Summer Fun in West Bend w/Noelle Braun

We’re heading into summer and there are a ton of great things happening in Downtown West Bend. This week, Noelle Braun, Executive Director of the Downtown West Bend Association, joins me to talk about some of the great events, including the ArtWalk Banner Project, Music on Main, and the West Bend Farmers Market.

Links

• Downtown West Bend Association

• ArtWalk Banner Project

• Music on Main

• West Bend Farmers Market

Transcript
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[00:00:00] Fuzz Martin: And just like that. It’s another week. Hello, my friend. Thank you for listening to Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz, a show about the positive things happening in and around Washington County, Wisconsin. My name is Fuzz Martin, and I do appreciate you listening and joining me here today. Whether you’re in your car, you’re out jogging, you’re at the gym.

You’re listening at the office or just existing. Thank you so much Hey, I’m currently lining up guests for upcoming weeks of the show, and while I usually ask this question at the end of the episode, I’m going to make a request with you right now. If you have an idea for the show, reach out to me, 15withfuzz at gmail.

com, spell out the word 15, 15withfuzz at gmail. com, or go to fuzz. cc slash guest, that is fuzz. cc slash guest. And, there’s a little easy form right there when you go there to fill out this week, I am joined by Noelle Braun of the Downtown West Bend Association. There are tons of great things happening in West Bend, including music on Main, the Art Walk banner project, the farmer’s market.

And a whole bunch of other cool things. And with that, here are 15 minutes on the cool things happening in downtown West Bend this summer with Noelle Braun of the Downtown West Bend Association, right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

Noelle, glad to see you again. Thanks so much for coming back in the studio. You just had spring fling. You just had the wine hop, but the Downtown West Bend Association has so many things happening this spring and in the summer, and I’m glad to have you in here to talk about those today.

[00:01:53] Noelle Braun: Yeah, thank you so much.

There is a lot to let you know. Yeah,

[00:01:57] Fuzz Martin: I’ve seen a ton of like your posters and things around, and I’m like, well, we should probably connect again and talk about, Some of the things that are going on. So, first of all, we’ve got the downtown Art Walk banner project happening. It is You guys have the grand opening gallery coming up, right?

[00:02:13] Noelle Braun: Yes, that is coming up on Saturday, May 4th, 3:30 to 6:30 at the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

[00:02:19] Fuzz Martin: All right, very good. So Tell us a little bit about what Art Walk is for maybe people who haven’t experienced it before What is the downtown West Bend Art Walk?

[00:02:28] Noelle Braun: Yeah, so the Art Walk banner project You I’m learning to, and it’s still in my first year of being with the Downtown West Bend Association.

But if people are, you know, from the area, you’ve been downtown in the summer, you’ll see these beautiful banners that are painted hanging on Main Street and on 6th Avenue. And that is from local artists who paint these banners every year. So it’s a great way to celebrate local arts, to celebrate our community, to create a beautiful, vibrant outdoor gallery, and yeah, just add some color and vibrancy to our downtown.

[00:03:04] Fuzz Martin: And so the, these banners, obviously, like you said, they’re very colorful, and they’re painted by local artists, and And that’s why you kick things off at MOWA, right?

[00:03:13] Noelle Braun: Yes, it’s a great partnership, collaboration that we have with them. They allow us to use their space for this Grand Gallery opening. So what people can expect this year is on May 4th, we are inviting people to this free event.

I really want to emphasize that. It is a great way to see this beautiful art museum, this gem that we have in our community. Their exhibits will be open during the Grand Gallery open. But when people come, they’ll be able to see all of the banners from 2024 that the artists have painted. And then the banners from 2022 were recently hanging up in City Hall.

There’s a bit of a rotation every year. Sure. And those banners will be up for bid, like for auction. Okay. At this event. So all of the art lovers out there, if you want a piece of local art, they are, you know, banners that get hung up on the. light poles. But they could certainly hang up easily on a wall, you know, add to your collection of art that you have.

So we’re looking forward to that too. And there’s also, desserts and appetizers that have been donated by local businesses and restaurants in town. There’ll be some jazz music playing, a cash bar provided by the Museum of Wisconsin Art. So it’s just a great event. And this year for the first time ever, we’re doing a fun We’re going to be doing a Kentucky Derby theme because the event falls on the same day as the Kentucky Derby.

