Did You Stay Tuned?

This is the continuation of My Favorite Things to see and do in lovely Walker, Minnesota. And yes, I am stealing the name from Oprah. Well actually, the Sound of Music…but I digress. Also in my Favorite Things, I will not be handing out thousands of glorious gifts to my adoring fans. The gifts come by way of suggestions and my adoring fans come by way of you…? Time will tell! Onward we go!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a recommendation for those who prefer wine over beer, of which I often fall into this category. There is a winery! It’s not exactly in the town of Walker, but it is very close. It is about a 20 minute drive, and the scenery on your drive could not be more lovely. The Forest Edge Winery is set in the country and is quite charming! My husband and I also decided to visit this location on our 5th Year Anniversary, we accomplished a lot on this day. Anyway, our anniversary is unfortunately in November which means most places outdoors are now indoors or closed. It wasn’t closed yet for the season so we did get to hop inside and sample some wines! To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations but only out of sure ignorance. The gentleman who hosted us was very pleasant and accommodating and made us feel at home. A home with a lot of wine, which was great! We sampled many varieties of the fruit wines they produce, my favorites being the White Cranberry, the Raspberry Cranberry, and the Black Current. I honestly have never tasted a fruit wine that was so delicious and crisp you could tell exactly what you were drinking. We both really loved their wine and ended up with 3 bottles of our own.

I was a little disappointed that we could not tour the winery, but I know how it goes with an anniversary in November. So we will go again next summer and bring our out of town friends with, too! In the meantime, we can buy their wines at local liquor stores (you can too, check it out!) and order a glass at our favorite restaurant, The Village Square. I will talk about them later…..

Check out their website: www.forestedgewinery.com

After 22 successful seasons, The Woodtick Band will be celebrating it’s 23rd season this summer! They play in the quaint Woodtick Musical Theater, located in the heart of Akeley, Minnesota. About a ten to fifteen minute drive, south of Walker, Minnesota.

Their show has a well balanced mix of country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and comedy throughout. Sometimes, all at the same moment! They add their own style to songs from as far back as you can remember as well as songs that the young ones listen to on the radio. By adding their own style, they convert these songs into something everyone can enjoy while still maintaining the original song. One of the most satisfying parts of the show is that you do not have to worry about your children hearing profanity or any sort of unsavory humor.

The Woodtick Musical Theater is one of the venues I hear the most recommendations for. So, after putting it off for too long, my family and I decided to go. (This is now updated and we go every single season for the past 4 years! We bring all of our out of town visitors and they love it, too.) Before the show, the host asked everyone in the audience to show their hands if it was their first time visiting the theater. About half the audience raised their hands. Next, he asked those who had been to the theater before to raise their hands. The other half of the audience then raised their hands! At first, it was surprising but after seeing the show it was easy to see why the theater and band have such a large fan base.

The show is reminiscent of Prairie Home Companion, minus the pretentiousness. The members of the band are all local artists who each bring their own musical and comical styles to the table, creating a premium blend of that old fashioned, Northern Minnesota charm we all love. The size of the theater is small enough to make it personal, yet it fits enough people to hear roaring laughter. 

If you want to find out more about the theater and show times, the Woodtick Musical Theater has their own website. Be sure you call ahead to reserve tickets. Often times, the shows are sold out!

Woodtick Musical Theater’s official website: www.woodtick-theater.com