Tag Archives: Fall

Wisconsin Arts and Crafts Fairs

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Art Fair on the Square, Madison. Photo Credit: Suzette Buhr

 

Love arts and craft fairs? Lucky you that Wisconsin is the proud home of many dedicated and talented artists. So many, in fact, that we have to keep track of all them in a directory! You can thank the Wisconsin Arts Board for producing the annual 2012 Arts & Crafts Fairs Directory.

If you are mapping out your trips this year and want to attend one of the many Wisconsin arts and craft fairs, you can download the directory online or order a hard copy!

And for your viewing pleasure, we’ve detailed out some of the can’t-miss stops:

SPRING / SUMMER

  • May 5: Lakefront Artist Fair, Racine Montessori School – The first outdoor art fair of the season in Racine featuring more than 100 artists.
  • May 19: Festival of Spring, Paine Art Center and Gardens – Paint, plant and landscape vendors show off their work in Oshkosh.
  • June 15-17: Lakefront Festival of Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum – One of the country’s finest juried shows, this festival puts the works of over 150 national artists on display.
  • June 23: Strawberry Festival & Craft Fair, Cedarburg Cultural Center – Family friendly environment complete with a children’s carnival, raffles and of course, strawberries!
  • July 7: Namekagon Art and Music Fest, Cable Hayward Area Arts Council – Pottery and carving demonstrations in the Art Tent plus a poetry jam!
  • July 14-15: Art Fair on the Square, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art – A Madison tradition, this is consistently rated among the best art fairs in America.
  • July 15: Bergstrom Mahler Museum Arts Festival, Riverside Park – Held on the lakeside community of Neenah, you’ll find the areas best fine artists.
  • July 21-22: Midsummer Festival of the Arts, John Michael Kohler Art Center – Workshops are offered for all ages and features the works of over 135 artists.

FALL

  • September 8-9: Art in the Park, Marathon Park – Part of Wausau’s “Artrageous” weekend.
  • September 14-16: Hidden River Arts Festival, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts – This Brookfield festival promotes the work of Wisconsin fine artists.
  • October 6-7: Cranberry Fest, Vilas County Fairgrounds – Browse the flea market and tour a marsh or winery at this tasty crafts show.
  • November 30 – December 9: Old World Christmas Market, The Ostoff Resort – both international and regional artists are on display at this Elkhart Lake holiday tradition.

If that isn’t enough to get you started, be sure to “Like” the Wisconsin Arts Board on Facebook and check out the events calendar on TravelWisconsin.com

A Guide to Archery and Bow Hunting in Wisconsin

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Bow hunting season for white-tail deer starts up again November 19th, and we’ve got archery on the brain.

According to the Wisconsin DNR, prior to the first bow hunting season, archery in Wisconsin focused almost entirely on target shooting and field competition. In the 1920s, competitions were scheduled almost every Saturday from spring through fall. The events were often day-long affairs attracting all ages and both sexes.

As the sport grew in popularity, archery clubs were established across the state. Today, many schools even offer archery as part of their physical education courses. It has never been easier to take up this exciting hobby. For those interested, indoor shooting ranges are great for honing your skills. The Antlers Archery Club in Weston offers realistic hunting settings with a wide variety of bows, arrows and accessories. Northern Archery in Park Falls has both indoor and outdoor shooting on a 3-D range from 25 to 50 yards away.

If you’re looking to go from the range to the field, there is no shortage of public hunting and wildlife areas in Wisconsin. In the southeast, the Mazomanie Unit features marsh terrain and boasts over 4,200 acres of roaming! Or head up to the Northwoods and venture out into the upland forests of the Pine-Popple Wild Rivers where you’ll find plenty of game.

Before purchasing any hunting license, including an archery license, you’ll need certification, so be sure to enroll in a bow hunting safety education course through the Wisconsin DNR. Courses cover the history of bowhunting, marksmanship fundamentals, laws, equipment and other fundamentals.

Are you an avid archer? Where do you go for practice and hunting?

Milwaukee Food Tours

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Originally settled by Italian, Polish, Irish and German immigrants, Milwaukee is rich in culture, historic architecture, and a whole lot of savory stops! Milwaukee’s original and award winning guided food tours combine sightseeing and sampling. Even if you’ve lived in Wisconsin all your life, these tours are a great way to learn the history of the area and literally sample the city.

