The Fuzzy Pig, A Wisconsin Country Mall

If you missed the announcement on the Fuzzy Pig Festival site… we’re getting ready to host the Creative Outlets’ version of the classic Dickens “Christmas Carol” this weekend. Set-up is going as smoothly as can be expected, and play-goers will be treated to a multi-venue presentation: inside AND outside. With the bonus of dinner and/or dessert, who wouldn’t want to enjoy this new twist on a seasonal classic?

Since Robstock was rained out, owner Dick Kraus has decided to throw a Halloween party and fundraiser for Milwaukee Children’s Hospital. So save the date: October 18, and you’ll enjoy Blues and BBQ from noon to 6:30pm and the Dark Room Halloween party from 6:30 – 10:30pm.

The party marks the official unveiling of this year’s Halloween sound and lights show. Dick has even set up a haunted maze, a Guitar Hero III contest, and a power jam & band launch pad showcase. There is fun for all ages in the offing, so be sure to mark your calendars and enjoy a rockin’ Halloween party on October 18.

Because of three solid days of rain and the resulting flooding in our fields, we’re sorry to announce that the planned fund-raiser scheduled for this weekend has to be scratched. All the preparations, though, mean there’s a whole lot more parking, as well as new spaces soon to be explorable, so there’s no reason to cancel your weekend plans entirely–we’ll still be here and open, even if we don’t have all the extra entertainment options. Meantime, stay tuned: We’re looking into a Halloween extravaganza you won’t want to miss.

Dick has spread several tons of gravel over his various parking areas to improve your visit experience. If you proceed to the south end of the barn (head toward the silo and veer right), there’s a whole new parking area too.

Also, today the new chip for this year’s holiday sound and light show arrived, so everything is in order for an even bigger show come Halloween and Christmas. We’ll keep you posted here to let you know when the great unveiling will take place.

As part of owner Dick Kraus’ grander vision, as well as in preparation for Robstock (September 20), he is proceeding with grading and cementing the back room of the barn to build out the Hunt Club space. Eventually this will feature a complete Roaring 20s look and gangster theme, though for now, only the rough outlines of the space are visible.

The response to last year’s animated light and music show was so positive that owner Dick Kraus was inspired to outdo himself. He’s adding new songs, new lights, and rearranged all pieces of the offerings. Today was the date for ordering the upgrades, so keep an eye out for ongoing news as staff prepare for this year’s holiday season.

Fuzzy Pig owner Dick Kraus has decided to upgrade and expand on the lines he offers at the Pig. Included now are some beautiful decorative china pieces, suitable for display. Sun Feather and Naked Bee products are now also available in the bath and body area.

In other news, clean-up and rearrangement genies are in full force on the grounds. Staff and cats are all expecting a great turn-out for Robstock on September 20, so expect everything to be spruced up and different at your next visit.

Robstock is coming to the Pig this year, so that means owner Dick Kraus and his crew are working hard to create extra parking and useful outdoor space for all the visitors expected. Since staff are setting up portable stages in five areas on the property, this means all weeds and other unlikely obstacles must be removed from the premises.

Home to some of the best biking trails

Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: April 12, 2008

After this winter, doesn’t spring feel like an awakening after an ice age?

Perhaps one good re- awakening deserves another, and the region around Whitewater has weathered both this winter, along with one even longer, that glacial ice age 15,000 years ago.

What to do: Go outside. The countryside surrounding Whitewater is so many things: geologically significant, physically challenging for mountain biking and truly pleasant for hiking.

Because of its proximity to Chicago, there have been discussions about potentially holding some biking events here, should Chicago be home to the 2016 Olympics, said Whitewater Tourism Director Carie Wright.

“Some of the best biking in the country is here,” she said.

The Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit is a geologically significant swath of land east of Whitewater, stretching from North Prairie to Whitewater Lake. There are 160 miles of hiking trails, 20 miles of mountain bike trails traversing the landscape features left by the glaciers – kettles, eskers, lakes, rivers and other glacial landforms.

Also in the forest, just east of Whitewater, is a segment of the Ice Age Trail, which follows the edge where the last glaciers of North America once stood. Visit www.iceagetrail.org.

This area isn’t just home to some of the best biking trails in the Midwest; it’s also where Trek bikes are assembled. Free tours of the Trek plant are offered weekdays; to schedule a tour, call (262) 473-8735 at least five days in advance.

On a farmstead two miles south of the city is the Fuzzy Pig, a self-described “country mall and dining destination,” featuring an assortment of gift items, antiques, furniture and women’s clothing, all within various buildings on the farm. For information on this eclectic destination, visit www.thefuzzypig.info.

For geocaching buffs, there are 13 treasure troves hidden within the city. Call the city’s Chamber of Commerce, (262) 473-4005, for information on how to find these locations.

Where to stay: The Hamilton House Bed and Breakfast (www.bandbhamiltonhouse.com) has, at points during its almost 150-year history, been a mansion, fraternity house, a wreck and, in its latest manifestation, an opulent inn. Its eight guest rooms and suites are named and themed after French impressionist artists.

The Victoria-On-Main Bed and Breakfast, located near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, has three guest rooms, and features a full kitchen for guests to use. Visit www.wbba.org/inns/VictoriaonMainBB_Whitewater_WI.html or call (262) 473-8400.

There are a number of state-operated campsites within the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest; most open in mid-May (the only state camp in the area open right now is Ottawa Lake, located north of Eagle). A commercial campground, Scenic Ridge Campground on Whitewater Lake, opens this week for the season. Visit www.scenicridgecampground.com.

Where to dine: The Fuzzy Pig, mentioned above, has three dining areas open for breakfast and lunch – a coffee shop, a ’50s diner and the full-service Heritage Room. The hours vary daily, so check the Web site before coming here for a meal.

Randy’s Brewery and Fun Hunters Club, a supper club with a brewery onsite, is a longtime destination for locals. Its menu is filled with historic pictures. In addition to the beers brewed here, there’s homemade root beer and cream soda. Visit www.funhunters.net.

How to get there: Whitewater is less than an hour’s drive southwest from Milwaukee. Take I-43 south, exit Highway 20 at East Troy. Continue on Highway 20 for 10 miles. Turn onto Highway 12 and continue into Whitewater.

For more information:

Contact the Whitewater Tourism Council (www.discoverwhitewater.com) or the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce (www.whitewaterchamber.com) at (262) 473-4005.

(Originally published at http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=738001)