Waupaca Community Arts Board

Community building throught the Arts.

• A RTicipation Week and Arts on the Square – August. Features live music and arts events throughout the week, including the Children’s Chalk Festival with hands-on sidewalk art and youth performances – hosted by our vibrant retail group Waupaca King and In Between. The final weekend showcases a juried fine arts show on Main Street, three performance stages, street performers, community art projects, and participatory arts workshops. A large live-music street dance caps off the weekend.

• The Irish Wake – March. Together, community participants and professional musicians raise their voices in song, to honor those who have passed, while a faux coffin and live music travels – Irish Wake-style – in and out of Downtown Waupaca establishments. Raise your voice and a glass, and join us!

• Summer Nights Concerts – Four outdoor concerts on the banks of Shadow Lake in South Park, featuring great regional bands, family art projects, food, and beer vendors. Wednesday evenings, beginning in June.

• April is Poetry Month - a variety of poetry events for young and old, showcased throughout the month of April.

• Waupaca Local Live – a 96.3FM radio show, featuring regional musicians and original music, the third Thursday of each month.

• Bi-Annual Arts Events:

Chick Night – An evening of music, poetry, laughter, and beverages. Bach Festival – October festival week featuring concerts, community participatory events, and fun! Find shows, events, family fun on Facebook, or at http://waupacaarts.org/

• Public Art Projects – Downtown area

• 3D Alley Art Murals – Downtown alleyways & Riverside area See map above.

• Union Street Mural – Antiques on Main building

• Poetry at Your Feet – Downtown sidewalks

Daytrips to explore our friendly neighboring communities:

With Waupaca as your home base, you can discover lots of hidden arts, cultural events, and small-town festivals, as you take daytrips to explore our friendly neighboring communities. Plan ahead to get the most robust arts experience!

Weyauwega

• Horse & Buggy Days

– September

• Waupaca County Fair – August

• Gerold Opera House / Wega Arts

- International Film Festival

- Mardi Gras

- An eclectic mix of musicals and spectacles throughout the year

Iola

• Winter Carnival – February

- Ski jumping, ice sculpting.

• Iola Car Show and Arts & Crafts Show – July

• Taste of Norway/Lost

Arts - October

• Taste & Tunes – July

• Comedy & Corks – September

• Christmas Parade – December

Scandinavia

• Corn Roast Weekend – August

• Tomorrow River Trail Head

• Kayaking on the South Branch

- Little Wolf River

• Jorgens Park Preserve

Manawa

• Midwestern Rodeo – July

• Art Tour – September

• Bluegrass Bash – October

Amherst

• Lettie Jensen Center Events

• Amherst Opera House

• Central Waters Brewery

• Rhythm on the River – May

• Celebrate Amherst – September

Custer

• 31st Annual Energy Fair – June

Nelsonville

• Nelsonville Mill

• Ruby Coffee Roasters

• Tomorrow River Homestead

Symco

• Thresheree – July

• Shakedown – August

Ogdensburg

• Tractor Pull – June

Waupaca History

For nearly 10,000 years, the Menominee Indian tribe occupied 10 million acres, including much of Waupaca County. In 1848, a final treaty with the Menominee relinquished the last of their lands, including Waupaca. The following year, five white men from Vermont traveled west from Plymouth, Wisconsin in search of new lands. Before long, they journeyed up the Waupaca River, finding “The Falls” and making camp near the end of what is today North Main Street. As the city grew, “The Falls” was named Waupaca, taking its name from a Menominee word meaning, “the quality of light, or morning light on the water.” Waupaca steadily grew around the water, harnessing the power of the falls and welcoming many more settlers, including many Danish and Scandinavian immigrants. And just like the Menominee and early white settlers, people today continue to visit Waupaca for its river and lakes, abundant resources, historic downtown and beautiful Chain O’Lakes.

Holly History Center 

321 S. Main Street, Waupaca. An excellent resource to learn about the history of the Waupaca area. It houses a first-floor exhibition area and research library along with a lower-level meeting room. The Holly Center is open Wednesday-Friday, 10-2, year-round and also the second Saturday of the month in the summer from 10-2. Offers free monthly programs on historic and local topics. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Also open for special events, rentals and tours.

(715) 256-9980 | www.WaupacaHistoricalSociety.org

Chain O' Lakes History: www.ChainOLakesHistory.org

Waupaca Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) 

321 S. Main Street, Waupaca. WAGS has only been in existence since 1994 but peoples' families/genealogies in this area go back to the mid 1800's to the pioneers/settlers. WAGS members may help in your search for your ancestors in the Waupaca area and beyond. We are located in the Holly History Center. Please contact us by phone or email: info@wagswi.org. WAGS volunteers are at the Holly History and Genealogy Center every Wednesday from 10 a.m. - 2p.m or by appointment.

(715) 256-9980 | www.WagsWi.org

Hutchinson House Museum & King Cottage 

Located in South Park, Waupaca. The Hutchinson House was built in 1854 and is the oldest existing home in the City of Waupaca. The house opened as a museum in 1957, after being moved to South Park the year before. The museum showcases the Victorian era and displays many artifacts from Waupaca’s early settlers. Museum guides will help you take a step back in time and revisit the lives of these early pioneers. The King Cottage, a cottage from nearby King, sits behind the Hutchinson House. New exhibits tell the story of the Wisconsin Veterans Home and the Chain O' Lakes area. Family friendly and fun for everyone! The Hutchinson House Museum will be open the second and third weekends, Memorial Day through Labor Day, from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Also open for special events and tours by appointment. One of the oldest buildings in Waupaca.

