LITTLE GEMS
It’s quite amazing how many businesses close for parts of the winter months in Lake Geneva.
The weather is still moderate, and parking is free, so what is it that causes this exodus of business owners and operators? Running a retail business, no matter what kind, is a full time, almost 24/7 endeavor and rest is seldom part of the equation to gain success and then to hold it. That’s part of the reason that business owners close for weeks on end in the winter. Before Lake Geneva became even more popular (the pandemic effects) and held that position, many businesses closed and split, never to reopen. That’s not the case anymore, with any open properties sitting vacant for only days, or less. The single biggest influence on making a retail business a success can be described with one word. Traffic.
Without a flow of would-be customers coming through the doors on a fairly regular basis almost any business is doomed. VISIT Lake Geneva has been brilliant at bringing that traffic to the city, just as the Business Improvement District has been. The Jaycees, the American Legion, Rotary and so many more organizations have been terrific in supporting that effort. The police and fire departments, with their intelligent, caring and quietly supportive protective services cannot be thanked enough. The vacation times of the business owners should not be looked upon with frustrated anxiety or anger. These people need some rest and the town, the residents in particular who support a lot of the ‘traffic’ during the winter months, should not only understand and have patience but applaud these hard-working people.
Lake Lawn Resort on Highway 50 on Delavan Lake has received a 1.5-million-dollar renovation.
The resort has remodeled their main dining room and lounge renaming it ‘1878 on the lake’. The name is a tribute to the resort’s history, which opened in 1878 as a small boarding house. Renovations included both the space and the menu. The new restaurant highlights views of the lake, and features the original wood beams, columns, and floors. Three of the four walls have lake views and there’s a fireside lounge located right outside the restaurant with a huge stone fireplace for people to gather. The renovation process started in 2021 and finished last week just in time for the busy holiday season. The lounge will be open from Tuesday-Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and dinner service will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Tickets for the Lake Geneva Ice Castle are now on sale.
The Ice Castle returns to Lake Geneva in 2023 with exciting new elements added. Winter may be a few months away but plans and preparations are well underway to bring the magical playland back to Lake Geneva. Ice artisans will begin creating the whimsical ice attraction starting as early as November, to be located once again at Geneva National Resort. The castle will feature slides, tunnels, crawl spaces, caverns, and sculptures, all made entirely from ice. There will also be some re-imagined and elaborate features including a horse-drawn sleigh ride trail with new lighting features and fun new characters to meet.
It takes a team of about 20 ice artists to build the experience, using icicles that they grow, harvest, and hand-place one-by-one. The ice is embedded with color-changing LED lights which create an enchanting illumination at night. They usually open in mid or late January and remain open for about four weeks, depending on the weather. Tickets for the castles go on sale at 9 a.m., Nov. 28. Tickets are limited and often sell out. On weekdays, advance general admission tickets are $25 for adults (ages 12 and up) and $17 for kids (ages 4-11); and weekend tickets are $29 and $22.
