Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Don Peeters and his daughter, Amber, enjoy learning the history of Sun Drop soda inside the Twig’s Beverage Museum, a new attraction helping to draw tourists to the Shawano area.
Leader Photo by Scott Williams The new Twig’s Beverage Museum, located at 920 S. Franklin St. in Shawano, includes many artifacts and memorabilia showcasing the history of Sun Drop soda made right here in Shawano.
Barn quilts and other new attractions have boosted tourism in the Shawano area into an industry worth $60 million a year to the regional economy.
Other major tourist draws include the Menominee Casino Resort and other gambling outlets, the Doc’s Harley-Davidson of Shawano County complex, and the many recreational spots associated with Shawano Lake.
Promoting all of them and more is the Shawano Country Tourism Council, a division of the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce.
From the chamber of commerce headquarters at 1263 N. Main St. in Shawano, the tourism council promotes area attractions through marketing, advertising, trade shows and other activities.
“It’s definitely a big part of who we are,” said Patti Peterson, the chamber’s tourism manager. “We have a lot to promote.”
According to chamber statistics, tourism in 2014 supported more than 900 jobs in the Shawano area and generated $60 million in economic activity, an increase of more than 6 percent from the previous year.
While the region has been known for decades as a popular summertime destination, visitors in recent years have found year-round attractions, including the new Twig’s Beverage Museum, the Fall Festival and fall art studio tours, and improved casino facilities.
“There’s just so much,” said Sharon Rzentkowski, owner of the Cecil Fireside Inn. “Any weekend, it seems like there’s something going on.”
Rzentkowski also serves as vice president of the board overseeing the tourism council.
With revenue from hotel taxes collected throughout the area, the council receives about $100,000 a year to promote tourism in Shawano County and Menominee County. Those efforts also are supported financially by grants, event income and visitors guide income.
About 65,000 copies of the visitors guide are printed and distributed annually.
In the past year or so, the tourism council has succeeded in generating buzz about area attractions through numerous major news outlets, on websites and in specialty publications all across the Midwest.
Peterson said much of the recent attention has centered on the barn quilt sensation that has put Shawano County in the spotlight. Starting in 2010, more than 300 area barns have been adorned with the unique colorful decorations, creating perhaps the biggest such collection in the country.
Tour groups by the busload have flocked here to see the barn quilts, while others have enjoyed a “Bike the Barn Quilts” option. Still others have combined the barn quilts with changing seasonal colors for a combination tour during the fall.
“It’s just been phenomenal,” Peterson said.
Gresham has introduced its own variation on the barn quilts concept, with a similar collection of about 60 decorations on local barns and other structures.
Tourists also enjoy visiting Wittenberg for the Walls of Wittenberg attraction, which features more than 20 murals painted in spots throughout the community.
Although many visitor spots are year-round, the height of tourism season remains the summer months, when crowds flock to the area to enjoy what Shawano Lake, the Wolf River and other waterways have to offer for boating, fishing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, canoeing and tubing.
Two particular hot spots include American Marine & Motorsports and Mountain Bay Outfitters, both of which offer a variety of choices for boat rental and water fun.
Hotel rooms also are booked more frequently during the summer, along with area cottages and summer homes available for rent.
For many visitors, a trip to the Shawano area has become a summer tradition for their family. Merchants report seeing the same vacationing families coming back year after year.
Ron Schumacher, owner of Bamboo Shores Vacation Rental Homes, said he applauds the efforts of the tourism council in promoting the region. He also believes the tourism industry owes much of its success to local residents, who treat visitors like friends — not strangers.
One major reason why Shawano remains a big tourist draw, Schumacher said, is that visitors feel comfortable and relaxed here.
“They can get away and enjoy themselves,” he said. “The local people make them feel welcome.”