Downtown, people seemed to glide along the sidewalks with a cool wind at their backs and at the post office, weather reports crossed the counter faster than stamps. Along with the weather, everyone is talking about what they did last weekend and “what are you up to this weekend?” Summer is nearing end and everyone is trying to squeeze as much fun out of her as possible.In Driftless Wisconsin, fun comes with the territory. Where else in the world can you wake up and find blue sky held aloft by river bluffs decorated with red oak and white oak. This sets people in the right mood before they’ve read the headlines and has them looking forward to the day at hand and the weekend ahead.
Our weekends are populated with events that keep the fun coming. The folks in Viroqua will be celebrating Wild West Days on August 19 – 21, an opportunity to roll back the calendar to times when horses ran the roads and didn’t require $4 gas to keep running. The weekend starts with an all Horse Parade – no motorized vehicles allowed! – and includes a concert by Sons of the Pioneers on Thursday and Friday nights, a hog wrassling contest, and Ranch Rodeo.
If you haven’t figured out by now, history plays a big part in Driftless Wisconsin events, since this area holds some of the state’s earliest settlements. Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin’s second oldest community, hosts Breakfast in a Victorian Kitchen, at the historic Villa Louis on August 27. Reservations are required for this intimate look at 19th century cuisine and cooking technology.
Two weeks later on Sept 10 and 11, the Villa Louis will again host the Villa Louis Carriage Classic, an elegant event showcasing some of the nation’s finest trotting horses and restored carriages on the mansion grounds. There’s no grander sight than a finely groomed horse parading proudly in the afternoon sun.
Before then, Labor Day celebrations take center stage around Driftless Wisconsin. Stoddard, Hillsboro, and Readstown all plan activities around the holiday that marks the unofficial end of summer. Interspersed with music, games, and hometown food, this tribute to labor offers farmers to get out of the field and ‘towners’ to get out from behind the desk. And visitors the chance to experience some genuine small-town hospitality.
So let’s ride that cool breeze for awhile – the real cold stuff is well down the road – and get together for some Driftless Wisconsin fun. See you soon.
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