summer fun in New Glarus

entrance to downtown New Glarus, WI - pic by me, amber

Tom and I headed to Wisconsin last weekend. Tom's birthday is on Flag Day and we usually make the trek for Beer, Bacon, Cheese Fest in New Glarus, Wisconsin. It's a quaint village that has rolling hills and surrounded by farmland. It feels like a little piece of Switzerland in the middle of Wisconsin and we love it. tokens from New Glarus Brewing - pic by me, amber

We headed up on Friday and hit up Hoesly's Meat for our favorite brats, we stock up for the entire summer and I'm not exaggerating when I say our receipt looks like one of those crazy CVS receipts. After, we went to New Glarus Brewing to stock up on craft beer only available in Wisconsin. Then we headed to the village's Farmer's Market and got some relish, jam, baked goods and flavored olive oils. Afterward, we checked into our vacation rental and met up with our close friends Kim & Tony.

wine overlooking vineyard at Bailey's Run - pic by me, amber

We all headed to Baily's Run Vineyard & Winery and soaked up the sun and the beautiful scenery while sipping on wine and listening to live music. It was quite magical! The rolling hills feel European, it's gorgeous. Afterward, we headed to Friday Night Fish Fry at Glarner Stube where the Old Fashioneds are made with Brandy and either 7up (sweet) or Squirt (sour). It's delicious! They serve a cheesy Rösti that will feed you for a week and is worth the calories.

Wisconsin Old Fashioneds at Glarner Stube - pic by me, amber

We walked out after and enjoyed watching the polka dancing at Polka Fest. It was a great first day! The next day, we walked to Fat Cat Coffee Works for brekkie. Walking back to the rental, we ran into a garage sale where I got a vintage Halloween Blowmold, a total score! Our friends had to get back to the city and we had a couple hours to waste until the fest so naturally, I went shopping.

purchases from New Rose - pic by me, amber

We browsed the Vinyl Soul, Hutch + Hide, Brenda's Blumenladen, A Well Worn Story, stopped by New Glarus Bakery for cheese filled donuts then shopped New Rose where I bought some bonus gifts for Tom and a pair of earrings for me. Then it was fest time!

scenes from New Glarus, WI - pic by me, amber

Tom and I strolled the fest sampling craft beers from all over Wisconsin, sampled cheese and bacon and all things pork. It was great! Non-stop sunshine, no breeze and 83° while strolling blacktop got a little uncomfortable about halfway through. We escaped to the air conditioned rental for a bit and people watched while cooling off. 

maker's market purchases - pic by me, amber

A bonus this year was a Maker's Market happening in the parking lot of our rental. It was tiny and perfect. I purchased tea and a loose leaf tea holder (I'm sure that's the official name) from Whole Hearted Apothecary. I also purchased a sideshow circus themed mug from Mud Honey Pottery. As a letterpress printer, I can't resist a manicule, there's one on the handle and I'm smitten.

goat and herder in New Glarus, WI - pic by me, amber

Tom and I have been coming to Beer, Bacon, Cheese Fest since 2014, minus 2020, of course. It's a fun way to celebrate Tom's birthday. We've gotten to the point where the fest doesn't feel like a race. We don't have to visit every single booth if we don't want. And if we really like something, we go back. If there's a line and we don't want to wait, we move on. It's the one beer fest we've kept, most others we've stopped. I think the big highlight of the fest is the village, itself. We've seen some small changes with New Glarus every year however, it remains a quaint village reminiscent of Switzerland and just feels cozy. I have so many more pics from our trips to New Glarus! Perhaps I'll share more another time. I hope you feel inspired to visit New Glarus. They host fests and events all summer and even year. Check it out!