Wisconsin Prairie-Chicken Festival on April 13

You’ll need to get up in the dark to make it to the first event of the third annual Wisconsin Prairie-Chicken Festival on April 13. The day begins at 4:30 am at the Sigel Town Hall in Rudolph. Pre-registered participants can choose from two events at the Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area (PJO): viewing greater prairie-chickens on their “booming grounds” or taking a guided, grassland birding tour. Boy Scout Troop 187 will prepare a Dutch-oven breakfast for the reserved morning participants.  

At 11 am, the festival will extend to the Nepco Lake County Park’s enclosed shelter house in Wisconsin Rapids. Throughout the day, visit exhibitors and vendors, attend workshops and bid in a silent auction. At noon, enjoy a locally sourced luncheon for $15 per person and hear keynote speaker Curt Meine, a nationally recognized Aldo Leopold scholar. Additional speakers will follow from 1 to 4 pm.

At 10 am and 2 pm, McMillan Memorial Library will screen Our Birds: a free, one-hour documentary that tells the story of Wisconsin’s migratory birds as they travel to Central and South America. No registration is needed for the film. Space is limited. To register for the festival, call 866.967.8167, or visit Showtix4u.com and search for “Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival.”