Driftless Tribe #0018

Driftless Tribe is 4,000 strong

We have crossed over 4,000 subscribers! For context, we are a sold-out crowd inside the Miller High Life Theatre in Milwaukee. We are a growing tribe - here is an image for context:

I am seriously grateful for all the people who read & interact with the newsletter each week — we are truly just getting started and have giant plans for our growing community.

If you’ve got a friend who’d enjoy this, send it their way — the more locals in the loop, the better. Let’s keep growing this thing together.

Driftless Trivia: History

Community Weekend Happenings

What’s on your agenda this weekend? We’d love to hear about it!

At Driftless Tribe, we’re all about fostering community, and one way we can do that is by sharing the amazing events and plans happening across the Driftless Area. Let us know what you’re up to this weekend by filling out the form below, and we’ll highlight a few in our next newsletter.

Community Submissions:

Lisa from Viroqua - Saturday we had tickets to see Steep Canyon Rangers!

Jim from Hazelhurst - Spring Green, Lone Rock and Richland Center

Kurt from Marquette - Travel the Great River Road and Backroads, Hiking, Boating, Fishing, Pub Crawls, Gardening

Moment in Time

Deep Driftless Area Tradition – Curling

Curling might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Driftless Area. But for many small towns nestled in this part of the Midwest, curling isn’t just a quirky winter pastime—it’s tradition.

There are curling clubs in LaCrosse, Centerville, Monroe, Portage, Lodi, Poynette, Arlington, Pardeeville, Madison, Owatonna, & many others around the Driftless area.

You probably know someone who curls. Or at least, you’ve probably passed one of those long-slung buildings with a faded sign out front that says “Curling Club”. The insides aren’t flashy either: a small bar, antique tables and chairs, and ice sheets where generations have played, laughed, argued, and occasionally slipped hard enough to leave with a bruised ego.

The history of curling in this region runs deep. Introduced by Scottish immigrants in the 1800s, curling quickly found a home in the cold, rural communities of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The area offered just the right mix of long winters, wide open land, and tight-knit towns. Here, curling wasn’t just a sport—it was a weekly excuse to gather, compete, and shake off the isolation of a snow-packed winter. Before indoor clubs were built, they even curled on the iced-over Wisconsin River.

I remember the first time I stepped onto a curling rink. It was three years ago, when I signed up for a “learn-to-curl” event at the Poynette Curling Club. I quickly joined a league night afterward. I didn’t know the rules, and I definitely didn’t know how to throw a stone well, but I remember being struck by how seriously everyone took it—and how much they laughed in between turns. You learned quickly that the team’s strategy mattered, but your ability to drink a cocktail and tell a decent story after the game mattered more.

Curling is much more sophisticated than it looks. The quiet glide of the stone, the barked commands—Sweep! HARD!—and the final clink as one stone taps another out of the way. There’s an intimacy to it. You’re not just playing on a team - you’re part of a lineage. One that stretches back through hundreds of years of freezing winters, wood-burning stoves, and people who knew how to make their own fun.

In a world increasingly loud and digital, curling is refreshingly analog. You shake hands before and after. You sweep ice with a broom. You take turns. You wait. And somewhere between all that waiting and sweeping, something human shows up. Something quintessentially Driftless.

So if you’ve never tried it, maybe this is your year. Find a club. Sign up. Throw a stone. And if nothing else, sit in the club afterward and talk to someone who’s been doing it for decades. Odds are they’ll tell you a story that has nothing to do with curling—but everything to do with why this game has stuck around.

Because like most things in the Driftless, it’s not just about the activity—it’s about the people who keep showing up and keeping traditions alive.

Happenings

4/2 WEDNESDAY

• LaCrosse, Fork & Fable – Perch Taco Trioo with Lake Louie Brewing Link

• Platteville, Crossroads Supper Club – Baked Potato Bar Link

• La Farge, Oak & Ivy – Lunch Special Link

• Onalaska, Omni Center – Bingo Link

• Winona, No Name Bar – Jazz Night Link

• Monroe, Bullquarian Brewhouse – Live with The Blarneys Link

• LaCrosse, Popcorn Tavern – Open Jam Link

• Richland Center, Patchwork Acres – Winter Market Link

• Mauston, Gravity Box Brewing Co – Trivia Link

• Prairie Du Sac, River Arts Inc – After School Art Club Link

• Onalaska, Library – Floyd’s Senior Moments: Women Airfare Service Pilots of WW2 Link

