Life in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54935

I grew up in the country but I’ve lived my adult life in big cities – really big cities! Finally, I find myself at home in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a small city of around 45,000 souls. I love it! Why?

First of all, you can actually meet someone you know while you’re out and about. Whether it’s the local Pick ‘n Save, Piggly Wiggly, or the Festival Foods grocery stores, one of the three Culver’s in Fond du Lac, or an event at the Windhover Center for the Arts you’re likely to see a neighbor, someone you go to church with, or one of the family!

If you want to increase your knowledge you can choose courses at the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac, Marian College, or Moraine Technical College. Your kids can attend great schools whether it’s Fond du Lac Public Schools, FACES (Fond du Lac Area Catholic Education System), or Winnebago Lutheran Academy.

There are LOTS of activities to keep both you and your family having fun together. Summertime could include Agnesian Healthcare’s Garden Walk, Walleye Weekend, Fond du Lac County Fair, weekly Farmer’s Market in the summer, outdoor summer concerts at Buttermilk Creek, visiting the historic Gallway House, or just cruising Lake Winnebago in boats and all kinds of watercraft. Every summer there are sailing regattas up and down the lake and a power boat competition. Lake Winnebago, in the winter, is covered with people snowmobiling, ice fishing (especially the February Sturgeon fishing season!), and ice boating – just to name a few. (Lake Winnebago is the third largest fresh water lake completely within a US State. It is 30 miles long and 10 miles wide with an average depth of 15.5 feet.)

Lakeside Park, including the Lighthouse Harbor, is the main gathering point for all activities around Lake Winnebago: outdoor weddings and celebrations during the summer, art-in-the-park in the spring, Christmas lighting displays in December, a covered bridge, band shell, miniature train ride, and lots of people walking, picnicking, fishing, and enjoying nature all through the year. The Lighthouse harbor provides boat slips, private boat houses, and home of the Yacht Club. The Lighthouse, built in 1933, guards the entrance to the harbor. Lakeside Park (west) also has quite a large dog park for our furry friends to enjoy.

The old Courthouse Square is now – as it was in 1900 - an oasis for the downtown workers and visitors. It is the location of the “Tin Soldier” – a monument to Union Soldiers of the Civil wars erected in 1902. Mark Harrison, a successful and well-loved local artist, had his studio downtown and often used the Courthouse Square park to watch people pass. He bequeathed the city of Fond du Lac $500.00 as seed money for the memorial. This became a very controversial statue and ultimately lead to another memorial being erected to Union soldiers in Rienzi Cemetery in 1907. You can read all about it at http://www.wals.lib.wi.us/fonddulac/tin_soldier.html.)

Downtown Fond du Lac has experienced similar experiences of other small cities when the main highway is relocated to the outskirts of town: businesses move to be seen by everyone who passes their fair city. Fond du Lac ‘s downtown business association has worked effortlessly to not only keep businesses downtown but to draw new ones as well. The historic buildings with their turn-of-the-20^th-century facades in good repair have drawn over 300 businesses to the downtown area. Downtown Fond du Lac (www.downtownfonddulac.com) highlights the many businesses, restaurants, shops, and hotels which help preserve the buzz in the downtown vicinity. Downtown Fond du Lac hosts many events including the summer’s Farmers Market, the Downtown Morning Exchange, Fall Festival, Trick-or Treat, Spirit of Christmas Veterans Park Lighting Ceremony, Annual Holiday Parade of Lights, and Girls on the Town – just to name a few. So whether you want to buy great fresh seafood, dine at a great restaurant, or do some power shopping – downtown Fond du Lac has it!

And talk about Fond du Lac would be incomplete without mention of the “Miracle Mile”. Wikipedia defines Fond du Lac’s Miracle Mile thusly:

Miracle Mile is another name for South Main Street in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, which received this name after a string of Wisconsin Lottery winning tickets from businesses along the street in the 1990s, including a state record $208.6 million Powerball win on August 6, 2006. In the 1990s, several grocery and convenience stores on a stretch of South Main Street in Fond du Lac sold large winning lottery tickets, resulting in that part of Main Street being dubbed "The Miracle Mile."

In July 1993, Les Robbins, a local junior high school English teacher and his then finaceé, Colleen DeVries, won a $111 million dollar Powerball jackpot. He used some of the money to buy two computer labs for Sabish Junior High (now Sabish Middle School).

On August 5, 2006, Ma and Pa's Grocery Express, which is in the heart of the Miracle Mile, sold the only winning Powerball ticket for $209 million dollars. The ticket was finally claimed on Friday, September 22, 2006, by 100 cheese factory workers. Sargento Cheese is located in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and most of the factory workers live in the tiny community of St. Cloud, Wisconsin.

Fond du Lac also boasts a lively arts and entertainment community including the Fond du Lac Community Theater, Fond du Lac Concert Association, Fond du Lac Historical Society, Fond du Lac Symphonic Band, and the Fond du Lac Arts Council / Windhover Center.

Why do I love Fond du Lac? It has it all – and within easy reach! Small town atmosphere with a big city you-can-do-it-all-here attitude!