NORTHWEST REGION

Calendar

July 1-3 Red Cliff – Pow Wow July 2 Hayward – Cardboard Boat Race July 2 Spooner – Art Festival July 3 Amery – 5K Fun Run July 7-8 Spooner – Rodeo July 8-9 Cameron – Native American Heritage Days July 8-10 Rice Lake – Shoreline Sprints & Distance Rollerski Races July 8-10 Turtle Lake – Inter-County Fair July 9 Chetek – Brew & Ribfest July 9 Sanborn – Pioneer Days July 9-10 Centuria – Memory Days July 10 Stone Lake – Pie & Ice Cream Social July 15-16 Ashland – Bay Days Festival July 10 St. Croix Falls – Woolly Mtn. Bike Race July 15-17 Hayward – LCO Honor the Earth Pow Wow July 15-17 Luck – Lucky Days Festival July 15-17 St. Croix Falls – Wannigan Days-River Spirit Celebration July 16 Ladysmith – Mardi Gras Arts & Crafts Fair July 16 Balsam Lake – Bass Classic Fishing Tournament July 20-24 Rice Lake – Barron Co. Fair July 23 Shell Lake – Triathlon July 23-24 Iron River – Blueberry Festival July 23-24 Frederic – Indianhead Gem & Mineral Show July 24 Centuria – Chasing Bigfoot 25, 5K and 10K July 26 Mason – Mason Days July 27-29 Cameron – Frontier Living Day Camp July 28-30 Hayward – Lumberjack World Championships July 28-31 St. Croix Falls – Polk County Fair July 29-31 Cameron – Red Cedar River Rendezvous July 30 Hayward – Piecemakers Quilt Guild Show July 30 Mellen – Penokee Range Classic Bike Races July 30 Washburn – North Coast Car Show July 30-31 Butternut – Pioneer Days

Fish-O-Rama Underway on Chetek Chain

CHETEK – The 36th annual Fish-O-Rama is now underway with cash prizes for anyone who catches one of the hundreds of tagged fish swimming in the Chetek Chain of Lakes. Chetek is known as the “City of Lakes” because of the “Big Six” chain of lakes -- Pokegama, Chetek, Ojaski, Prairie, Moose Ear, and Ten Mile. There are tagged fish in each of the lakes.

Pink tubular tags were affixed to 400 crappies and bluegills with a total value of $50,000 in prize money. Fish-O-Rama dispenses anywhere from $25 to $1,000 for each tagged panfish registered. Previous year’s tags are worth $5 each.

The contest goes from the opening of fishing season until Oct. 1. Contest rules require that you purchase a 2022 Fish-O-Rama button and register prior to submitting a tagged fish. Buttons are available from most Chetek area resorts and businesses at $3 each, or $5 for husband and wife combo, or $6 for a family button, which includes parents and children through 17 years old.

Adding to the fun and excitement, you won’t know what prize you’ve won until you take the tagged fish to the Rod & Gun Sport Shop on Second Street in downtown Chetek where a list of all tags and sponsors is kept.

Need lodging? The Chetek Resort Owners’ Association comprises 35 resorts, motels, and campgrounds that focus on promoting tourism in the Chetek Lakes area. The Information Center provides visitors with current travel information from the Chetek area and surrounding communities.

CABLE – Whether you enjoy short nature hikes or week-long wilderness adventures, you’ll easily see why the American Hiking Society named the Cable area as a charter “Trail Town USA.”

Families with young children, and others seeking shorter, less rigorous hikes, will find several nature trails featuring interpretive stations in the Cable area. All are easily accessible. A popular choice is the Forest Lodge Nature Trail, which is maintained by the Cable Natural History Museum. Other suggestions are the Namekagon Dam Landing Trail, West Torch Trail and the Morgan Falls/St. Peter’s Dome Trail.

Some of the Cable Area’s more demanding trails will take one to scenes of pure Northwood’s beauty. Many spots are along the North Country National Scenic Trail. Sixty miles of this trail traverses the northern half of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, passing through the Cable area from northwest of Drummond to north of Clam Lake. There are many access points along the trail. Camping is permitted with both developed and undeveloped sites available.

For those looking for a true back-country experience, search out the Rainbow Lake and Porcupine Lake wilderness areas. These wilderness areas provide a combined 11,000 acres of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest not open to any motorized or wheeled vehicles and equipment. Great for the backpacker, these wilderness areas are as quiet and rugged as the Wisconsin Northwoods.

Stop by at the Cable chamber office for hiking trail maps and recommendations. For hiking poles and other equipment, visit Start Line Services.

Book a Wisconsin Great Northern Train Ride

TREGO – Whether you’re a dedicated train rider or wondering what a train ride is like, this is the year to hop aboard the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad. After a two-year hiatus (due to COVID) the Wisconsin Great Northern is back with some special surprises to delight passengers.

The family-operated excursion train is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Among the new features is the introduction of America’s only all-private dining aboard the “dinner train.” Accommodating up to six people, each enclosed dining room is especially suitable for birthday and anniversary celebrations.

A favorite of many, the “bed & breakfast train” returns with all firstclass accommodations. Like other trips, this one travels at a leisurely pace as it makes its way through farm fields, deep woods and along the scenic Namekagon River.

Their renowned “family pizza train” will now feature pizzas made fresh onboard the train. Wisconsin Great Northern also has other train rides, including the “wine & cheese train,” and later in the year, the “Santa pizza train.”

The lull in luring visitors the past two years has allowed them to complete a major track improvement and upgrades to many of their cars.

They are also putting the finishing touches on the complete rebuild of the Mark Twain Zephyr, a gleaming Art Deco passenger train from 1935. The Mark Twain Zephyr was one of nine stainless steel streamlined trains built by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy in the 1930s. These shovelnose trains forever changed train travel as they ushered in a new era of passenger railroading in North America.

