Things to Do Around Monroe

After a brief hiatus, "Things to Do Around Monroe" is back. What is on your agenda for the weekend?

~ The Young Professionals of Green County have their Annual Event this Thursday evening at Kuhn in Brodhead. The event starts at 6 pm with networking, and the recognition of the nominees for Young Professional of the Year starts at 6:30.

~ The Bloody Lake Rendezvous starts today in Woodford. The Rendezvous is open to the public on Saturday from 9 until 4 and Sunday from 9 until 3. Learn about the life of early 19th century trappers and explorers at this living history encampment. Admission is $2, but children under 12 and military service personnel are free.

~ If you rather work on your family history instead, the Green County Genealogical Society is open to the public this Saturday. Use their resource center to look up genealogical information and Green County historical data. They are located at 1609 10th Street Suite #4 (above Kookaburra's on the north side of Monroe's Downtown Square).

~ Check out the garage sales! The Green County Humane Society has a fundraising garage sale in the parking lot of Monroe Auto Sales this Friday and Saturday. If you don't see what you need there, head over to Belleville for their citywide garage sale weekend.

~ The Mighty Richland Players have a dessert theatre performance this weekend in Orangeville. "Belle of the Wabash" is a musical melodrama by Mike Carver. Set in the 1880s, "Belle of the Wabash" is the story of a group of steamboat performers who are shipwrecked near Galena and find their way to Orangeville where they sing for their supper, so to speak. $20 per person, dessert included.

~ Are you up to participating in the 3/50 Challenge? Visit 3 locally owned, independent businesses that you would miss if they were to go out of business. Spend $50 at locally owned, independent businesses over the course of the month. What local businesses do you love? Bakery, hair salon, restaurant, pharmacy, movie theatre, bookstore, auto service center...there are so many choices. Supporting local businesses can be just as convenient and inexpensive as shopping chain stores, and when you spend $50 at a local, independent business, $34 stays in the community as opposed to only $21.50 staying local when you shop a chain store (or $0 when you shop online).

~ River Valley Trading Company has two workshops this weekend:
Blending Herbal Teas and Tonics, and Creating Herbal Preparations with Local Lovely Weeds. Taking place on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, the workshops start at 12:30 with herbal teas along with sweet and savory herbal treats. Cost is $25 for a single workshop or $40 for both. Space is limited, to contact RVTC for a reservation.

Looking ahead to next weekend, make your plans to attend the Brodhead Farm Tours on Saturday.

Things to Do Around Monroe

Even though the weather is not looking good for the weekend, there are still things to do in the area.

~ River Valley Trading Company has their monthly documentary showing on Thursday evening. This month, the movie is "Blue Gold: World Water Wars." The screening starts at 7 pm.

~ Monroe Theatre Guild has a children's theatre workshop this weekend. Help your children prepare for the upcoming try outs for Music Man with the audition workshop on Saturday. Visit the MTG website for registration information.

~ Pick your favorite type of live music!

• The benefit concert for the children of Haiti is on Friday at the Monroe Arts Center,
  
• There is a Green County Barbershop Concert at the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center on Saturday,
• Beth Kille (known locally at the lead of Clear Blue Betty) performs at Baumgartner's on Saturday evening,
• Tofflers has The Midwesterners on Saturday night,
  
• The Monroe Theatre Guild Youth Choir performs their spring concert on Sunday evening at MAC.

~ How about a traditional German-Swiss dinner? Enjoy Kabelwurst at a fundraiser for the New Glarus Fire Department on Saturday. Advance tickets are available for $10 at the Bank of New Glarus, Hoesly's Meats, Ott Haus Pub and Grill, Chalet Landhaus or from any NG firefighter. $11 at the door, kids $5. First come, first served, but carryouts are also available.

~ Don your Pink Ladies jacket and head to Freeport for the Aquin Theater Department (of St Thomas Aquinas Church) production of Grease on Friday or Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. $7 per person at the Aquin Auditorium on Galena Ave.

~ If musicals aren't your thing, how about "The Cheddar Curtain" at the Winneshiek Playhouse? Four local theatre groups work together to bring four short plays. Tickets are $15.

~ Looking to improve your cooking skills? Kookaburra's in Monroe has a Knife Skills class on Tuesday evening. $20 per person. I'm is already enrolled, so come and join me!

Valentines Day = Chocolate

Chocolate and Valentine's Day are a perfect pairing. Treat your sweetheart at a couple of local events this weekend!

River Valley Trading Company in Blanchardville is having their 2nd annual Chocolate Tasting and Auction on Saturday afternoon. From 2 until 4, sample delicious and unusual chocolates from TerraSource Gourmet Chocolates along with various wines. For only $2, you can sample all of the chocolates. Then, bid for your favorites in the silent auction. Stick around to show the selection of interesting and varied local gifts available at River Valley Trading Company, and save 10% on any of them.

After chocolate appetizers, head across the street to the new Pecatonica Grapevine. There, owner Christine Pieper will have another tasting, this time pairing wines with delectable morsels from one of our favorites, Stef over at Goosechaser Farm. Chef Stef will be bringing quiche with roasted duck on apple and fennel slaw with raspberry walnut vinaigrette; pumpkin gnocchi with sesame walnut butter; and red wine braised pastured pork with spaetzle and winter vegetables. If the samples are too enticing, pick up a full size dinner to take home. There will be more TerraSource chocolates here too! The event goes from 4 until 6, $7 per person.

Chocolate Temptation had a very popular chocolate fondue event last year, and they are repeating it this year. Now, both Saturday and Sunday are currently full, but I just spoke with Scott, and they are taking names to see if they have enough people to add another seating. I highly recommend it, so call them at 328-2462. If fondue isn't your thing, they will also be open for a while on the afternoon of Valentine's Day too, so take your sweetheart in to share a dessert and coffee drink.

Finally, take your little sweetheart to the Candyland Ball at the Masonic Temple in Freeport. From 6:30 until 8, little girls ages 10 and under can come with an adult in their lives (dad, mom, or whomever is special) to dance and enjoy the evening. $25 per couple, $28 for non-residents, each additional child is $7.

Most of the local restaurants will be doing reservations or special menus for this coming weekend, so treat your sweetheart. If you prefer to do the cooking yourself, consider a local foods menu! There are many places available to get local meat, including the previously mentioned Goosechaser Farm, and if you need some winter veggies, call Barb at Mainstreet to connect with the farmer's market coordinator. Many vendors do still have root crops like onions, potatoes and carrot available. Round out your table with wines from Famous Fossil or Primrose, or beer from New Glarus Brewing Company or Minhas.