"Wisconsin-Happy Festival State", by Eve Phillips. My husband and I love to travel in the state of Wisconsin where we live and get great pictures on the way. My name is Laurie Kutil and photography has become a great passion of mine since 2010. One thing I have learned in researching each town before visiting it is that, "Every town has it's story". When I do uncover those stories by connecting with local residents, our experience becomes so much richer. In turn, sharing the stories with you brings me joy :)
Welcome to Waunakee! The village was first known as Leicester , and was incorporated in 1893. Today its a large village of 12,000 that honors its past while building a strong future. That included the train depot, lovingly restored to its former glory.
The village had passenger train service until 1963, and was closed for good in 1971. The village bought the depot from the railroad in 1977, it was restored and is now the Waunakee/Westport Chamber of Commerce. The Canadian Pacific train still rides by the depot daily, and I was fortunate to be there when it did.
Another historic building that is still in use is a former grist mill, now a quilting store called Mill House Quilts. Six Mile Creek runs through the village.
Walking downtown..
A great place to get meat is the Village Market. Their hamburgers are especially good, locally sourced beef. The also make their own bratwurst.
Waunakee also has a big festival held the last weekend in July called Waunafest. This is their biggest festival of the year and brings the community together as well as attracting many visitors. They have a fun run, baseball games, a parade and lots more! It’s held at Centennial Park. It’s called that because it had a time capsule that was sealed for 100 years.
Living Flag
The Christmas holiday season is quite a visual treat as well. The Waunakee Rotary Club decorates Waunakee Village Park on the East side of town with light displays every year. Very pretty! Waunakee Rotary in Lights is an annual tradition that is a must-see!
We hope you enjoyed your visit to Waunakee, the place you wauna be!
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