So like, let’s have fun with this. People are invited to wear, you know, hats with the big flowers and feathers or dress up colorfully and just enjoy that atmosphere too at the event.

[00:04:43] Fuzz Martin: Excellent. Will there be mint juleps at the cash bar?

[00:04:46] Noelle Braun: I have asked. That’s so funny. That’s funny. You mentioned that. I’m like, wouldn’t that be a great way to tie that in?

For what I understand at Moa, they can only have beer and wine there, but we’re looking into a fun, possibly a non alcoholic version. Okay. We just got to see if the mints going to be available, but we’re looking into it.

[00:05:02] Fuzz Martin: Yeah. Stay tuned. Gotcha. Yes. When it comes to liquor licenses for events like that, it’s usually just beer and wine.

Yes. Unless I don’t even know how you get the other ones.

[00:05:11] Noelle Braun: Right.

[00:05:12] Fuzz Martin: It’s

[00:05:12] Noelle Braun: beyond me. Awesome. Yes, beyond us.

[00:05:14] Fuzz Martin: And I work in government sometimes. So this is the 12th year of the Art Walk Banner Project, and I know this is only your first full year as the Executive Director for the Downtown West Bend Association, but how has that Art Walk Banner Project evolved over the years?

[00:05:32] Noelle Braun: From what I understand, it was started by one of our board members, Chris Porter, who is an artist and a local resident, and just was thinking of different ways to beautify our downtown. So that continues, absolutely. This year too, the banners are going to be hung up again on Main Street and also on 6th Avenue.

With the new light poles on Main Street since the reconstruction of the road there will also be some beautiful flowering baskets, like hanging flower baskets that will be on every other pole. So just giving everyone a preview for what’s to come. There’s more beautification coming to downtown.

Sure. But I believe from what I understand over the years it’s Become more and more of a celebration at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, the addition of the food, the addition of, you know, auctioning off all the beautiful artwork that was in the past. You know, adding in the music, just like more of the atmosphere.

I think we’re just trying to elevate that more every year.

[00:06:28] Fuzz Martin: Sure. And this, you know, the mission that you have with the Downtown West Bend Association is to help support. Businesses and get more foot traffic downtown so that people go to these businesses. So by, you know, giving you a reason to come and tour downtown, hopefully you’ll stop at some area businesses and stop in and, and buy and support local, right?

That

[00:06:48] Noelle Braun: is always with everything we do, our mission at Mine, our mission is to enhance and preserve the heart of downtown. All of these banners too are, are, sponsored by different businesses. So we have some great businesses, some great returning sponsors who love this art project. They want to support, they’ll get their name on the banner or multiple banners that they decide to sponsor.

And so it’s a great recognition for them to downtown. The banners are hung up all summer and into the fall, basically like our farmer’s market season till end of October.

[00:07:17] Fuzz Martin: Great. And we’ll talk about the farmer’s market coming up right now. So it’s obviously the farmer’s market. A beloved community event.

Last year, it was up around the we’re right here. I’m pointing outside the window, 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue and Tower

[00:07:34] Noelle Braun: Heritage Center around that square. Yep.

[00:07:36] Fuzz Martin: Because of the road construction that was happening and it. Then I think there was some there was a survey or something and now you’re going to move it back down to Main Street, right?

[00:07:45] Noelle Braun: Yes, that is it. That is where it is going to be. We’re bringing it back to its original location. You know, definitely heard loud and clear majority of, you know, the downtown businesses and the attendees the vendors themselves. We wanted to hear from everyone Last year was a great temporary location, but we’re really excited to be back downtown.

It truly does bring a lot of business to these downtown businesses lining up and down Main Street and even like Sixth Avenue. It’s just a great place to walk through, see all of these amazing vendors and then. You know, grab a little bit of brunch or a drink or stop into the shop and it’s just has a great community feel and we’re excited to have it on the new road and celebrate that.

[00:08:28] Fuzz Martin: Exactly. It’ll be nice and smooth while you walk your you know, take the stroller with your kids. Yeah,

[00:08:34] Noelle Braun: take the wagon, take the stroller, whatever you need to do.

[00:08:37] Fuzz Martin: A little bit wider in some spots, a little bit, you know, so so Westman Farmer’s Market is, An award winning farmer’s market, right? So there you have lots of different artisans and farmers with produce and different local shops anything new that we can expect this year

[00:08:54] Noelle Braun: So we are getting all of our applications in right now.