The Milwaukee Pizza Bus Tour samples everything from old-school, 5-star pizzerias to newer, upscale establishments. Taste your way through the diverse selection, while learning about the Italian influences that shaped Milwaukee. Tours run sporadically from November 12 to May 18, be sure to check out their full schedule and make a reservation.

Just in time for December, sign up for one of the special holiday tours! The Christmas Around Milwaukee Bakery Bus Tour celebrates local holiday traditions while sampling an assortment of cookies, pastries and other delicious treats. How can you go wrong?

All food and drink tastings are included with the price of admission and served family-style. Enjoy, and let us know if you go!

Green Means Go: Eco- Friendly Travel in Wisconsin

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The only thing better than exploring the natural beauty of Wisconsin, is doing so without leaving a gigantic carbon footprint.

Travel Wisconsin’s Travel Green program encourages environmentally safe traveling efforts by reducing waste, encouraging recycling, aiding in wildlife and water conservation, and efficient energy use, among other things. You don’t have to “give-up” to go green, simply patronize the many Wisconsin establishments that are Travel Green certified. You might just be surprised to see that some of your favorites made the list!

Beyond patronizing certified stops, below are a few simple, green travel tips to start you off on the right foot, courtesy of MSNBC:

  • When hiking or biking, always stay on marked trails.
  • Light campfires only in established fire rings and be sure they’re completely extinguished before you leave.
  • Whenever possible, use public transportation instead of a taxis or rental cars. Better yet, walk or bike!
  • If you do plan to take a long road trip, consider renting a fuel-efficient economy car. You’ll save gas and avoid putting miles on your own vehicle.
  • During your stay, reuse sheets and towels instead of having them changed every day. Many hotels will not replace your towels if you leave them hanging up neatly, but to be safe you can always write a note for the housekeeping staff or notify the front desk.

Hopefully by now you’re feeling inspired! Start planning your next green vacation today. Visit our website to view upcoming events, browse travel lists, read up on featured destinations and, of course, see our full directory of Travel Green venues.

Wisconsin Wine Tours – Part Two: The Fox Valley, Door County and Glacial Hills Region

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In the last post of this series, we explored two of the five wine regions in Wisconsin: The Northwoods and Driftless Regions. Today, we move across the state to the remaining three regions with a little help from the Wineries of Wisconsin. 

Fox Valley Region

Ranging from roughly Lake Winnebago to Green Bay, the Fox River Valley region offers a mix of neat dairy farms, waterscapes, signature attractions and, of course, intriguing wineries. The Trout Springs Winery in Greenleaf is the state’s only combination Trout Hatchery and winery. Tastings at this winery include samples of artisan chesses (locally made), homemade Italian Pesto, homemade chocolate and smoke salmon.

Part of the Fox River Valley Wine Trail, Kerrigan Brothers Winery in Freedom is all about local. They produce natural fruit wines from Wisconsin-grown cranberries, cherries, apples and more. You can pick up a personalized bottle of wine at the end of your visit…don’t forget a cheese carving to go with it from their gift shop.

Door County Region

The Door County Peninsula enchants visitors with 300 miles of shoreline, five state parks, artist colonies, eclectic shops, fishing villages and savory wines. Take for example Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery in Kewaunee. It’s located on the same line of latitude as Bordeaux, France and Tuscany, Italy…arguably the world’s finest wine regions.  A state-of-the-art winery, you’ll cover over ten acres of vineyards on their tour. Offering traditional wines, Stone’s Throw Winery in Bailey’s Harbor is a great place to taste some Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel, or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you find yourself back at home and craving more, you can always order on their website.

Glacial Hills Region

Located in Southeastern Wisconsin, this region is known for its defining geographic features caused by glaciers moving through the state thousands of years ago. You’ll find rolling hills, amazing trails and both innovative and traditional wines.

Aeppeltreow Winery in Burlington revisits America’s forgotten cider heritage. As the name implies, they specializes in apple wines. Guests can sample wines and also get a cheese tasting on the first full weekend of every month. Aeppeltreow also has over 130 heirloom apple varieties and fresh-pressed cider for sale. Lewis Station Winery in Lake Mill is located inside a remodeled 1940s vintage gas station. As a mico-winery, they have a truly unique selection of wines. Some styles offered include kiwifruit, tropical fruit, grapefruit and strawberry. If you’re looking for something different to bring to your next dinner party, you can find it at Lewis Station.

