On Friday, Oct. 6, individuals from each part of the Keewanaw participated in the Guiness World Record breaking event, Plaidurday. Students, teachers, law enforcement, and hundreds of various community members joined together wearing plaid to break the previous record of 1,359 held by Kenora, Ontario, Canada in 2019. The rainy, windy weather did not scare away the Yoopers as they broke the record at 1,745 individuals wearing plaid, giving the title of “Largest Gathering of People Wearing Tartan (aka Plaid)” to beautiful Houghton County. As of publication, this record has yet to be verified by Guinness World Records.
Plaid shirts, pants, jackets, and umbrellas were presented by humans and dogs alike on the Houghton High School football field. The Husky Pep Band was also in attendance, dressed in plaid and sporting the famous black and gold striped overalls. The band led spirited Michigan Tech ballads to hype up the crowd, including “No Beer!” and MTU’s “Fight Song”.
One of the 1,745 individuals wearing plaid was Bugsy Sailor himself, the creator of the Plaidurday event. Sailor created the event 13 years ago, when his boss commented that his consistent wearage of plaid was, “going to get him nowhere.” So, Sailor initiated Plaidurday as a jest, and has taken a picture of the gathering every year. Sailor expressed his joy in breaking the Guiness World Record on one of the dreariest days in the past month, “I am really impressed… imagine if it was 65 and sunny!”
Houghton County’s family-like community is exemplified by this gathering, with members from all ages and backgrounds coming together in their tartan. It was inspiring to see the community assemble for this fun event, showing that while there might be conflict, at the end of the day Houghton County loves their neighbors and their plaid.