We have the majority of everyone Confirmed sending in everything that they need you know this The farmer’s market has been voted number one for the last two years in a row in the state of Wisconsin through the survey through the American Farmland Trust. So we’re going to continue to ask people to vote this year, but we do have a really beautiful market.

We’re really blessed and fortunate in our community. We have well over 90 vendors on any given Saturday that does continue to grow. Our farmers, you know, they’re the ones who really started like at least like four decades ago, learning so much about this. But. They’re the, you know, big reason that people come and now we’re fortunate to add a lot of different variety too in businesses that are able to be there.

Some of the newer things this year we have a newer bakery that’s gonna be here called Daisy’s Sweet Treats. The new owner of the Barton Cafe, she’s gonna be coming down. Seasonally, which means like for the full season expect to see them most Saturdays. You know, one of the different businesses that we have that’s coming.

He is an artisan that makes items out of copper. So it’s just like really neat to see like these really talented small business owners that are able to showcase the beautiful things that they make on this type of at this big event. So he makes more like bowls, trays, jewelry, things like that.

And then we are. In talks right now with another possible food truck that would be hopefully serving some authentic tacos. I know that’s been kind of lacking for a little bit at the market. We have some great food at the market. Just another wonderful addition. But yeah, that’s that’s in the works right now.

So.

[00:10:32] Fuzz Martin: Excellent. So when does the farmers market start this year?

[00:10:35] Noelle Braun: Farmer’s Market starts on Saturday, May 18th.

[00:10:38] Fuzz Martin: Okay.

[00:10:39] Noelle Braun: And it’s every Saturday until October 26th, the last Saturday in October. And it’s from 7. a. m.

[00:10:47] Fuzz Martin: All right. Very good. And again, back to its original location. on Main Street and 6th. Downtown, downtown.

[00:10:54] Noelle Braun: This is

[00:10:55] Fuzz Martin: still downtown where we’re sitting right now at Epic, but it is you know, the true downtown. Not the outskirts downtown.

[00:11:04] Noelle Braun: And I do want to mention, we’re back downtown. We are making some slight updates to the mapping of it. We are extending the market for Further down to Hickory, where the Pearl of Canton and the West Bend Music Academy is.

It’s with the new road as people remember the old road, there were these roundabouts in the street and that people could more easily turn around and because the new road doesn’t have those anymore it’s making better sense for safety and security that we blocked the street off at Hickory. So people have a way to turn a lot easier.

There’s still, you know, some like beautiful parking that they have like behind the downtown businesses by the river walk. There’s yeah, there’s parking like it’s, it’s worth it to walk a little further to get to this market if you need to. But yeah, so that is changing and we’re also going to be trying out some parking on 6th Avenue for those that have limited mobility or need handicap parking.

We’re going to give that a try for this year too. So yeah, again, it’s going to start at the top where it normally has at the very top of Main Street and you’re just going to be heading a little further south

[00:12:09] Fuzz Martin: this year. And my hack for parking is to park over by the MOA parking lot to the east of the Aspen trees or whatever they have, the birch Aspen trees.

Yeah,

[00:12:17] Noelle Braun: those quaking Aspen trees. Yeah,

[00:12:18] Fuzz Martin: yeah. So that’s where we park.

[00:12:20] Noelle Braun: That’s a good idea because then you can walk across the bridges and it’s really beautiful. So, another great parking area. And

[00:12:26] Fuzz Martin: it’s, West Bend has become so walkable and such. So so that’s fun. And then. One other event that everybody looks forward to every year is Music on Main.

So when is that starting up again?

[00:12:40] Noelle Braun: Yes, we are so excited to bring Music on Main back downtown as well on Main Street. It’s going to have a big kickoff on Thursday, May 30th.

[00:12:50] Fuzz Martin: Okay.

[00:12:50] Noelle Braun: And we have a press release out now. We’re getting more of the word out, but the biggest changes with Music on Main this year is that the first and the last Music on Main are going to be in a block party street dance format.

[00:13:03] Fuzz Martin: Awesome.

[00:13:03] Noelle Braun: Yes. So we are working very closely with the Bend Theater to make this happen. The other 12 Thursdays, cause there’s gonna be 14 Thursdays total. So May 30th being the first one, September 5th being the last one. And the other 12 Thursdays are, we’re going to utilize that Old Settlers Park stage as it has been.

