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Your Shawano datebook

Shawano Art & Craft Fair

July 29

Celebrating 50 years in 2018, the Shawano Art & Craft fair features more than 100 artisans and crafters selling their goods in the wooded areas surrounding the Mielke Arts Center. Concessions available for purchase. 10am-4pm. Mielke Arts Center, Shawano. 715-526-2525. 

Shawano Folk Music Festival

August 10-12

This 40th annual festival offers an eclectic mix of music, dance and art activities. Enjoy Friday and Saturday evening concerts and Saturday and Sunday daytime programs including music, children’s programs, craft demos and sing-alongs on four outdoor stages in Mielke Park. F & Sat concerts, 7-10pm. Sa & Su workshops, 10:30am-4:30pm. Mielke Arts Center, Shawano. 715-850-1244. 

Shawano County Fair

August 29-September 3

Experience midway thrills, see a tractor pull and cheer on the demolition derby at the 139th annual Shawano County Fair. This long-running community event offers nightly grandstand entertainment, carnival rides, live music, great food, craft exhibits, stock car races and educational 4-H exhibits. Daily gate admission starts at 9am. Shawano County Fairgrounds. 715-526-7069.

Bike the Barn Quilts & 5K Walk/Run

September 29

Experience Shawano Country’s barn quilts via pedal power! Shawano Pathways hosts the event as a fundraiser, benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club of Shawano and SAM25. Choose from routes between 5 and 70 miles that showcase the 8’x8’ barn quilt squares set against fall colors. Mini quilts adorn the 5K walk/run. A 20-mile guided tour is also available. Rides begin and end at Memorial Park, Shawano. 715-304-9796.

Miles of Art

October 6-7

This self-guided tour provides a glimpse into studios and galleries of working artists throughout Shawano and Menominee Counties. The showcase includes both emerging and established artists with an emphasis on works by local artists, Native American art, interdisciplinary artworks and diverse mediums and perspectives. Tour maps are available at the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center and at smartwisconsin.com. 10am-5pm. 715-524-2139.

Five Must-See Spots 

Heritage Park 

Operated by the Shawano County Historical Society, Heritage Park features several historical structures including the 1871 Kast House furnished with period pieces and memorabilia, an 1895 one-room schoolhouse and reconstructed 1800s log cabin. The Old Tabor Church, which was built in Belle Plaine Settlement circa 1891 and moved to Heritage Park in 2013, is now available for event rentals. The nationally-acclaimed Zachow Depot is a representation of a 1920s and ‘30s operating depot with a live telegraph system. The Oil House/Dairy building is now an agricultural museum with artifacts and displays. The museum is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day or by appointment. The Archive Center is open year round on Monday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Sturgeon Park & Shawano Dam

In spring, the Wolf River is the breeding ground for the nation’s largest population of lake sturgeon. The sturgeon migrate north up the Wolf River from Lake Winnebago in mid-April through early May. The ancient spawning ritual of these prehistoric fish culminates at the Shawano Dam where biologists have tagged sturgeon weighing up to 250 pounds. The sturgeon spawn in the shallows, providing spectators a front row seat to the action. One of the best viewing spots is at Sturgeon Park, located at the west end of Richmond Street adjacent to the Shawano dam.

Sun Drop University Museum & Gift Shop

Shawano and Sun Drop go together like peanut butter and jelly. Local bottler Twig’s Beverage began bottling the soda in 1954 and since then has become a popular hit for glass bottled Sun Drop as well as their other flavors, all of which are made with real sugar the old fashioned way. At the Sun Drop Museum, visitors can view Sun Drop memorabilia, watch videos, experience interactive displays, see the bottling process and sample sodas. Step up to the taste-testing bar to sample all the flavors like Sun Drop, Farmer’s Brew Butterscotch Root Beer, Black Cherry, Lime and Rhu-Berry. Open June through August, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Visit twigsbeverage.net for winter hours. 

Shawano Flea Market 

This weekly flea market is a tradition for local residents and visitors alike. Now in its 48th year, the Shawano Flea Market features more than 150 vendors selling antiques, household items, crafts, collectibles, food and more. Be patient and spend some time digging through the treasures. You never know what you will find. This year the market runs every Sunday, April 29 through October 14 (except Labor Day) from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Shawano County Barn Quilt Project

The Shawano County Barn Quilt project began in 2010 and today 340 quilts adorn barns scattered throughout the county. Most of the barn quilts have been painted by project founder Jim Leuenberger and his wife, Irene, along with local 4-H Clubs and FFA Chapters. To make a  barn quilt, a quilt pattern is selected and painted on a 8-by-8-foot piece of plywood before being hung on the barn. Visitors to the “Barn Quilt Capital of Wisconsin” can take a scenic self-guided tour of the quilts following a map available at the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center which is where the tour begins and ends. 

Must-Have Souvenir: Twig’s Glass Bottle Soda 

You can’t leave Shawano without scoring some Sun Drop in the old fashioned glass bottle (everyone knows it just tastes better). Mix and match a 6 or 12-pack to include some of Twig’s gourmet flavors like Blue Raspberry, Caramel Apple, Forget Me Not Grape, Orange, Peach Cobbler, Sour and more. The gift shop also includes Sun Drop and Twig’s merchandise like T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and a variety of other memorabilia.