OUR PLACE
The 63rd Annual Venetian Festival, Wednesday, August 13th through August 17th
and runs through August 17th.
The Lake Geneva Jaycees have been hosting this event for over half a century, and it continues to be a banner event in Lake Geneva. It is the largest revenue generator for the club, and the net profits all go back into the community. As the festival has grown, so have the donations, and the Jaycees are honored to give back and are humbled by the community’s support.
The festival will start off with a family favorite wristband night. Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. and again on Saturday and Sunday from noon until closing, you can purchase a wristband for $40 and ride all the rides you want as many times as you want for one price, saving families with multiple children quite a bit. There is a great lineup of live music at the beer tent and stage, as always. Wednesday will be Sons of Sconnie, Thursday is Rok Brigade, Friday is Kelly Daniels, Saturday afternoon will be Rebecca and the Grey Notes, and Saturday night is the very popular Too Hype Crew, Sunday afternoon includes the kids from Rock Central and the Big Al Wetzel Band, and Sunday night’s finale is Venetian All Stars.
Don’t forget the weekend will include the fabulous art and craft fair in Library Park with 75 exhibitors. The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show will be on Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. in Seminary Park. There is a Baggo tournament on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. through 3 p.m. Sunday has a lot of great fun in store, along with the fun at the festival, there will be Wonder Lake Ski Team will put on a show at the Riviera at 6 p.m. Once it starts to get dark, the Venetian Lighted Boat Parade will start, and the fireworks show will be the festival’s grand finale.
The Venetian Fest and Carnival are fun for the whole family. There is something for everyone during this five-day event, from great rides, fun games, delicious food, and live entertainment. Don’t miss out on Lake Geneva’s biggest celebration of summer.
Flooding in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee area began drying out Monday after the weekend rain hit unofficial records in Wisconsin of more than 14 inches in less than 24 hours, leading multiple rivers to flood at record-high levels, washing out vehicles, flooding basements, and cutting power to thousands of homes. Millions of Americans faced travel disruptions and flood alerts as fierce storms slammed the Midwest Sunday night, delaying hundreds of flights. Southwest Airlines logged 339 delays, United Airlines 244, and SkyWest 157. The flood waters came with severe thunderstorms and weather. The National Weather Service issued flood watches and warnings.
The alert follows a wave of at least 24 storms that pounded the Upper Midwest, blasting Milwaukee and the surrounding area with 80- to 90-mph wind gusts. The Brewers and Mets took the field at American Family Field while the parking lot, usually buzzing with fans, stood eerily empty and closed to traffic. Wisconsin State Fair organizers canceled the final day of the event after heavy rain flooded the fairgrounds in West Allis, closing busy roadways and forcing some motorists to abandon vehicles as thousands lost power.
Startling videos and images showed vehicles trapped in the floodwaters at the fair as Wisconsinites desperately tried to flee the state fair, with their hoods and umbrellas up as they waded through 4-inch-deep puddles. The storms in the Midwest were due to “an environment that features a battleground between cool and dry air to the north and west and plenty of moisture and instability to the south and east,” the National Weather Service said.
