Join us in Baraboo this Saturday for the annual Faire on the Square festival.  The event begins at 9 am and runs until 4pm. This year’s event has been set up by new organizers who are shall we say, steeped in Baraboo’s circus traditions. What this means for the Faire on the Square is that we can expect entertainment such as jugglers and magicians in addition to the more standard live music, food vendors, pony rides & bouncy castles.  The main event of course is the 150 arts & crafts vendors that surround the historic square. It’s a Wisconsin shoppers paradise! For a breakdown of the day’s events read this from the Baraboo News Republic.

Now, here’s what we’ve got for you.  5 tips to make your day at the festival more enjoyable, and 5 shops you should absolutely visit while walking around downtown Baraboo.  Enjoy!

5 Faire on the Square Tips

Here’s some tips to help you get the most out of your visit.

1. Parking is not hard to come by but not always close either.  If you don’t arrive early in the morning, save yourself the trouble of driving round and round the event and just pick a side street off the square. You’ll have no trouble finding a spot on a side street. (Just wear comfortable shoes!)
2. Be prepared for any weather.  Even if the forecast is for warm weather, things change quickly this time of year.  Right now the call is for sunny and 70F… fingers crossed!
3. Set a budget. Between the crafts, the shops, the rides and food vendors, it’s easy to drop more cash than you realize. Certainly we want you to support our local business, but we want you back as well. Set a budget for the day.  Bringing drinks and even picnic lunches in re-usable containers helps the environment and saves more money for crafty stuff and tasty treats.
4. Bring a picnic blanket. The downtown square does get a bit crowed as you would expect. Organizers are moving things around a bit this year which may help.  Still it may be tough to find a place to sit and eat or rest your feet.  To save time looking for a bench or seat elsewhere, just pack up a picnic blanket and plant yourself on the county courthouse lawn.
5. Don’t miss the unique stuff – Around 12:30 pm belly dancers and an Elite Team of karate kids will be performing on the square. (Not your standard Art Faire, fare..) In addition there are often interesting finds down the side streets and outside corners of the square. (We once found a great keyboardist playing outside a shop on one of the side streets that was not mentioned anywhere as part of the event.) Be sure to take time to really explore.

5 Must Stop Downtown Shops

Of course a major reason communities hold these events is to get you into the local shops.  With that in mind, here are 5 shops we recommend you visit while exploring the Faire on the Square.

1. Coffee Bean Connection
   Located just off the square on 4th street. Hey, if you find yourself dying for a latte.. This will be your slice of heaven.
2. Just Imagine Toys
   This is a shop for kids who like books and still have their imaginations in tact. No video games.
3. Cornerstone Gallery
   Hardly worth putting the words “Art” and “Baraboo” together without recommending the Cornerstone Gallery.
   
4. Amber Moon
   Great atmosphere, unique stuff everywhere. Makes you feel good to just walk around inside. We just posted a few pictures to our Flickr recently.
5. The A.R.T Gallery
   More great art to explore inside the Al. Ringling Theatre – Here’s some pictures we took at the grand opening.

If we had 6 choices we’d we’d include Bekkah Kates Kitchen Store as well.

We look forward to seeing you Saturday at the Faire on the Square right here in Downtown Baraboo!

* For the sake of full disclosure Just Imagine, Cornerstone gallery, & the Sauk County Art Association  are clients of Skillet Creek Media.

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