MONROE — Main Street Monroe, Inc. will again host a Cheese Drop on Monroe’s downtown square on New Year’s Eve, which this year is on a Tuesday. Last year’s event, which was organized toward the end of the year on a very limited budget, was received with great fanfare. The entire south side of the square was packed with over 1,000 people as a replica block of Limburger dropped at 5 p.m. in Monroe, or midnight in Switzerland.
Main Street Monroe, led by coordinating volunteers Tom and Mary Miller and Tina Koch, have been planning since the beginning of the year how to build off of last year’s successes. Earlier this spring, the trio accepted the honorable mention award for Best New Event at Wisconsin State Main Street’s annual awards ceremony in Green Bay. Miller attributes a lot of the success to the number of community partners and civic groups that were involved, especially the Monroe Fire Department, which dropped the replica Limburger block.
This year’s event will be expanded to both the south and east sides of the square. It is being sponsored by Cactus Co. Booze N’ Bites with a hospitality tent sponsored by Bartel’s & Co. Tap. Sound will be underwritten by TUGS: Talking, Understanding, Growing, Supporting. Additional support is coming from Chalet Cheese. Main Street expects to more than double the amount of cheese samples, after 50 lbs were handed out quickly last year. Baumgartner’s will be providing Limburger samples, while other area cheese companies are expected to be involved again. Last year, Alp & Dell Cheese Store cubed nearly all the cheese samples. Blumer’s Root Beer will also be handed out thanks to Minhas Brewery. There will also be Alphorn Players, hot chocolate thanks to the Monroe Junior Optimists, and a brown Swiss Cow from Wegmueller Farm. Additionally, the Monroe Public library will be having special craft kits available the week leading up to the event for families to make and then take to the event.
The Millers also attribute last year’s festivities to the time of the event.
“We had so many young families come down or with grandparents and then grab a dinner and still make it home at a reasonable time. Then you also had people who were just starting their New Year’s Eve by heading to the bars with the Cheese Drop. It really appeals to everyone.”
Nadine Brown, who owns Pancho & Lefty’s with her husband, notes that in the week leading up to it, there was a real buzz.
“Everyone was talking about it. This time of year is wonderful but hectic and it really was a night for the community to come together and catch up with neighbors.”
Merchandise is available this year through an online store and Heartland Graphics. There are a variety of items for youth and adults. Main Street’s director, Jordan Nordby, stated that several people asked about having something to wear to the event. “The store is open through the 15th online and in person at Heartland Graphics which will guarantee everything arrives in time for New Year’s Eve.”
On New Year’s Eve, for the event, a beer garden will open at 3 p.m., with festivities at 4 p.m., and the cheese dropping at 5 p.m. The tent, which will act as a warming shelter — heaters will be provided by Suisse Haus — will also be the location for different community group stations.
Anyone interested in participating or volunteering should contact Main Street Monroe at monroemainstreet@tds.net or 608-328-4023.
