Holiday merriment was brimming at Quigley’s Irish Pub Saturday night in downtown Naperville.  The popular gathering place held its Second Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest and it quickly became evident that the large crowd dressed in seasonal attire would have a tough time winning over the service staff, all dressed for the fun occasion.

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As patrons arrived for the Ugly Christmas Sweater competition, a Naperville cowboy entered the scene, turning a few heads.

Who was the unmasked man?

According to owner Nancy Quigley, the cowboy could steal the show by upstaging the ugly sweater contestants..

“I don’t ever remember a cowboy at the pub,” she joked.

The beat goes on with Fletcher Rockwell

Meanwhile, at 9PM, Fletcher Rockwell, an eclectic rock band that took its name from a street corner in  Chicago, returned to center stage at Quigley’s where they always attract  a large following.

For the past three years, the band has kept music lovers  of all ages dancing and singing throughout the Chicago region.

Set to perform a combination of original music and popular cover songs spanning multiple genres, these crowd pleasers began singing and strumming to show a good time to the packed audience of toe-tapping revelers.

The cowboy’s boots and attire seemed most fitting during the country tributes.

All the band members performed vocals with Mike Nutt as lead vocalist and guitarist,  Peter Nyberg as drummer, Charley Bredrup as lead guitarist and Tim Brudrup on bass.

Nyberg , a Naperville native whose parents Nancy and Ron Nyberg were in the pub not far from the stage, will be parting ways with the Midwest and consequently will be leaving the band at the end of 2012.

Saturday’s performance at Quigley’s, the second of two titled “Farewell to Peter Shows,” was  Nyberg’s final set with Fletcher Rockwell.  Steve Pahl will take Nyberg’s place as the future drummer.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve Dublin Time at Quigley’s

The countdown for the New Year will be celebrated all afternoon at Quigley’s as it prepares for the noisemakers to sound at 6PM Mon., Dec. 31.  As is tradition, the Irish pub marks the event at  Dublin Time and will close for 2012 at 8PM Naperville time.

For more information about New Year’s Eve and a schedule of the bands that will play live Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays every week throughout the New Year, visit www.quigleysirishpub.com.

By the way, a woman in a tacky sweater walked away with the prize for the Ugly Sweater Contest before the folks at Quigley’s could get her name.