For more information on any of the wine regions mentioned above, or to order a free winery tour guide book, visit Travel Wisconsin or the Wineries of Wisconsin. Cheers!

Deer Hunting in Buffalo County

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Wisconsin’s beautiful fall colors are on their way out and the frosty days of winter will soon set in. That can only mean one thing: hunting season is here and the famed gun-deer season is just around the corner.

Wisconsin’s diverse terrain is particularly suited for hunting. The mix of forest, grassland, prairie, wetland, lake and farmland provides varied habitat for wildlife. There are few places that rival the serenity of Buffalo County, in Western Wisconsin. Notorious early morning hunts give way to breathtaking sunrises; this is your chance to watch nature come alive!  Towering bluffs overlook miles of peaceful Wisconsin woods.  Most importantly, nestled along the fertile Mississippi River Valley, Buffalo County is home to an incredible population of trophy bucks.

The deer hunting outfitters below pride themselves on offering personal, semi-guided hunts in the Buffalo County area. Check them out and start planning your trip.

For more Wisconsin hunting destinations, visit TravelWisconsin.com. Here’s to a safe 2011 hunting season in Wisconsin!

A Dazzling Autumn by Design: Lake Geneva’s Fall Colors

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Grace Eckland is the Director of Marketing and PR for the Lake Geneva Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Anyone who appreciates the beauty of fall colors will have a hard time believing their eyes upon a trip to Lake Geneva in the fall. Due to a little known secret, Lake Geneva has always been the place for the most dramatic, longest lasting color display. If you are planning a trip to Lake Geneva this autumn, you can be sure to thank America’s foremost landscape architects for the spectacular view.

When many of Chicago’s elite built estates on Lake Geneva beginning in the late 1800s, they didn’t stop with just their mansions. Several went on to hire America’s foremost landscape architects to design the grounds. For estates like Wrigley’s Green Gables, a top request was to have the longest lasting color display possible. So, architects carefully selected landscapes that yielded specific colors from a wide species of trees and shrubs. Beginning in early September, trees begin to be dotted with yellow accents, followed by bursts of burnt orange, dashes of fiery red and ending with a finale of caramel brown in late November.

According to John Notz, Jr., a Chicago lawyer and amateur historian, these “artists” who helped to paint the area with beautiful fall colors included John Charles Olmsted, son of the founder of American landscape architecture; Jens Jensen, Danish landscape architect of Humboldt Park in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood and Olof Benson, designer of Chicago’s Lincoln Park North Pond.

For the grounds at Grommes’ Allview estate, Danish landscape architect Jens Jensen designed enchanting woods on the lake side of the residence with a mile-long “maple alley” – a winding path lined with brilliant orange in the fall. The Allview site exalted nature and explored new ways to relate buildings to landscapes.

Several substantial landscape projects around Lake Geneva, including the estates of Hutchinson, Harris, Swift, Bartlett and the Yerkes Observatory, were designed by John Charles Olmsted.  He was heavily influenced by his father’s work, especially having grown up in a small home in the middle of Central Park during the construction of his father’s design for the park. Brothers John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. went on to create the largest landscape architecture firm in America.

For the famed Wychwood estate, a country home for then president of the Art Institute of Chicago Charles Hutchinson and his wife, the Olmsteds left many of the native trees undisturbed. The estate is prized for its flower and wildlife sanctuary, and was once in the trust of The University of Chicago for use as a research site. Named for the witch hazel that grows wild on the land, the bright green foliage becomes magenta in the fall.

Black walnut trees are what give Black Point Estate, an 1888 Victorian home landscaped by Olof Benson, its name. Since walnut trees quickly shed their leaves in the fall, it is a rare treasure to catch them when they burst with bright, yellow color. However, one can still enjoy the estate after this magnificent display – the fallen leaves are highly aromatic when walked upon and crushed.

There are many ways to enjoy the fall colors in the Lake Geneva area – whether by foot, boat, car, rail, bicycle or air. One of the best drives in the area is Snake Road, a three-mile-long, wooded, winding road off of Highway 50 on the northeast end of Geneva Lake. Another leisurely ride is Rustic Road 12 in nearby Lyons.

If you prefer an even slower pace, a hike on the 21-mile Geneva Lake shore path affords up-close views of fall foliage along with a peek at grand estates on the water. Great hiking can also be found in nearby conservancies, preserves and Big Foot Beach State Park.  In addition to foot paths, biking trails are plentiful, with routes both to and from downtown on the Lake Geneva bike path.

