East Troy, Elkhorn to participate in statewide Downtown Open House
By Tracy Ouellette
SLN Staff
The downtown districts in East Troy and Elkhorn are teaming up with more than a dozen other communities in the state May 14 to showcase their districts in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Downtown Open House.
The event, part of WEDC’s Main Street program, is a new collaborative effort designed to showcase the historical and cultural assets of the state’s downtowns and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Both Elkhorn and East Troy are part of the Main Street’s Connect Communities, along with the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance, which is coordinating the open house.
“This is a way to engage the residents in their community,” WCEDA’s Cathy Anderson said. “So often, people don’t realize what’s in their own backyard. Too often we get in our cars and drive to our appointments and we don’t even know that there’s a great barber right on the square, or the best cup of coffee just down the block.
“People don’t have to leave their communities to find these things and they don’t know it.”
Anderson said there will be merchant-sponsored events, specials and sales in both communities during the open house and other fun activities for all ages.
“In Elkhorn there will be re-enactors walking around everywhere and there will be horse-drawn carriage rides from the downtown square to Holton House,” she said. “People will also get to see things like the inside of the former Masonic Lodge and the upstairs of the 1887 schoolhouse.”
The Holton Band will provide live music on the Elkhorn square from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and there will be walking tours and a wine tasting.
Elkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Chris Clapper said she thinks the Connect Communities event is a great thing for both community members and businesses throughout the City of Elkhorn.
“It gets residents in locations that normally they don’t have access to,” she said.
While residents will get to see unique places not normally open to the public, like the upper floors of the Elkhorn Area School District’s 1887 building, Clapper said it also gives residents a chance to see some of the improvements being done at some of the locations.
“There’s excitement among all of the participants,” she said. “St. Patrick Catholic Church and the Trinity Center are really excited to showcase what they’ve done and what their plans are with the Trinity Center.”
As for local businesses, Clapper said the hope is that businesses throughout the city will also participate in their own ways, running specials and other promotions for those the event draws into town.
“We’re just trying to bring awareness to our community and what we have to offer, get some additional traffic through our area,” she said.
On top of numerous Elkhorn locations being open for tours, Clapper said Elkhorn has taken a bit of a different approach to the event from others throughout the state in attempting to showcase the city’s rich history as well.
“Both groups will have blown-up rare photos on display during the event,” Anderson said. “There will be a pictorial story of the history of the downtowns in both East Troy and Elkhorn.”
Some of the activities planned in East Troy include a pre-1960s car show on the village square, live music, a tour of the village’s haunted houses and re-enactors milling about courtesy of the East Troy Historical Society.
“And if visitors get their passport stamped at all six participating organizations, they will get a free trolley ride on the East Troy Electric Railroad on Saturday or Sunday,” Anderson said.
East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vanessa Lenz said the day will feature tours of spaces not usually open to the public like the East Troy Village Square bandstand.
“It’s a great opportunity to put East Troy in the spotlight, but it’s also helping to bring together different parts of our community,” Lenz said. “We can’t wait for visitors to explore the local sites that hold historic importance, hidden treasures and special stories.”
Lenz said visitors will be able to tour the East Troy House Historic Inn and Tavern, the oldest operating inn and tavern in Wisconsin, including the haunted second floor. The 1836 log structure has been used as a stagecoach stop, bordello and boot-legger hideout in the past.
“At Allan ICS, visitors can see the Fanuc-6 axis training robot and hear updates from the East Troy Community School District about its new SmartLabs, too,” Lenz said.
Linda Kaplan, owner of East Troy Shell and Connect Communities member, said she’s looking forward to the open house and the chance to show off the Village of East Troy.
“It’s all about the promotion of East Troy. We want people to like coming here and we want them to come back,” Kaplan said. “We like it here and we want to share it with our surrounding neighbors – East Troy’s a little gem.”
Kaplan is organizing the car show on the village square and has activities planned at her gas station.
“It’s also our 15th anniversary that month so we’re doing it all together,” she said. “We’re going to give tours up to the cupola and I have some historical photos from the intersection of highways ES and 20 that I want to share.
“I’m going to have a soda sampling and there will be 49 cent hamburgers and 59 cent cheeseburgers at McDonalds. Ronald is coming to, to hand out balloons. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Businesses and organizations in Walworth County participating in the open house include:
Elkhorn – Holton Manor, the Friends on the Square (the former Geyser and Kunkle Pharmacy and Reed Furniture), Trinity Center (the former Masonic Lodge), Walworth County Historical Society, Doris M. Reinke Resource Center, Heritage Hall, Webster House, 1887 Building (former 1887 schoolhouse) and the Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce.
East Troy – Allan Integrated Control Systems, 2894 On Main Café, East Troy Electric Railroad, East Troy Shell, Kubicki Museum and Heritage Center, East Troy Historic Inn and Tavern, and the East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Events like this bring the neighborhood together and that’s the purpose of Connect Communities,” Anderson said. “We want people to get involved with their communities. Downtown revitalization efforts begin with the people in the community who are invested in the outcome.”
For more information, call Anderson at (262) 741-8527 or visit wisconsindowntown.org/open-house.
Staff Writer Kellen Olshefski contributed to this report.
