Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day

Dave Osborn

LIFE MEMBER
Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day
There will be lots to do from 11AM to 4PM on Saturday May 24, 2014 at the WCHM


The Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum (WCHM) in Spooner, Wisconsin, is getting ready for its third annual summer season opening event. So proclaimed by the Wisconsin State Legislature back in 2010, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, May 24th 2014, will once again be Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day. From 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM there will be live music and a canoe and wooden boat show in front of the former grain elevator turned museum at 312 N Front Street, museum tours and open house in the museum exhibit hall, ongoing activities and demonstrations in the canoe workshop, and food and beverage available in the beer garden.
Canoe & Wooden Boat Show
You are invited to participate in the third annual WCHM Canoe & Wooden Boat Show, to be held in conjunction with Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day on Saturday May 24, 2014 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM outside of the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum at 312 N Front St in Spooner WI. We invite you to apply to display your: canoes and canoe related items of all types, classic and modern; wooden boats of all shapes, sizes, and designs; and classic and vintage water and paddling related items of interest.

Exhibitors can include individuals, commercial entities, non-profits, authors, government agencies, educators, crafters, and businesses whose products or services are relevant to boaters and wooden boats and canoes. New exhibitor applications are reviewed by the Show Committee and usually notified within a week. For questions related to this application or the boat show contact Mike Johnson at toomanygnus@hotmail.com.

Exhibitor space is FREE for private, commercial, or non-profit Exhibitors. Spaces are 10’x10’. If your exhibit is on a trailer you may be able to leave it on the trailer, but vehicles will be parked elsewhere nearby and not in your exhibit space. All Exibitors must apply for exhibitor space using the form available for download at right, or inquire to have one sent to you, and must request the number of 10’x10’ spaces they require for their exhibit items. Form must be signed and exhibitor policies agreed to. All Exibitors must have their application approved and accepted by our Show Committee prior to exhibiting.

Interaction between boat owners and the people who attend Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Day is our goal, so all exhibitors are encouraged to display their materials with that in mind. Education is our core mission, so all exhibitors are expected and should be prepared for a public that is both curious and experienced with canoes and wooden boats. Tell your stories, share your experience, teach as well as sell. Boat exhibitors are encouraged to share photos and stories throughout the show. Businesses and other exhibitors are encouraged to create displays specific to wooden boat, paddling, and water loving audiences. All exhibitors are welcome to present demonstrations in our canoe shop or ongoing at your booth. If you've got an idea and want to schedule a presentation in our canoe shop, contact Jed Malischke at jed@wisconsincanoeheritagemuseum.org or 715-635-2479.
Live Music In The Beer Garden
While the folks are winding their way through the exhibit hall, the celebration out front will continue with live music from TBA. Visitors can take a break from wandering the exhibit hall or boat show and relax with some great summer fun food and beverage in the beer garden while listening to the music. Or check out the new stock of 2014 merchandise in the WCHM gift shop. You'll want to add the new 2014 coffee mug or beer glass to your collection from past years.


Inside The Canoe Shop
Inside, the canoe shop will feature demonstrations on various wooden canvas canoe construction techniques, such as steam wood bending and canoe seat caning. If you've got an idea and want to schedule a presentation in our canoe shop, contact Mike Bartz at 715-416-1006.

Also on display will be the WCHM 2014 raffle canoe, a wood and canvas solo paddler that is still being built in the WCHM canoe shop.

And in addition to the Saturday activities, there will be a paddle and float trip on Sunday May 25th departing from the museum at 11:00 AM. Everyone is invited to bring their canoe and lunch, and join this four hour trip down a quiet stretch of a nearby waterway.
Inside The Exhibit Hall
While the festivities continue outside, our exhibit will be an open house for folks to wander through. We'll be unveiling the museum’s new 2014 exhibit. While the exact title is not yet known, word has it that the display will feature the recentyly donated Joe Lucius Brule River Canoe (the one the President's favored for fly fishing). The Lucius will be a wonderful mate to the WCHM's John LaRock. We also expect to have several other exhibits upgraded by opening day, and maybe you'll get the chance to talk with our Exhibits Curator Alan Craig about them while you are there.
 
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