips on cutting glass or mixing glazes.

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts hosts a rotating calendar of adult programming throughout the year. Located just steps from the downtown waterfront, their workshops frequently blend art with the local landscape. Depending on when you visit, you might find a morning of plein air (outdoor) painting along the riverfront, creative journaling workshops, forest bathing hikes, or evening lectures tied to their current gallery exhibitions.

Holland Area Arts Council

If your itinerary takes you a few minutes north into downtown Holland, the Holland Area Arts Council is another excellent regional resource. They run a steady schedule of evening and weekend adult classes covering everything from introductory wheel-throwing in their ceramics studio to abstract acrylic painting and mixed-media collage.

Kokedama Workshops

For something really unique, Puddingstone is a family-owned plant shop located on Butler Street in downtown Saugatuck. They host regular hands-on workshops focusing on kokedama, a traditional Japanese gardening technique where a plant's root ball is encased in a specialized soil blend and wrapped securely in vibrant green moss. The shop's instructors walk you through the structural wrapping process step-by-step, helping you create a unique living sculpture that can be suspended or displayed on a ceramic dish.

Turn Your Saugatuck Getaway Into a Creative Retreat

One of the best parts of visiting Saugatuck is discovering that some of the most fun things to do in Saugatuck happen indoors and that there’s no pressure to rush from one attraction to the next. A cooking class, art workshop, or creative experience invites you to slow down and enjoy the moment.

After a rewarding day spent learning a new culinary technique or exploring a historic art studio, return to the quiet comfort of our Adults Only Boutique Hotel. You can unwind by your private in-room fireplace, enjoy a relaxing soak in your hydrotherapy tub, and spend a peaceful evening recharging for the next day's adventures.

Ready to plan your Saugatuck getaway? Book your stay at Hotel Saugatuck and discover the creative side of Michigan’s Art Coast.