Tobacco Heritage Festival - Southern Wisconsin

[scloyd]

For those who are interested.

Just north of Janesville, WI in Edgerton, WI.

Tobacco plant judging on Saturday at noon. Tobacco ax throwing contest on Sunday.

edgertontobaccodays.com

 

[Mr_houston]

That’s great. Real small town fun:

“live music, multiple food trucks, cold beer, softball tournament, baseball games, lip sync contest & talent show, big wheel race, kids pedal pull tractors, tobacco axe throwing contest, pie eating contest, a parade, and more!”

 

[mingc]

Is smoking allowed?

 

[chilllucky]

I have been to this event. The old downtown of Edgerton is bordered by big, steam-heated warehouses that used to cure and store the tobacco harvest. Many of the buildings have murals or old advertising for Mail Pouch Tobacco, a chewing tobacco made there.

There is still commercial tobacco production in the area (mostly by Amish farmers) ,and there's an STG buying warehouse a couple towns over in Stoughton. Which is where the tobacco contest judges came from the year I went.

 

[JoburgB2]

I have been to this event. The old downtown of Edgerton is bordered by big, steam-heated warehouses that used to cure and store the tobacco harvest. Many of the buildings have murals or old advertising for Mail Pouch Tobacco, a chewing tobacco made there.

There is still commercial tobacco production in the area (mostly by Amish farmers) ,and there's an STG buying warehouse a couple towns over in Stoughton. Which is where the tobacco contest judges came from the year I went.

The famous Mail Pouch, of the advertising painted on the sides of innumerable barns along American roadsides? Was made there? That’s interesting to learn!

 

[chilllucky]

I can try and find the reference later, but there was a time that Rock County, WI was amongst the top tobacco producing areas in the US. The cultivar Wisconsin 609 is a burley (air cured) type favored by the chew and machine-rolled cigar industries.

But to achieve a cure during our cold falls and winters, the steam-heated warehouses had to be developed. Some of the first private utilities in this part of the world were tobacco manufacturers selling excess generation to local homes and businesses to cover the cost of running their boilers.

According to a friend of ours who grew up in Edgerton, the warehouses were still cooking at least into the 1980's of his childhood.

 

[didimauw]

Hey im not far from there at all!

Exciting!

 

[SBC]

I wasn't aware of this! I can't make it this year, but I see myself visiting this in the future.
I'm getting Mayberry vibes. Seems like the right kind of town.

 

[scloyd]

I'm about an hour south, I may attend.