It’s a great location for music on Maine. But yeah, I thank the Bend Theater for thinking more outside the box and thinking bigger in regards to this event. So the plan is to shut down a little bit more of the road. So from the top of Old Settlers Park by Main and 6, south to Hickory.

[00:13:39] Fuzz Martin: Okay.

[00:13:39] Noelle Braun: And we’re going to be putting a stage in the road and getting two bigger bands.

On May 30th, our opening band is Andrea and the Mods and the main act is Johnny Wad. And on September 5th our opening band will be Jeff Landon’s High Country and the main act being the Foo Foo Dolls. Excellent. So yeah, we’re really excited to bring them in.

[00:14:03] Fuzz Martin: When I was in radio Jeff Landon would always participate in the radio show.

We have the Hodeg Country Pickoff and such. So I, I know Jeff really well, but I have not seen him in probably a decade. So

[00:14:15] Noelle Braun: yes, he’s been doing a lot with his music over all these years and making a good name for himself. So yeah, really excited to bring them in. And I, again, I think the band for getting some of these acts too, for these big block parties.

But we have, we have a great lineup. We have so many different artists. different genres of music. There’s something for everyone. If you look at the list and see who you want to see, hopefully we’ll see a majority, if not all of these music. I mean, it’s because they’re so fun. It’s just a great way to, to celebrate summer.

And it’s always free to attend this event too.

[00:14:46] Fuzz Martin: Perfect. And so again, it kicks off on May 30th, Thursday, May 30th. And then the other 12, what time do those start?

[00:14:54] Noelle Braun: Great question. So on May 30th and September 5th, those are starting at five o’clock.

[00:14:58] Fuzz Martin: Okay.

[00:14:58] Noelle Braun: So that’s when that that opening band will be playing.

The other Thursdays, it depends if there’s an opening act or not for any of our music. I mean, if we get an opening band performing, that’ll start at five. Okay. But our main stage acts start at 6 30 and the event goes till nine 30.

[00:15:14] Fuzz Martin: Excellent. All right. Very good. Well, Noel, I got a lot of great stuff happening with Downtown West Bend.

If people want to learn more about these events that we’ve spoken about today the losing my mind here, the Art Walk, the Farmer’s Market, Music on Main, you’ve got Wheels on Main after that, you’ve got another, another Wine Walk in October, right? Yeah, so. Always something awesome going on town and thanks for all you do.

But where can people learn more about these events and others?

[00:15:45] Noelle Braun: Absolutely. So people can learn more at our website, which is www. downtownwestbend. com. All of our events are there. We update them frequently. We also have a really good presence on Facebook. People are using that social media platform. We yeah, we do have about like 10, 000 followers just on our regular Facebook page.

Facebook page and then we have more like in the music on Maine and the farmer’s market. We have Facebook pages for all three of those and we’re always updating and letting people know what’s happening downtown and love to promote the businesses that are in the area too.

[00:16:20] Fuzz Martin: Yeah, it definitely contributes to the vitality of our downtown and those business owners whose livelihoods depend on you.

Listening, coming, buying dinner, buying you know, different kinds of items at retail and food and drinks and all that. So get out there and support local.

[00:16:39] Noelle Braun: Absolutely.

[00:16:39] Fuzz Martin: All right. Noelle, thanks for coming in.

[00:16:41] Noelle Braun: Thank you so much.

[00:16:46] Fuzz Martin: Thank you again to Noelle Braun of the Downtown West Bend Association for joining me on this week’s episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz. Again, I said it at the beginning of the show, but if you ever have an idea for the show, or if you know someone I should talk to, please tell me. Even if you don’t have their contact information, you can let me know by emailing 15 with fuzz at gmail.

com. Again, spell out the word "fifteen." Fifteen with fuzz at gmail. com. Or go to fuzz. cc slash guest F U Z Z dot CC slash guests and fill up the form. New episodes drop on Tuesdays. Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or at 15 with fuzz. com or really anywhere you list a podcast, wherever you’re listening right now, just be sure to destroy that follow button.

And I’ll talk to you next Tuesday, right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz

A podcast about positive things happening in and around Washington County, Wisconsin

Summer Fun in West Bend w/Noelle Braun

Links

Transcript

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