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October 1, 2015
Troll-hunting in Mount HorebA little town near Madison wins friends with a mix of old and new attractions.
In Mount Horeb, Wis., trolls are revered, not reviled. The little town west of Madison calls itself the Troll Capital of the World, for its many mascots — most wooden, but one live — and Norse traditions, which will be on display at this weekend's Fall Heritage Festival. It won't have the medieval Norwegian stave church that has been the town's pride and joy since 1937. This week, the ornate wooden building headed back to Orkdal, Norway, whose residents built it for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago and will reassemble it as an attraction for Orkdal. Many of the original trolls also have retreated, having turned black with age. But new ones are appearing, along with new wineries, galleries and artisan farms. Today, Mount Horeb is a 21st century town for 21st century tastes. Best bets for the weekendEnjoy apple orchards, Oktoberfests and scenic overlooks.
Fall colors seem to be taking their time, though they're peaking now in the inland forests up north. You'll find even more vivid reds on the Cranberry Highway around Wisconsin Rapids and in the apple orchards around Bayfield, where it's Apple Festival time. If you want to hoist a stein or watch dachshunds dash, this is the last big weekend for Oktoberfests: They're in Minneapolis, Galena, Oshkosh, La Crosse, Milwaukee, New Ulm, Naperville and, just 23 miles apart, Iowa City and Amana. If you're an art crawler as well as leaf-peeper, hit the road for a studio tour. This is the biggest weekend of the year, with tours in scenic spots that include the Minnesota River Valley, bluffs of northeast Iowa, Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin and Lake Michigan beach towns. In southwest Wisconsin, drive — or bike — the 50-mile Farm/Art DTour on the twisting roads south of Reedsburg, stopping for Roadside Culture Stands and Pasture Performances. Or ride the network of state trails that includes the Elroy-Sparta, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. To see lots of artists in one place, go to the Fall Colors Fine Art & Jazz Festival in Stillwater on the St. Croix River, where you can also visit apple orchards or go on an excursion boat or train. For leaf-peeping by foot, join one of many guided fall-color walks in the Minnesota state parks. In Michigan, 16 state parks are throwing harvest festivals. And in Wisconsin, many of the best stretches of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail go through state parks. Now we're in the thick of the fall bird migration. Yesterday, six young whooping cranes took off on their first migration from Wisconsin to Florida, led by an ultralight pilot they think is their mom. You can follow their journey on this great blog. Next weekendFeeling competitive? Carve a pumpkin or pucker up for kraut.
Pumpkin Festival in Highwood, Ill. Every year, this northern suburb of Chicago tries to break the record for most lighted jack-o-lanterns. In addition to all-you-can-carve stations, there will be costume, pie-eating and carving contests and a parade at noon Sunday. Oct. 9-11. Oktoberfest in Cedarburg, Wis. There will be music and food plus goofy contests: best lederhosen/dirndl, sauerkraut-eating, a German spelling bee and a live Glockenspiel show. Oct. 10-11. Madison County Covered Bridge Festival in Winterset, Iowa. This town offers bus tours to its famous covered bridges, horse-drawn wagon rides to John Wayne's house, Old West shootouts, live music and a parade at 2 p.m. Sunday. Oct. 10-11. Galena Country Fair in Galena, Ill. There's a juried fine arts/arts and crafts fair, farmers market, wine garden, bake shop, music and children's games in Grant Park. Oct. 10-11. For more events, see our Events Calendar.
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