Posts Tagged ‘Oregon’

Madison-area community festivals 2016

Thursday, May 12th, 2016

Time again for my annual round-up of Madison-area community festivals, which begin this weekend. It’s going to be another fun summer of carnivals, beer tents and live music!

Events Dates Of note
Syttende Mai (Stoughton) May 13-15 Is a marathon just a bit too long for you? Try the annual 20-mile run from downtown Madison to Stoughton. Also check out the strongman competition called the “Viking Games.”
Fitchburg Days May 20-22 A week later this year, Fitchburg Days allows us to celebrate our Irish heritage in Fitchburg. That means annual performances by both Pat McCurdy and The Kissers.
Verona Hometown Days June 2-5 Hometown Days always books great bands, and this year in no exception with local favorites Madison County and Cherry Pie. The big parade takes place on Sunday.
Fireman’s Festival (Cottage Grove) June 16-19 This festival has a little bit of everything, from a rodeo to craft beer tasting to the Smokin’ Hot BBQ contest to a rugby tournament. Doesn’t have the music lineup of Hometown Days, though.
Oregon Summer Fest June 23-26 See cars from all decades in the annual car show, and enjoy ribs, ribs and more ribs at the Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club “Thrilla on the Grilla.”
Cross Plains Worlds Fair June 25-26 A short, two-day affair. The highlight is the ROAR! Motorcycle Show on Saturday, and Human Foosball and Fireworks on Sunday.
Monona Community Festival July 3-4 I’ve always enjoyed the hole-in-one challenge, which seems to be won with some frequency. And believe it or not, the festival hosts the annual Wisconsin Wife Carry Championship.
DeForest Area 4th of July Celebration July 3-4 Definitely the worst website of all the communities. Features a well-attended parade. Lots of free events, including a Kings of Radio concert and pony rides.
Waunafest July 28-31 Waunakee has such strong community spirit, which is why this event has the largest attendance … and also the largest beer tent. Be warned that parking can be difficult.
Sweet Corn Festival (Sun Prairie) Aug. 18-21 As the name implies, you can’t attend this event without eating some of the 75 tons of sweet corn. Since the event is at Angell Park, there will be midget car racing and a tractor pull.
Middleton Good Neighbor Festival Aug. 26-28 Here we are at the end of the summer festival schedule. Check out the huge craft fair and the kiddie parade. Still WAY TOO FEW porta-potties by the beer tent.

Note: I didn’t include the McFarland Family Festival, since it takes place in the fall.

Holstein Kitchen

Sunday, October 11th, 2015

The premise of Holstein Kitchen in Oregon is “classic farm cooking comfort foods.” In other words, the menu is about as American as you can get, with staples such as fried chicken, mac & cheese and peach cobbler present.

Inside, the decor made me feel like I was eating inside a converted barn. Since the dining room is just one large room, and the tables are relatively close to each other, it gets very noisy.

The Monroe Maple Leaf Cheese Curds ($7.50) are a must-order item to start your meal. The perfectly fried curds are coated in parmesan and chives and are further enhanced with the accompanying aioli dip.

Since the restaurant’s slogan is “meat and potatoes spoken here,” I had to order the beef pot pie ($8.25). Even though it’s an appetizer, this dish is too hard to share with others, but it’s hearty enough to eat as a meal. The crust was buttery and delicious, and the beef was tender all around.

Other entrees on the menu include the Ms. Ionias Meat Loaf ($12.75), roasted chicken ($12.25) and Hot Kentucky Brown ($12.95).

On Fridays, you can find baked/fried cod and tilapia on the menu. The fish in the parmesan tilapia ($13.95) was moist and flaky, but the parmesan and chive toppings didn’t fit in, probably because they were too similar in texture (soft). I did like the fried clams, even though they weren’t meaty, and you can get them as an appetizer ($8.25) or in the fried clam roll ($14.25).

I was craving an Old Fashioned with all this farm food, but unfortunately, only beer and wine are served.

Holstein Kitchen is open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday, lunch Tuesday-Friday and brunch Saturday-Sunday. Reservations are not accepted. The parking lot is located to the side of the building on Hwy CC.

Holstein Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Madison-area community festivals 2015

Thursday, May 14th, 2015

Note: this is a repost from last year, with dates updated.

I love how much we pack into our summers here in Madison. In addition to events like the Dane County Farmers’ Market and Concerts on the Square, I always look forward to the community festivals in the area. I’ve rounded them up in a grid and included some notes for each. And yes, I will be watching Cherry Pie perform at least four times this summer, twice during these festivals.

Events Dates Of note
Syttende Mai (Stoughton) May 15-17 Is a marathon just a bit too long for you? Try the annual 20-mile run from downtown Madison to Stoughton. Also check out the strongman competition called the “Viking Games.”
Fitchburg Days May 15-17 On the same weekend we’re celebrating our Norwegian heritage in Stoughton, we can celebrate our Irish heritage in Fitchburg. That means annual performances by both Pat McCurdy and The Kissers.
Verona Hometown Days June 4-7 Hometown Days always books great bands, and this year in no exception with local favorites Charm School Rejects and Cherry Pie. The big parade takes place on Sunday.
Fireman’s Festival (Cottage Grove) June 18-21 This festival has a little bit of everything, from a rodeo to craft beer tasting to the Smokin’ Hot BBQ contest to a rugby tournament. Doesn’t have the music lineup of Hometown Days, though.
Oregon Summer Fest June 25-28 See cars from all decades in the annual car show, and enjoy ribs, ribs and more ribs at the Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club “Thrilla on the Grilla.”
Monona Community Festival July 3-4 I’ve always enjoyed the hole-in-one challenge, which seems to be won with some frequency. And believe it or not, the festival hosts the annual Wisconsin Wife Carry Championship.
DeForest Area 4th of July Celebration July 3-4 Only one parade this year (what happened to the Token Creek parade?). Lots of free events, including a Chameleon concert and pony rides.
Waunafest July 23-26 Waunakee has such strong community spirit, which is why this event has the largest attendance … and also the largest beer tent. Be warned that parking can be difficult.
Sweet Corn Festival (Sun Prairie) Aug. 20-23 As the name implies, you can’t attend this event without eating some of the 75 tons of sweet corn. Since the event is at Angell Park, there will be midget car racing and a tractor pull.
Middleton Good Neighbor Festival Aug. 28-30 Here we are at the end of the summer festival schedule. Check out the huge craft fair and the kiddie parade. Hopefully event organizers add a lot more porta-potties by the beer tent.

Note: I didn’t include the McFarland Family Festival, since it takes place in the fall.

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