4/3 THURSDAY

• Lodi, LaGrotta Wine Bar – Bingo Link

• New Glarus, Tofflers – Live with The Jimmys Link

• La Farge, Oak & Ivy – Thirst-Tea Thursday Link

• Trempealeau, Elmaro Vineyard – Live with Connie Helgerson Link

• Belleville, Library – Customs & Culture of Japan Link

• LaCrosse, 323 Pearl St – Rachel MacFarland Talk Link

• Mineral Point, Cafe 43 – Live with John Birner Link

• Monroe, Bullquarian Brewhouse – Live with Marques Morel Link

• Wisconsin Dells, Grateful Shed – Open Jam Link

• Lone Rock, Angel Dreams Studio – Community Arts Class: Circular Weaving Link

• Baraboo, Balanced Rock Winery – Benefactor Bingo Link

• Baraboo, Al Ringling Brewery – Swing Night Link

• Trempealeau, Trempealeau Hotel – Cribbage Night Link

• Elroy, Library – Art Showcase Link

• Brooklyn, Main St Event Venue – Karaoke Link

• Trempealeau, Elmaro Vineyard – Trivia Link

4/4 FRIDAY

• Baraboo, Balanced Rock Winery – Live with Marc LaMere Link

• Winona, Windom Park – All about Raptors Link

• Cuba City, Nick’s Cafe – Friday Night Fish-Fry Link

• Trempealeau, Trempealeau Hotel – Live with Kris & Lisa Risch Link

• Viroqua, Mia Sophia – Grand Opening Link

• Monroe, Friendly Inn Bar – Euchre Tournament Link

• Cashton, Footjoy Far & Brewing – Live with SLID & Toaster Ghost Link

• Dubuque, 7 Hills Brewing – Country Dancing Fridays Link

• Brooklyn, Main St Event Venue – Live with Joe Stamm Band Link

• Winona, Arts Center – Mary Farrell Documentary Films Link

• Winona, No Name Bar – Live with Clay Fulton and the Lost Forty & Michael Gay Link

• Monroe, Cactus Co – Live with Sharon & Ray Ray Link

• LaCrosse, Popcorn Tavern – Live with Saltydog with Tom Freund Link

• La Farge, Twisted Raven Lounge – Masquerade Ball Link

• Wisconsin Dells, Showboat Saloon – Live with John R Miller & The Engine Lights Link

• Guttenberg, Golf & Country Club – Live with Dylan Harris Link

• Richland Center, 1050 N Orange St – Kid’s Night Out Link

• Westby, Daily Brew – Trivia Night Link

• Cross Plains, KurNiki’s – Live with Two County Lines Link

• Reedsburg, J’s Pub – Magic with Ryan Link

• Dodgeville, Duke’s – Live with Dan Lepien Link

• Wisconsin Dells, Pal’s Brewing Co – Live with BAMM Duo Link

• New Glarus, Dirty Dog Taphaus – Karaoke Link

4/5 SATURDAY

• Baraboo, Mystery HQ – The Fatal Chapter Link

• Spring Green, General Store – Live with Common Chord Link

• Reedsburg, VFW – Soup & Chili Cookoff Link

• Guttenburg, Guttenberg Brewing Co – Cider Bash Link

• Viroqua, Perdetti’s Party Barn – Spring Sip & Shop Vendor Fair Link

• LaCrosse, Timmer’s 10 Mile Pub – Spring Craft Show Link

• Viroqua, Historic Temple Theatre – Live with Skerryvore Link

• Monroe, Slice Ice Arena – Home & Business Expo Link

• La Crosse, Timmer’s 10 Mile Pub – Spring Craft Show Link

• Sparta, Blue Collar Bar & Grill – Dirge Rerelease Link

• La Crosse, Driftless Folk School – Ukrainian Easter Eggs Link

• LaCrosse, Popcorn Tavern – Live with Hans Mayer & Hot Sauce Link

• Platteville, The Gym Bar – Mudfest Link

• Boscobel, Mt Zion Pub – Live with Ann Christoffer Link

• Lime Ridge, Branding Iron Roadhouse – Wood-Fired Oven Pizza Night Link

• Trempealeau, Trempealeau Hotel – Live with Horace Greene Link

• Wisconsin Dells, Grateful Shed – Live with DJ Brettly Link

• Monroe, Leisure Lanes – Live with Rock Rebel Junction Link

• Monroe, VFW – Boycott Pancake Breakfast Link

• Trempealeau, Elmaro Vineyard – Live with Josie Legler Link

• Spring Green, Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret – Live with The Iowans Link