You can learn more about the project at the website, marktwainzephyr. com. The train depot is located four miles north of Spooner along U.S. 53-63. For more information and reservations (required) call 715-6353200 or visit spoonertrainride.com.

HAYWARD – Former title holders will battle fellow lumberjacks during the 62nd annual Lumberjack World Championships on

July 28-30 in the Lumberjack

Bowl in Hayward.

The international competition showcases athletes competing for a purse of more than $71,000 in a variety of timber sports, including, logrolling, boom running, sawing, chopping, axe throwing and speed climbing. Quarterfinals are Thursday, semifinals are Friday and the finals are Saturday. Live music, food trucks and vendors all three days. For more details and tickets go to lumberjackbowl.com. During the competition, here’s what you will see: • Log Rolling – Lumberjacks and lumberjills run atop spinning, floating logs in an attempt to topple their opponents.

Difficulty increases as the logs get smaller. • Boom Running – Competitors sprint atop a “boom” – a series of linked, floating logs – from one dock to another and back, as logs begin to spin out of control. • Speed Pole Climbing – Lumberjacks compete in the breathtaking speed pole climb as they scale a 60′ or 90′ pole and back to earth in record time. • Chopping – Lumberjacks and lumberjills sharpen up their axes to compete in the high intensity standing chop, underhand chop, springboard chop, and standing block chop. • Throwing – Precision is the name of the game as competitors throw a double-bit axe as close to the center of a target as possible. • Sawing – Sawdust will fly when lumberjacks and lumberjills attack white pine in a head-to-head competition using a crosscut saw or a souped-up chainsaw in a variety of fast and furious events.

This year’s event will feature a show by Charlie Berens on his Midwest Survival Guide Tour. See the popular Berens on the eve of the Championships. Gates open at 5 p.m. Wednesday with Berens taking to the stage at 7 p.m. The Emmy-winning journalist is host and creator of the Midwest comedic news series, Manitowoc Minute.

You’re also invited to take part in the Birkie Lumberjack 5K RunWalk. It starts at 8 a.m. Saturday on Hall of Fame Drive just outside the Lumberjack Bowl gate. Register at lumberjackbowl.com.

SHELL LAKE -- The Shell Lake Lions Club is hosting two outdoor competitions, a sprint triathlon and a duathlon, both starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 23, at the Shell Lake beach along Hwy. 63 in Shell Lake.

The triathlon course is unchanged: a 1/3-mile swim, a 15-mile bike and 3.4-mile run. The duathlon has a 2-mile run, a 15-mile bike and 3.4-mile run. Both events will run concurrently. Individual or teams may enter either event. Timing services will be provided by Duluth Timing and Events.

Medals will be given to all participants. To register or for more information, visit shelllakelionstriathlon.com. There will be limited snacks and drinks and no ceremony or trophies.

Even if you’re not a participant, Shell Lake at 2,580 acres is clear and an excellent place to fish, sail, swim or just relax.

Pro Rodeo Comes to Rice Lake

RICE LAKE – Mark the calendar and get advance tickets to the “Cadillac of Rodeos” when the county fairgrounds in Rice Lake hosts the Barron County Pro Rodeo Event on Sept. 9 & 10. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with both nights’ pre-shows starting at 6 p.m. and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos at 7 p.m.

The rodeo schedule includes the band “Seconds” at 5 p.m. and the Hometown Heroes Drill Team at 6 p.m., followed by the Jr. Bucking Bull Riders from Mississippi. Additional intermission entertainment will be the “One Arm Bandit – Night of the Horse” and the Rodeo City Riders final. For more information, visit barroncountyprorodeo. com or call 715-403-5162.

4 PM - Close Opening May 27th

All Ages Will Enjoy Scheer’s Lumberjack Shows

HAYWARD – It was 41 years ago Fred Scheer and his brother, Robert, created a new form of family entertainment, a lumberjack show, for northern Wisconsin visitors. The two brothers and their four sisters had spent numerous summers as kids balancing and rolling on the logs on Lake Hayward in the bay of North Wisconsin Lumber Company. Their summer fun trained them to become fierce competitors in the logrolling event (birling) of the Lumberjack World Championships (LWC) held in Hayward every July. The young Scheers expanded their activities and became skillful at the boom run and pole climbing, as well as other events that were part of the LWC. In 1981, the two brothers established the original Scheer’s Lumberjack Show and used their lumberjack skills to entertain area tourists. More than a demonstration, the show features a competition between two lumberjack teams as they do 10 different events, including logrolling, pole climbing and crosscut saw. Cheering the teams on gets the crowd involved in the show and down home humor has everybody chuckling. The original venue for the show in 1981 was a small dock on the shore of Lake Hayward, behind what was then Windmill Square. The show’s lumberjacks delighted small crowds and it soon became apparent the production needed more space. With encouragement from Tony Wise, the legendary Hayward promoter, Fred and Robert Scheer moved the show to its present location, Lumberjack Village. After that the Woodruff location opened up. Fred is now the sole owner of Fred Scheer’s Lumberjack Shows and the Lumberjack Village. Training young athletes to be lumberjacks is still a fulfilling role for Fred. Through the years many lumberjacks have come, performed and moved on to other careers. Numerous world champion logrollers, pole climbers and boom-runners had their start as apprentices in Fred Scheer’s Lumberjack Show and the cast has always included world champion lumberjacks. A world champion log roller himself, Fred occasionally delights audiences by personally participating in a show. For all the years Scheer’s Lumberjack Shows has been in Hayward, it continues to draw crowds. One might say that a visit to northern Wisconsin isn’t complete without seeing a Scheer’s Lumberjack Show. Northwest Region