Selle Family Life: Prairie Chicken Festival

I had grabbed a Steven's Point Visitor Guide book one day coming out of a store and was looking through it to see what activities there are to do in Steven's Point during the year. Steven's Point is only 30 miles south of Wausau, so I figured it's close enough to go to activities in Steven's Point this year too. As we are new to the Central Wisconsin Area, I am always looking for fun and new activities. When I came across the Prairie Chicken Festival held April 17-19, 2009, I was intrigued. Never heard of a Prairie Chicken, let alone a whole festival based on it. Well, of course we had to go! Much to our surprise, it was not a festival of eating prairie chickens, or purchasing prairie chickens to bring home as pets to raise. It was, however, a "Celebrations of the Grasslands", bringing awareness of grassland conservation on behalf of the Prairie Chicken and other grassland inhabitants.

We pulled into the festival grounds, which consisted of an old farm house, a tent where they were giving bird banding demonstrations, a tent of children's activities (Rose had fun making buttons and binoculars), a few picnic tables, and a food vendor of BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Needless to say it was a low key afternoon, but it was fun and interesting. We did run into an acquaintance from church, so that was nice to sit and chat with him for while. Not only did they have these activities at the festival grounds, there was a silent auction, book sale, and author reading and presentations at a near by elementary school. Of course we had to stop by there too, because we were all about experiencing the entire festival. Well, we did miss a few things - the 4:00 am Prairie Chicken Viewing in the blinds and breakfast to follow. Also, we missed the Prairie Chicken Calling Contest, wish we could have been there for that.

All in all, it was a good relaxing day and we may have to go to the Prairie Chicken Festival again next year.