New Saturday Programs Attract Visitors
To Experience Historic East Troy

            History buffs, shoppers and train lovers will not want to miss Saturday afternoons in East Troy this summer. The Experience Historic East Troy initiative packages the East Troy Marketplace, sponsored by the East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, with the East Troy Electric Railroad and the newly opened Kubicki Museum and Heritage Center.

            The East Troy Marketplace will be open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on East Troy’s historic village square from May 22 through Sept. 25, except during the Woman’s Club Arts & Crafts Fair on June 12 and the East Troy Bluegrass Festival on Sept. 11.

            Every Saturday throughout the season, East Troy Ambassadors will staff booths at the railroad depot and on the square to provide visitors with attraction maps and lead people between the historic sites. The Museum and Heritage Center, on the east side of the square, will be open and staffed with knowledgeable volunteers from the East Troy Area Historical Society.

            The Chamber will coordinate Marketplace booths for the sale of local farm and horticultural products, locally-produced specialty foods, local arts and handicrafts and other local sales and services.

“Based on the great response we’ve had to the Marketplace so far, we’re expecting a variety of vendors each week, making each trip to the Marketplace a new experience,” Chamber Executive Director Katie Matteson said. She said booths are still available for $15 per week or $150 for the season for Chamber members and $25 per week or $250 for the season for non-members. Please click on the link above for a downloadable vendor application form.            

Specials events will take place on the square during a number of Marketplace days, including the grand opening of the Museum and Heritage Center on May 22, the Chamber’s Corn & Brat Roast on May 29, the Knights of Columbus Corn & Brat Roast on July 31 and the Chamber’s East Troy Oktoberfest on Sept. 25. Matteson said plans for additional attractions, displays and entertainment are still in the works. She suggested checking the Chamber’s website for updates.

            The railroad, which operates a varied schedule throughout its season, also has special events on Saturdays, including Walworth County Days on July 17 and Grandparent’s Weekend on August 21. For more schedule and event information, visit www.easttroyrr.org.

            The Museum and Heritage Center provides a showcase for local history in which the public is invited to view artifacts, books, maps, documents, photographs and other historical material in the collection. The historical society is also developing a walking tour of historic buildings around the square and an architectural tour of area residences. For more information, visit www.etahs.org.

Area residents interested in volunteering as ambassadors are invited to call the Chamber office at (262) 642-3770 and are free to define their individual level of time commitment.