For those looking to kick back while enjoying the scenery, the Lake Geneva Cruise Line continues daily water tours through October. Signature cruises that complement the fall palette include a Sunday morning champagne brunch or a sultry, jazz dinner cruise every Friday night.  Other slow-rolling tours include horse and carriage rides and a vintage trolley that operates 10-mile round trips from its East Troy depot.

And for a single glimpse that says it all, catch a bird’s eye view in a hot air balloon ride. Daily tours glide over the area at sunrise and two hours before sunset.

No matter how you choose to enjoy Lake Geneva in the fall, it’s bound to be a picture perfect escape.

Grace Eckland is the Director of Marketing and PR for the Lake Geneva Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. To learn more about Lake Geneva, visit lakegenevawi.com or connect with them on at Facebook.com/mylakegeneva or on Twitter at @mylakegeneva.

Haunted Happenings in Wisconsin

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Leafy labyrinths, frightening tours, haunted houses and more, autumn is chock full of chilling Wisconsin adventure.

Head to Willow Spring Garden’s in Wausau for spooky fun…just beware the wandering ghosts and goblins that could be waiting at every turn. Surrounded by rotting corn stalks and ghastly creatures, this haunted journey is one you won’t want to take alone.

Sink your teeth into one of Milwaukee Food Tours’ haunted excursions. Stop at local cemeteries and real-life haunted restaurants & bars, enjoying spooky stories and delicious food along the way. The nearby Waukesha County “Fear-grounds” have three of the scariest, eeriest, most gruesome haunted houses in the state. Try to escape the clutches of the evil witch Morgana and her gang of evil troublemakers.

Contain those goosebumps – there is plenty of Wisconsin fun that will get your heart racing. For more spooky stops, check out Haunted Wisconsin.

Pumpkin Picking in Wisconsin

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Tall and skinny or plump and misshapen, few things say fall like the unmistakable orange of Wisconsin-grown pumpkins. Whether you’re craving a warm pumpkin pie, crispy pumpkin seeds, or just looking forward to carving a jack-o-lantern, there’s a Wisconsin pumpkin patch waiting for you.

In Northwestern Wisconsin, Mommsen’s Produce Patch takes pumpkins to a whole new level, literally! Each year they create a 30-foot pumpkin pyramid, so be sure to bring your camera. You’ll also want to check out their pumpkin-firing catapult, corn maze, petting farm and hayrides. Finish off the day with a stop at Norske Nook Restaurant and Bakery. Be sure to try their blue ribbon, pumpkin cream cheese.

If you’re looking for a family outing in Southeastern Wisconsin, Swan’s Pumpkin Farm in Franksville is the place to be. Admission is free daily from 9AM to 7PM. Older kids can enjoy a trip through Wanda’s Spook House or the Witch Hallow Maze, while younger kids can hop on the barrel train ride or puppet show. Whatever your age, enjoy an only-in-Wisconsin laugh with on a tour of Corn City, featuring uncanny likenesses of celebrities.

Last but not least, Treinen Farms in Central Wisconsin is a must-see stop. Hop on a wagon and let Belgian draft horses pull you to the patches where you can select from over 15 varieties. After you’re done browsing, check out their corn maze – it’s the largest in Wisconsin. If you dare, stop back on Saturday, October 29 for their Zombie night. This event is spooky so be sure to leave the little ones at home.

For even more Wisconsin pumpkin patches, pumpkin inspired events and yes, delicious pumpkin pit stops, be sure to visit TravelWisconsin.com.

See Wisconsin’s Fall Colors with Lake Geneva Canopy Tours

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Witness Wisconsin’s fall colors like you never seen them before…from up in the canopy! The recently opened Lake Geneva Canopy Tours is an eco-adventure sure to thrill.

Photo courtesy: Lake Geneva Canopy Tours

Get a bird’s eye view of the fall foliage as you whiz above the forest floor from tree to tree. Rope bridges, staircases and 8 ziplines keep the adrenaline going for this 2 1/2 hour fully-guided tour. Between zips, you’ll learn about the ecology, biology, geology and local history of the Geneva Lakes area.

Time your trip! Be sure to visit Travel Wisconsin’s Fall Color Report to see when peak colors will hit Southern Wisconsin, then make your reservations at Lake Geneva Canopy Tours.