24 Sep - Cran(berry) Fest in Warrens WI

24 Sep

This morning we drove east into Tomah and then north to Warrens WI to attend the Cran Fest. I was warned by one of Keith's uncles that it may not be what I expected, and he was right. Doreen and I have been to Warrens before, back in 2015. It is the "cranberry capital of Wisconsin". The population was 363 at the 2010 census, so it is not a big town.  But this festival is HUGE!  Unbelievable!  

We arrived after a short drive and what seemed to be quite a ways from town they were offering parking for $5.  The closer we got the higher the price.  We pulled into a $5 lot and drove what seemed forever before we were parked.  The advantage of this place was there was a shortcut through the woods from the parking area that takes you basically to the middle of town.  So we parked and the attendant helped us out with a nice back-in spot because of our lousy turning radius, so we could get out easy when when we departed.

So we parked and took off hiking through the woods.

 Doreen was "on point" for four-legged friends but we saw none and before we knew it we emerged on the main drag.  The festival started at 0800 hrs and we purposely arrived there about 0900 hrs.  This is the last day and it would surely be bumper to bumper people, so we wanted to get there before it got crazy and also before it got really hot.  Plus their festival parade was scheduled for 1400 hrs and we wanted to be done and gone by then.

So we popped out of the woods onto the main street, or at least what I thought was the main street and it was about what I expected.  There were craft booths and food vendors on both sides of the street.  OK, cool.  We headed on down the street and then turned up the next street and I'm not sure I can describe ot.  There were vendors as far as the eye could see, but that's not the half of it.  The vendor booths not only lined the streets but extended a long ways off the streets, down what were kind of like alleys.  Thousands of them.

Booth after booth after booth after booth.  Doreen is on the prowl

Both sides of every street

Tent after tent after tent

More booths

The vendors went on and on and on...  Anything and everything you can think of.  If you have been to a craft fair or a flea market or the state fair before, multiply it by 1000 and that is what this place is!!  In a town of 363!  Cool stuff that I don't need.  I have a lot of respect for the folks that think this stuff up.  Very creative!  Making something out of junk in a lot of cases.  Paintings, metalwork, woodwork, quilting, sewing, jewelry, nick knacks, leather work, etc etc.  Oh, and the food!  Fried everything, pop corns of all kinds, brats, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, cheese curds, deep fried cheese curds, lemon aid, licorice, roasted nuts, and anything and everything made of cranberries - raw cranberries, dried cranberries, fresh cranberries, juices, wines, jellies, deep fried cranberries.  

These were outstanding!  Cranberry raisins on a stick, dipped in cake do-nut batter and deep fried then sprinkled with sugar.  

Fresh cranberrys

Ocean Spray had several booths with many samples of their juices and other products

So where is the beer??  It's hot out here and I could use a cold one!  Well, we looked from one end to the other and found just one place where there was a beer garden where you could go in and have a beer, but you could not leave with it.

So we walked around and Doreen picked up a few items.

The protective wrap is on this

This is battery powered and has white LED's that light up

Lighthouse decoration

Lighthouse garden flag of the Quoddy Lighthouse we visited in Maine last year

Wooden decorative star

A gift for Lindsey to give to her teacher

Vendors as far as you can see!!

Doreen with animated statue.  This guy was roasting in the costume but posed with Doreen

2017 Cran Fest Princesses!  I don't even belong in the same picture as these beauties, but they posed with an old Chief!

All in all we had a great time.  Doreen is happy with the gifts she bought.  Unfortunately the cranberry bog tours were not given on Sunday so we missed out on that.  For this being the cranberry festival there was very little emphasis on cranberries.  It was very much about vendors and craft sales.

The afternoon was spent back in the RV watching America's game.  The Cubs beat the Brewers and moving within two games of clinching the division title.  

Tomorrow Greg Cullen the retired Wisconsin State Command Chief is stopping by for a visit, and then we will head to new Lisbon to visit Doreen's favorite winery.