THE BRIGHT SIDE

PHLOWFEST is coming to Alpine Valley Resort in East Troy on Friday and Saturday, August 5th & 6th.
Get ready for some great summer fun where music and movement ‘phlow’ together. This festival has been in the planning phase for the last couple of years and it’s going to be big. There will be great legendary music performed, including headliners Grace Potter on Friday.  Big Wild will play on Saturday. This festival is more than just about music.  It’s also about getting outdoors and movement, with pro wakeboard demos at the top of the ski hill and yogi-led ‘yogathons.’

This event has been put together by some local ladies who originally wanted to have the festival in Lake Geneva to incorporate the beauty of the lake. Sponsors had not been announced and details were not confirmed so with that the city decided to wait until the plan was more ‘steeped in cement’ than it was.  They may have waited too long, however, as the organizers went to Alpine Valley and the leadership there made sure it was a done deal. The planning and scheduling for this event are impressive, and so is the sponsor lineup.  This could become an annual event mimicked by other event planners around the country. For more information, and to purchase tickets, go to www.lgphlowfest.com.

The Brick & Mortar building project is finally underway.
The property at 252 Center Street was purchased by Thomas and Kathy George before the pandemic. The building has been a part of Lake Geneva for many years, originally the Derrick Funeral Home, and then becoming the location of different small businesses. When the George’s purchased the building the architectural style did not speak to them or have much impact on historic interest, so the plan became of razing the building, which was quickly done after several fire departments took advantage of the training opportunity the destruction offered.

The Georges were going to hold off on the new building for a short time, to avoid the winter months and the busy season in downtown.  They chose instead to provide a pleasing green space to the public before starting the construction of the new building. The green space didn’t happen for a variety of unpublished reasons, however, instead, the pandemic and shutdowns did happen, and the project was put on hold.

The fenced-in mess of an empty lot is finally changing and the construction of the new building is moving along quickly. Over the last couple of months, the land has been prepped, utilities established, and the actual building construction has begun. The shell of the structure is expected to be complete in the next two weeks from this writing, and by then the mechanicals and interior should be finished. The building will include two apartments on the second floor (yes, vacation rentals) and the main level will include an assembly and staging area for the already existing Brick and Mortar stores, as well as a couple of smaller storefront units that will potentially become the location of new businesses in Lake Geneva. The Georges have several thriving operations in Lake Geneva and this new addition will most likely be added to the George’s impressive list.

252 Center Street Today

Thomas George checking on the work at his newest property on Center Street.

DAS FEST is back at the Walworth County Fairgrounds.
Friday through Sunday, August 5th, through the 7th, the very well-attended Free German Festival DAS FEST will go on and be filled with great family fun for everyone. There will be a load of entertainment, including traditional German music and a variety of bands headlining with the popular Alex Meixner Band. The entertainment includes German dancers, and the hilarious show called Glockenspiel, depicting the day in the life of a lumberjack.  There will also be wine-tasting, Bingo, and so much more. The food and drink alone are a big draw for the event, which includes German Fest must-haves, the best German beers, Mader’s Rueben Rolls, giant pretzels, Bavarian nuts, cheese curds, and so much more. Get ready to Polka and have a great time at this German weekend celebration.