Great job Maple Festival organizers

More than a decade ago, a group of people sat around a table and talked about the idea of holding an event that would bring all parts of Taylor County together.

They talked about an event that could be held during the so-called “shoulder season.” The shoulder season is what tourism industry folks call the gray and wet period between Wisconsin being a winter wonderland for outdoor activities and being a summer recreation getaway.

The people sitting around that table brainstormed ideas about things that were special about the county that could form the basis of a community festival. Then they talked about which groups could come together that have the volunteer base needed to sustain the event for years to come.

Out of that meeting came the idea of Maplefest. It is a celebration of all things maple, a tree whose roots are intertwined with the history and culture of rural Wisconsin. In that fragile infancy, the idea of Maplefest could have died seconds after the meeting ended, like a piece of kindling flaring up and burning out without catching the nearby wood on fire, but for the monumental efforts of Ken Klahn and Dave Lemke.

Klahn and Lemke brought the idea of Maplefest to the Lions Clubs throughout the county. In the process they forged new bonds of cooperation selling the idea that by working together they can do something that none of them could do on their own.

Even then, Maplefest’s success was far from certain. It took leaders within each of the area Lions and Lioness clubs willing to put in the work to make the event happen. Each group came with their own skills and experiences adding their own particular flavors in an effort to make something that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Maplefest 2023 was held last weekend at a new venue in the Simek Recreation Center. In prior years the event was held largely outdoors at the the Taylor County Fairgrounds. The change was made after the constant downpours of 2022’s event threatened to wash participants and volunteers away.

As was proved by last weekend’s cold, damp weather, the occasional warm, sunny day in spring in Wisconsin is the exception rather than the rule. Inside the Simek Center vendors had more space to display their wares and talk with customers. Attendees were able to go from eating pancakes to shopping for gifts or items to learning about conservation without needing to brave the elements.

The crowds lingered and socialized, with the steady roar of voices in conversation punctuated by the laughter of children playing in the bounce house set up in a corner of the arena.

A decade ago the area Lions and Lioness clubs came together and laid the foundation for Maplefest. Each year, the volunteers and community members have built on that foundation making the event ever-stronger.

With the move to the Simek Center, the event is poised to see even more growth and to continue to be an anchor drawing community members and visitors together in celebrating all things maple.