BRODHEAD - Covered Bridge Days, Brodhead's largest annual community celebration, promises more surprises than ever before this weekend.
The events fire up with dancing and softball games on Friday, Aug. 9 and run through Sunday, Aug. 11 with three main events surrounded by a host of activities.
The city continues its special celebration begun last year, "Embrace the Race," with pontoon boat rides on the Mill Race and free exhibits Saturday and Sunday at the Old Water Tower Area, 1201 11th St.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Mill Race, a man-made water way built in 1863.
According to Jerry Elmer, vice-president of the Brodhead Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the mill race once powered a grist mill and later an electric power plant.
Today a community effort is underway to preserve and extend the usefulness of the waterway and the adjoining Pearl Island for outdoor recreation. It is now safe for canoeing and tubing, and three new piers and three information boards have been erected.
Even if visitors don't want a boat ride, Elmer said the soothing sounds of the water is enough to venture out to the race and see the displays, including an arrowhead collection and antique boat motors.
The big excitement in town, said Elmer, will be revealing Brodhead's eagerly-anticipated first mural at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at First Center Avenue and Exchange Street, across the street from the Bank of Brodhead. Those attending can guess the mural's theme with music and disc jockey Ricky DeNure beginning at 11:30 a.m. and leading up to the dramatic unveiling.
The mural, about 12 feet by 32 feet, will feature the faces of three prominent Brodhead citizens and will celebrate Brodhead's historic roots. It mural marks the beginning of a new project undertaken by the Brodhead Chamber of Commerce - to make Brodhead a city of murals, said Michele Benesh, a chamber board member.
John Winters, a local resident, brought the idea for a mural city back from a business trip in Chattanooga, Tenn. a couple years ago, Elmer said. The chamber has been talking about it ever since, but it needed someone to kick it in gear.
So when the chamber revived the idea about six months ago, they put Winters on the mural committee, Elmer added, and the project began to move forward quickly.
After researching several artists, the mural project committee chose an experienced muralist, Mathew Sharum from Michigan, to create the mural. The committee met several times with Sharum all by telecommunication, so they haven't seen the real mural yet, Elmer said Monday, Aug. 5.
Greg Condon, a local historian, answered all the Sharum's questions to keep the mural depiction authentic, and Benesh's artistic eye drilled down even more so to specific details, Elmer added.
Brodhead's third Annual Wildflower Art Festival Saturday and Sunday is bringing in more selected artists from three states. Benesh said about half the artists are new to the festival. The artists work in a variety of medium including paint, wood, glass, ceramics, fiber, jewelry, photography, and graphics. Garden art will also be represented. The festival is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday in Veteran's Park on Wisconsin 11 next to the depot museum.
Parents will want to take the kids to the south end of town on Saturday and Sunday. There's a small fee for those over age 12, but the shows, displays, events, vendors, crafts and food for the whole family are endless. Hand-led pony rides, horse shows, antique tractor pulls and garden tractor pull are going on both days.
The grounds will also play host to antique tractors, antique snowmobiles, classic cars and motorcycles over the weekend. The regional "Little G" garden tractor expo is back, and predicted to bring nearly 1,000 vintage and restored garden tractors to town.
The parade steps off at noon Sunday, starting at East 3rd Avenue and 19th Street.
More information and a downloadable brochure with maps for the Brodhead Covered Bridge Days are available under Chamber of Commerce on the city's website at cityofbrodheadwi.us.
The events fire up with dancing and softball games on Friday, Aug. 9 and run through Sunday, Aug. 11 with three main events surrounded by a host of activities.
The city continues its special celebration begun last year, "Embrace the Race," with pontoon boat rides on the Mill Race and free exhibits Saturday and Sunday at the Old Water Tower Area, 1201 11th St.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Mill Race, a man-made water way built in 1863.
According to Jerry Elmer, vice-president of the Brodhead Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the mill race once powered a grist mill and later an electric power plant.
Today a community effort is underway to preserve and extend the usefulness of the waterway and the adjoining Pearl Island for outdoor recreation. It is now safe for canoeing and tubing, and three new piers and three information boards have been erected.
Even if visitors don't want a boat ride, Elmer said the soothing sounds of the water is enough to venture out to the race and see the displays, including an arrowhead collection and antique boat motors.
The big excitement in town, said Elmer, will be revealing Brodhead's eagerly-anticipated first mural at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at First Center Avenue and Exchange Street, across the street from the Bank of Brodhead. Those attending can guess the mural's theme with music and disc jockey Ricky DeNure beginning at 11:30 a.m. and leading up to the dramatic unveiling.
The mural, about 12 feet by 32 feet, will feature the faces of three prominent Brodhead citizens and will celebrate Brodhead's historic roots. It mural marks the beginning of a new project undertaken by the Brodhead Chamber of Commerce - to make Brodhead a city of murals, said Michele Benesh, a chamber board member.
John Winters, a local resident, brought the idea for a mural city back from a business trip in Chattanooga, Tenn. a couple years ago, Elmer said. The chamber has been talking about it ever since, but it needed someone to kick it in gear.
So when the chamber revived the idea about six months ago, they put Winters on the mural committee, Elmer added, and the project began to move forward quickly.
After researching several artists, the mural project committee chose an experienced muralist, Mathew Sharum from Michigan, to create the mural. The committee met several times with Sharum all by telecommunication, so they haven't seen the real mural yet, Elmer said Monday, Aug. 5.
Greg Condon, a local historian, answered all the Sharum's questions to keep the mural depiction authentic, and Benesh's artistic eye drilled down even more so to specific details, Elmer added.
Brodhead's third Annual Wildflower Art Festival Saturday and Sunday is bringing in more selected artists from three states. Benesh said about half the artists are new to the festival. The artists work in a variety of medium including paint, wood, glass, ceramics, fiber, jewelry, photography, and graphics. Garden art will also be represented. The festival is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday in Veteran's Park on Wisconsin 11 next to the depot museum.
Parents will want to take the kids to the south end of town on Saturday and Sunday. There's a small fee for those over age 12, but the shows, displays, events, vendors, crafts and food for the whole family are endless. Hand-led pony rides, horse shows, antique tractor pulls and garden tractor pull are going on both days.
The grounds will also play host to antique tractors, antique snowmobiles, classic cars and motorcycles over the weekend. The regional "Little G" garden tractor expo is back, and predicted to bring nearly 1,000 vintage and restored garden tractors to town.
The parade steps off at noon Sunday, starting at East 3rd Avenue and 19th Street.
More information and a downloadable brochure with maps for the Brodhead Covered Bridge Days are available under Chamber of Commerce on the city's website at cityofbrodheadwi.us.