Stories you might have missed from across Wisconsin.
Chippewa Falls: 100th anniversary of park bandshell.
One hundred years ago, William Irvine had a dream. He envisioned a vast park for the public to enjoy and a central location for musical performances in Chippewa Falls. Irvine put his money where his dreams were and made numerous donations to the city and county. Now the Irvine Park bandshell is celebrating its centennial with an event to celebrate the joy the bandstand and its musical performances have brought to the community. The public is invited to the anniversary event Sunday from noon to 2pm at the Irvine Park Bandshell Gazebo. Performances by the 132nd Army National Guard Band of Wisconsin as well as the McDonell High School band are scheduled. State senator Jesse James from Altoona will also speak during the event. Full Story
Eau Claire: Phoenix Taproom is the largest self-pour taproom in the Midwest.
There’s a freedom that comes from pouring your own drinks. We all have that freedom at home, but at the Phoenix Taproom in Eau Claire You can enjoy all the fun of going out for a drink without worrying about bartenders or servers. Phoenix Taproom is a “self-pour Taproom”. It is also the largest self pour taproom in the Midwest according to Brad Hansen who opened the bar with his wife on July 1. In addition to beer, the 72 self-pour taps dispense cocktails, cider, kombucha and more. Hansen told the Journal Sentinel the goal of the taproom is to introduce drinkers to new breweries and flavors. It seems to be working. In the first two months Phoenix has been open, patrons have poured more than 400 ounces. The taproom has beer from every corner of Wisconsin. The average pour is 4.7 ounces which indicates people are tasting many different beers and drinks. One unique aspect of the taproom is that of the nearly 60 lines dedicated to beer, almost all are replaced with different beers after they are tapped out. There are only four recurring tap lines. Cheers! Full Story
Neenah: Beer and cider sales in convenience stores approved.
Since 1977, folks looking to grab a six pack at a convenience store in Neenah were out of luck. Neenah had a long standing ban on sales of alcoholic beverages by businesses who also dispensed gasoline. That ban was repealed last night in a 7-2 vote by the Common Council on a new ordinance. Now Neenah convenience stores will be able to apply for a liquor license allowing them to sell “fermented malt beverages” like beer, hard ciders, and hard seltzers. The sale of wine and liquor will still be prohibited. the ban had survived multiple challenges over the years, but support has waned in recent years as the makeup of the Common Council changed. Council member Mark Ellis told the Post-Crescent that alcohol issues in Neenah aren’t as dramatic as they used to be. “Convenience stores today are kind of like replacements of the old neighborhood grocery stores. People depend on them.” Winnebago County Public health had lobbied to uphold the ban. Full Story
