Wisconsin Life

Happy National Ice Cream Day! Celebrate by grabbing a scoop (or two) at The Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe, an iconic ice cream spot with more than 100 flavors in rotation. The Windmill has been part of the Berg family since 1993, and has since grown into a cornerstone of the Northwoods community!

Want to learn more about the Berg family and the Windmill’s history? Check out our website wisconsinlife.org for the full scoop!🍨

Have you ever stopped by the Windmill? Which ice cream flavor is your favorite?😋

Watch Wisconsin Life Windmill Ice Cream, an iconic Northwoods institution on PBS Wisconsin The Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe in Tomahawk is a family summer tradition.

When Winneconne was left off the state highway map, the village seceded from the state of Wisconsin. The stunt made national news and is still celebrated at the annual "Sovereign State Days," which takes place this July 16-19.

How a tiny Wisconsin village went viral nearly 60 years ago When Winneconne was left off the state highway map, the village seceded from Wisconsin. The stunt made national news and is still celebrated at the annual Sovereign State Days.

Scores of camping chairs and event tents surrounded the basketball courts at Elver Park on Madison’s west side on a day in late June. The smell of carne asada rode a light breeze as basketballs arced through the air against the backdrop of thick summer clouds.

The crowd was gathered for Quiotepec en Wisconsin, a basketball tournament hosted annually for more than 10 years.

Event organizer Guillermo Martinez Melgar said while participating teams tend to be from the Midwest, some come from as far as California. The thing that connects them all, he said, is their shared roots in Oaxaca, Mexico.

🏀 Read more from Wisconsin Life: https://www.wpr.org/culture/quiotepec-en-wisconsin-oaxacan-basketball-midwest

Reporting and photos: Jonás Tijerino

There are so many activities that define summertime as a kid. Maybe it’s running through a sprinkler. Trips to the library. Playing tag through the neighbors’ yards. For writer Ron Weber, it was playing baseball, something he looks back on with deeply fond memories. From Wisconsin Life

Fields of dreams: Remembering the neighborhood baseball diamonds - Wisconsin Life There are so many activities that define summertime as a kid. Maybe it’s running through a sprinkler. Trips to the library. Playing tag through the neighbors’ yards. For writer Ron Weber, it was playing baseball, something he looks back on with deeply fond memories. == It comes as the snow...

Adams, Wisconsin, a small city north of Wisconsin Dells, celebrated America’s 250th birthday with an original play about their city and county namesake — founding father John Adams.

“In many ways, he’s kind of the forgotten founder,” said Adams County Historical Society president Michael Goc, who wrote the play. “We think of Washington and Franklin and Jefferson, but Adams was there all the time.”

Read and listen for more from WPR's Bridgit Bowden for Wisconsin Life : https://www.wpr.org/culture/abigail-john-adams-first-couple-united-states-second-president-spotlight-play-250

Photos: Angela Major

As people across the state mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence with parades and fireworks, one Wisconsin community is celebrating a key figure in early American history with a new work of theater.

Adams, Wisconsin, a small city north of Wisconsin Dells, celebrated America’s 250th birthday with an original play about their city and county namesake — founding father John Adams.

https://bit.ly/4wHH8ZB

'Abigail and John: the First Couple of the United States' puts the second president in the spotlight Adams, Wisconsin, a small city north of Wisconsin Dells, celebrated America's 250th birthday with an original play about their city and county namesake — founding father John Adams.

Ojibwe dancer and designer Aerius Benton-Banai sees the jingle dress as medicine, not just clothing.

“I love to create dresses that are very contemporary but also reflect the knowledge with respect to the medicine dress,” Benton-Banai said. “I highly respect this dress and what it brings to the community. But I also see this dress moving forward into the future, which I’m really proud to be a part of.”

Why this Ojibwe jingle dress is considered medicine - Wisconsin Life For Aerius Benton-Banai, the jingle dress is more than a garment; it is medicine. “When I started dancing jingle, I was going through a tough time in my life,” Benton-Banai said. “These dresses healed me, and they mean everything to me.” Benton-Banai is a Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe artist an...

When writer Nancy Jorgensen retired from teaching high school choir, she lost her musical community. She found it again in her own neighborhood, and reflects on the experience in her essay "Creating Music, Creating Community."

'Creating Music, Creating Community': The gift of performing with others Writer Nancy Jorgensen lost her musical community when she retired from teaching high school choir. She found a new one right in her own neighborhood.

Despite the gloomy weather, the Madison ceremony in March was a joyous occasion, as friends and family packed the courthouse to watch their loved ones take the next step towards citizenship.

New citizens feel responsibility and freedom after taking oath of citizenship - Wisconsin Life In 2018, Griselda Solis de Drucker was dealing with the end of her 30-year marriage and decided to get away from her native Argentina to visit an uncle living in the Madison area.  She had planned on saving up some money and returning to Argentina. But something unexpected happened: she...

When she first started hiking the New Hope segment of the Ice Age trail decades ago, writer Jill Sisson Quinn would sit in the forest for hours with no phone, and nothing to do but observe.

Now, she finds that technology can pull us away from truly appreciating our natural surroundings. In her essay "Creatures of Habit," she reflects on ways we can slow down and reconnect with the world around us.

'Creatures of Habit': Finding wonder in nature Writer Jill Sisson Quinn reflects on ways we can slow down, observe and reconnect with the world around us.