LITTLE GEMS
The Riviera is rocking and rolling.
This has been quite a year for the Riviera Pier Project, with a remodel, galas being held, and finally coming to life after a quiet 2020. There have been more events this year than in previous years with weddings back in full swing, training is done, and parties being thrown. As of August 2021, there have been fifty-seven (57) events scheduled for this year at the Riviera, with more contracts out there waiting to be signed. Next year, there are already more than thirty-six bookings, not including three leases waiting to come back to the city. The Riviera’s new website has brought more interest to the venue and Lake Geneva with an average of about twenty-five hundred views a month, a number that is increasing as the year goes on. Within the Riviera website, there has been a 43% increase in views for hotels and lodging in Lake Geneva, meaning that visitors are planning getaways and overnight stays in our wonderful lakeside community. A sure tell of those numbers is that every day during this summer in Lake Geneva looks like the weekends, with traffic backed up from all entrances into the city, pedestrians walking all throughout the downtown, parking difficult to come by, and a packed full beach. Lake Geneva is consistently busy all year long and has a lot to look forward to in the rest of 2021 and on into 2022.
The 59th Annual Venetian Fest starts Wednesday, August 18th, and runs through the weekend, ending on Sunday, August 22nd.
The Festival is a five-day event featuring a carnival, craft fair, water ski show, live music, and the traditional lighted boat parade, followed by the largest fireworks display put on in the evening sky above Lake Geneva. The carnival will be spread out in Flat Iron Park and Seminary Park. On Wednesday and Thursday, the 18th and 19th, the gate will open at 5 p.m. and close at 10 p.m., Friday the 20th from 5 p.m., through 11 p.m., Saturday the 21st, noon until 11 p.m., and Sunday, noon till 10:30 p.m. Following that the lighted boat parade and fireworks show ending the festival. Admission is free to Venetian Fest and wristbands and ride deals will be available making it a little more affordable for families with multiple children. The Arts and Crafts Fair will run Saturday, August 21, and Sunday, August 22, in Library Park. Over a hundred different craftspeople and artists from all over the country come to display and sell their art. This is an event you won’t want to miss and is the grand finale of summer celebrations in Lake Geneva.
Persons of the Week
Martin & Lindsey owners of the O2 Lounge are a breath of fresh air in downtown Lake Geneva
