9 minute read
HAPPY 150TH
CELEBRATING A CENTURY & A HALF
At 150, Chippewa Falls is still young enough to party
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he City of Chippewa Falls is
Tpreparing to launch into the climax of its sesquicentennial year with a series of parades, performances, and more Aug. 8-10. The Birthday Bash weekend will involve efforts on the part of the Heyde Center, Main Street Chippewa Falls, the Northern Wisconsin State Fair, the Chamber of Commerce, the city, and more to bring on the fun for visitors and residents alike.
Now, if the timing of this culmination has you thinking Chippewa Falls is a Leo (astrologically speaking,) think again. The charter granting the community city status was granted March 25, 1869, which would make the once-logging town an Aries, known for leadership, zeal, optimism, and pioneering.
Now, planners are just counting down the days to the party, according to Jackie Boos, tourism director at the Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce. The new Riverfront Park plays a huge role in the festivities, hosting music by Chippewa Falls native Phil Cook and Them Coulee Boys during one of the nights. “When the Chippewa Riverfront was brought to the forefront, people really got excited about what it could be,” Boos said. It’s the perfect beginning for the stage to host a successful musician from the community for the first big show, she said.
The festivities kick off Aug. 8 and 9 at 7:30pm with performances of Today in the Valley, by the Swampers. Local Composer Jerry Way performances original “Swampgrass” ballads amid stories of the region along with a talented crew of Chippewa Valley musicians. Shows will take place at the Heyde Center, with tickets available at cvca.net. It will be the 18th year that the Swampers have opened the Pure Water Days Celebration.
On Friday, Aug. 9, the Chippewa Riverfront Park will host the Chippewa Falls Birthday Bash: an evening of music by talented local artists. Food trucks and beer tents will converge on the site to the tunes of Them Coulee Boys, Phil Cook, and more. This free event wraps up the night with a display of shimmering fireworks.
The 43rd Annual Pure Water Days celebration kicks into high gear that Saturday, Aug. 10, beginning with the free Pure Water Days Parade at 1pm. The theme this year is “Historic Chippewa Falls.” The route takes floats – and viewers who follow the New Orleans-style band – down to Riverfront Park for an afternoon of food, drink, and festivity. Arts and craft vendors will be on site, along with antique cars. For the kids, there will be balloons, games, inflatables, and more. The EC Kubb Club will also host a Kubb tournament – sign up information is available on their Facebook page.
The Northern Wisconsin State Fair will bring on a Pure Water Days Music Celebration at the fairgrounds from 6pm-midnight. Parking is free, and tickets can be purchased at nwsf.com. Tribute band Arch Allies starts off the night, which will be headlined by a special guest to be announced July 20.
Other activities on the 10th include the 3rd Annual Pure Water Days Pickleball Tournament at Buchanan Park and the Leinenkugel’s Pure Water Days Races at YMCA Chippewa Falls.
Wrap things up Sunday, Aug. 11, at the Chippewa Riverfront from 2-6pm for Rockin’ the Chippewa
Riverfront. This afternoon of outdoor music features The Jerry Way
Band and the Mark Healey & Jim
Schuh Duo. For more information about all the fun that will be part of the Chippewa Falls Birthday Bash weekend, visit gochippewafalls.com. The collaborative efforts of the city and its organizations bode well for the next phase in Chippewa Falls development, Boos said.
Over the next several decades, she would love to see more attractions find homes in the city, investments in travel infrastructure to give people access to more of the area, and to see Riverfront Park used to its fullest extent. For now, she is looking ahead to the sesquicentennial. “It takes a village to put this together, and that’s what people have stepped up to do,” she said.
words by LAUREN FISHER • photo by ANDREA PAULSETH
PURE WATER DAYS PARADE
GREG HOFFMAN, CHIPPEWA FALLS MAYOR
CRAFTING SOMETHING SPECIAL
Whatever your taste, Chippewa County breweries, distilleries, and wineries have something to savor
words by LAUREN FISHER • photo by ANDREA PAULSETH
hether you’re in the market
Wfor a Summer Shandy at the Leinie Lodge or a sip of something stronger from Chippewa River Distillery, Chippewa Falls has got the drink for you. Chippewa has craft beverage creation down to a T; it’s part of the very fiber of the community. Learn more about these makers, all of whom are found along the Chippewa Valley Craft Beverage Trail.