• Shullsburg, VFW – 2nd Annual Euchre Tournament Link

• Prairie Du Sac, River Arts Inc – Barn Quilt Painting Class Link

• New Glarus, Ott Haus – Live with Hairlip Dog Link

• Winona, No Name Bar – Live with Radderdaze with BirdCop, Be Wary, Indicat Link

• Baraboo, Clarion Hotel – Holy Crowe & Animal Jam Link

• New Glarus, Dirty Dog Taphaus & Eatery – Live with Richardson Acoustic Link

• Hillsboro, Pine River Inn – Live with Donnie’s Music Link

• Trempealeau, Elmaro Vineyard – Yoga & Brunch Link

• Winona, Twin Bluffs Bar – Live with Hillbilly Fever Link

• Plain, Library – Adult Diamond Painting Workshop Link

• Osseo, Jamie’s Last Resort – Live with Whiskey & Topaz Link

• Baraboo, Broken Bottle Winery – Live with Noah Hittner Link

• Wonewoc, Corkscrew Wine Bar – Live with Julie B Link

• La Farge, Oak & Ivy – Take & Bake Pizza Link

• Winona, Two Fathoms Brewing – Live with Jason Helder Link

• Baraboo, Balanced Rock Winery – Live with Andy Braun Link

• Baraboo, Con Amici – Art Opening for Ulrike Grunberg Link

4/6 SUNDAY

• Lodi, Kingfisher Yoga – Puppy Yoga Link

• Baraboo, Wiscocktail – Spring Gin Cocktail Class Link

• Viroqua, Driftless Cafe – Sunday Dinner Series Link

• LaCrosse, Rivoli Theatre – Free For All: The Public Library Screening Link

• Prairie Du Sac, Wollersheim Winery – Sunday Bruch Link

• Osseo, Jamie’s Last Resort – Live with Madlee Band Link

• Trempealeau, Fire Dept – First Responder Drive Through Chicken Q Link

• Blair, Tenba Ridge Winery – 3rd Annual Spring Fashion Show Link

• Cobb, Thirsty Farmer – Steak Feed Link

• LaCrosse, Fork & Fable Crafthouse – 90s Trivia Night Link

• Baraboo, Clarion Hotel – Live with Holy Crowe Link

• Wonewoc, Corkscrew Wine Bar – Live with Jan’s Country Classics Link

• Winona, Two Fathoms Brewing – Meat Raffle Link

• Trempealeau, Trempealeau Hotel – Live with Payton Eilers Link

• Avoca, Whiskey Row Saloon – Live with Doug Wayne Link

• Blue Mounds, Cave of the Mounds – Guided Meditation & Vibrational Sounds Link

• Monroe, Friendly Inn – Live with Mississippi Man Link

• Browntown, Hawk’s Mill Winery – Live with Two County Lines Link

• New Glarus, Dirty Dog Taphaus – Live with Sarah Kahn Link

• Trempealeau, Elmaro Vineyard – Live with Chris Rude Link

4/7 MONDAY

• Monroe, Spilled Grapes Wine Bar – Wine Madness Link

4/8 TUESDAY

• Mazomanie, Jax’s Place – SoHo Gourmet Pop Up Link

• Baraboo, Historical Society – Canfield Day

• Winona, Marine Art Museum – Toddler Tuesday Link

• Baraboo, Library – Cozy Craft Night: Adult Coloring Party Link

• Dodgeville, Duke’s – Live with Chris O’Leary Link

• Baraboo, Balanced Rock Winery – Charcoal Event Link

• Necedah, National Wildlife Refuge – Hike Link

• LaCrosse, Popcorn Tavern – Open Mic Link

• Platteville, Library – Minecraft Architecture Link

We will check in again next week.

Let us know any events / establishments you would like to be added to this list via IG @driftlesstribe or email [email protected]

If someone forwarded this to you, time to make the leap and join the Tribe!

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