(715) 256-9980 | www.WaupacaHistoricalSociety.org

Waupaca Railroad Depot 

525 Oak Street (County E), Waupaca. (just north of the train bridge) At one time, the Waupaca Depot was a significant part of the Waupaca community and the first thing seen by travelers when arriving in Waupaca. In 1907, after a fire destroyed the previous building, the Wisconsin Central built a brand-new depot for this important tourist and shipping location. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Waupaca was known as the “Potato Capital of the World” and shipped millions of potatoes out of the Waupaca Depot. In 1987, the railroad closed the building and it sat empty until 2004 when the Waupaca Historical Society purchased it. Since then, the historical society has worked to restore the building to its former beauty. The Waupaca Railroad Depot features railroad displays, model train layout and several outbuildings, including an original Soo Line potato car. The Depot will be open the second and third weekends, Memorial Day through Labor Day, from 12-5 p.m. Also open for special events, rentals and tours by appointment.

(715) 256-9980 | www.WaupacaHistoricalSociety.org

Historic Walking Tours of Waupaca 

315 S. Main Street, Waupaca. Discover Waupaca’s past by taking a historic tour which may be taken on foot, by bike, or car. A self-guided tour book is available for purchase at the Waupaca Area Chamber and CVB office.

Tour One takes you through parts of Waupaca’s historical downtown and residential area. The tour starts at South Main Street at South Park, continues down Main Street to Lake Street past many wonderful homes, a former hospital, and the famous Cristy House. The tour continues through the historic district traveling by many wonderful homes, churches and a former funeral home, ending back in the downtown business district. By foot this tour is about two miles and will take about an hour and a half.

Tour Two is the Commercial Industrial Tour. You will see the Waupaca falls, Waupaca Foundry plant one, the Whale Paper Company, Wisconsin Central Railroad, the Soo Line Freight and Passenger Station, Potato Warehouses and many other businesses. By foot this tour is about three miles and will take about two hours.

(715) 258-7343 | www.VisitWaupacaChainOLakes.com

Historical Sites in Rural 

E1449 Main Street (Rural), Waupaca. Rural is one of only two “Yankee towns” in Wisconsin and is on the National Register of Historic Districts. Its “less than a mile” tour meanders along the Crystal River traversing four stone bridges and showcases 17 historic sites; most of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Touring the historical sites in Rural is a beautiful way to spend the afternoon and observe the scenic beauty of the Crystal River. The Rural Historical Society museum is open on Wednesday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. during the months of June through September. Contact the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB for a tour pamphlet and map describing the sites.

(715) 258-7343 | www.VisitWaupacaChainOLakes.com

Iola Historical Society 

210 Depot Street, Iola. Visiting the Iola Historic Village and Museums, capturing the community’s Norwegian heritage, is a great way to view historic artifacts and structures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Featured are the vintage 1894 Iola & Northern Railroad depot and its trackside caboose, a pioneer style log cabin, a replica of an 1897 one-room schoolhouse, the Helvetia Town Hall built in 1919, and the authentically reproduced 1901 Iola Firehouse, with historic (1912-1942) firefighting apparatus displayed. Among several unique exhibits featured in the main museum are the Towne Family Collection of Native American Artifacts, a tribute to Iola’s violin maker Bert Stromberg, and a recognition of World War II B-17 bomber pilot Lee Nelson, “Iola’s Humble Hero.” Displays in the machine shed feature agricultural, construction and manufacturing artifacts. The Society has in place 22 “Historic Iola” markers recognizing selected historic village sites. Open Saturdays in June – August, from Noon to 3 pm, or by appointment.

(715) 445-IOLA (4652) or (715) 445-5050 | www.IolaHistoricalSociety.org

Explore Downtown Waupaca

See Page 37 | Main Street, Waupaca

Fox Valley Technical College Waupaca Regional Center

1979 Godfrey Drive, Waupaca. Providing associate and technical degree programming, adult basic education and high school completion, personal enrichment coursework in traditional arts and crafts, corporate training, software technology instruction and community meeting space. To enroll, contact us: toll free at 1-888-324-3218, visit our website or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fvtcwaupaca/.

(715) 942-1700 | www.fvtc.edu/waupaca

Wisconsin Veterans Home at King

N2665 County Road QQ, King. A long term care facility where love of country merges with caring for American heroes. The dedicated staff strives to meet the needs of veterans by providing compassionate care built on the foundation of honor and respect. Tour the grounds which spans across 320 picturesque acres of where you will see the Main Chapel built in 1890 and the Commandant’s Quarters, a beautiful Queen Anne style home both of which are on the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places. Stop by the cafe for a cup of coffee and sit out on the deck and enjoy the beautiful view of Rainbow Lake. The Veterans Home has a museum located in Marden Center - open to the public.

(715) 258-5586 | www.tinyurl.com/268ry2ux

Yellowstone Trail

City of Waupaca. In 1912 the Yellowstone Trail became proposed as America’s first transcontinental highway – from Plymouth Rock, MA to Puget Sound, WA. The name derives either from the people using the trail to reach Yellowstone National Park, or because of the stones painted yellow to mark the trail. The Yellowstone trail entered the City of Waupaca by what was the Bunker Hill School located on the south side of Highway 10 on County Road A. The Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB has additional information about the Yellowstone Trail and what sites travelers can see passing through the Waupaca Area.

(715) 258-7343 | www.YellowStoneTrail.org