LEINENKUGEL’S
With more than 150 years in the business and 150 full- and part-time employees, it could be said that Leinenkugel’s set the standard for craft beverage culture in Chippewa Falls. Jacob Leinenkugel founded the brewery in 1867 – two years before the city was incorporated! People flock from near and far to enjoy a beer, a view of the river, or a game of cornhole at the Leinie Lodge (124 E. Elm St., Chippewa Falls). On weekends during the warmer months, Lindsey Everson, the Lodge manager, sees as many as 1,000 people a day come through the tasting room.
“As the generations have continued, their love for the beer and the brand and for this place has always been unstoppable,” Everson said. She uses phrases and words like “love” and “work ethic” to refer to Chippewa Falls and the brewing scene. Those themes are reflected in Leinenkugel’s giving initiatives, which range from individual donations to local organizations to funding water restoration projects. The brewery also works to preserve the history of the business in the form of interactive tours, history books, and more.
DICK LEINENKUGEL
PAUL BIALIS
CHIPPEWA RIVER DISTILLERY
Founded in March 2016 by Jim Stirn and Kurt Schneider, Chippewa River Distillery & Brewster Bros. Brewing Co. (402 W. River St., Chippewa Falls) overlooks the Chippewa River through big, bright windows. The duo grew up in and around Chippewa Falls, and were excited to bring distilling to the area when they saw the city’s efforts to update downtown. They felt most welcomed by the city as they underwent the construction and licensing processes. Stirn believes that welcome was in part because of the great foundation laid by Leinenkugel’s over the decades.
Stirn comes from a background in technology, where he says workers can be isolated because of the competitive nature of the business. In the craft beverage industry, however, he finds that the culture is more open and friendly, with makers collaborating and working together to find new flavors.
The distribution process is also cooperative, he says. “Part of what we’re here for is to help local restaurants and bars offer local beverages, and further their business,” he said.
Now, he and Schneider see the growing presence of alcohol tourism in the region. “We meet people from all over the world in the facility who are traveling to see family, and even just to see the breweries and wineries,” Stirn said.
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AUTUMN HARVEST WINERY & ORCHARD
If drinking from crystal is more your cup of tea, Chippewa County is home to two wineries specializing in locally grown and fermented wines. John and Marykay McIlquham opened Autumn Harvest (19947 County Hwy. J, Chippewa Falls), in the summer of 2004. Their family had tended the orchard since 1924. Now, the business has moved into the hands of Chad and Jean McIlquham, who oversee the making of 13 different wines and cider beverages. Autumn Harvest frequently hosts live music and wine tastings throughout the summer season.
“I think we’re all jumping on the craft beverage train,” Jean said. She also sees the local scene as one that thrives through cooperation. With the Craft Beverage Trail entering its second season, offering incentives for people to try out all the breweries, distilleries, and wineries the Valley has to offer, it’s clear that diversity feeds the culture.
“For a long time there was really not a lot of options – the more the merrier!” Jean said.
“People like to see things start and
finish in the same place,” she went on. At Autumn Harvest, visitors can see the apple tree their beverage came from and meet the family members who helped harvest, bottle, and stock the wines.
RIVER BEND VINEYARD & WINERY
The same is true at River Bend Vineyard & Winery (10439 33rd Ave., Chippewa Falls), which Al and Donna Sachs opened just a few years later in 2009.
“The vineyard surrounds the tasting room, and for some people that’s so unusual,” Donna said. She and Al moved to Chippewa Falls from the Twin Cities, far removed from the agricultural component of food and beverage.
“We’ve always said we’re not just selling people a bottle of wine, or a bottle of vodka; we’re giving people an experience,” she continued. That experience is the visit, not only to the tasting room, but to the region. The sense of place that comes along with buying an entirely locally sourced beverage, she says, ties the taste to a time and place that’s uniquely Chippewa Falls, from the geography to the people.
Fulfilling the duties of a vineyard, winery, and distillery is hard work, but finding people with strong work ethic has never been a challenge for the Sachs. It’s tied with the history of Chippewa Falls as an agricultural community.
When all those components come together into a great experience at a tasting room – especially with three of those four rooms popping up in the past 20 years or so – it says something about the region. “This town is so much more than just a town now,” Donna said.
RIVER BEND
AUTUMN HARVEST
Leinenkugel’s, Chippewa River Distillery, Brewster Bros. Brewing Co., Autumn Harvest Winery & Orchard, and River Bend Vineyard & Winery are all participating in the 2019 Chippewa Valley Craft Beverage Trail. For information about beverage tastings, events, and how to win prizes by visiting local craft beverage makers, visit chippewavalleytrailguide.com.
LEE BUTTERWORTH (TOP), MARCIE PANNELL (BOTTOM)
