Episode 110

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Published on:

23rd Apr 2024

Summer Fun in West Bend w/Noelle Braun

We’re heading into summer and there are a ton of great things happening in Downtown West Bend. This week, Noelle Braun, Executive Director of the Downtown West Bend Association, joins me to talk about some of the great events, including the ArtWalk Banner Project, Music on Main, and the West Bend Farmers Market.

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Transcript
Fuzz Martin:

And just like that.

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It's another week.

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Hello, my friend.

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Thank you for listening to Fifteen

Minutes with Fuzz, a show about the

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positive things happening in and

around Washington County, Wisconsin.

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My name is Fuzz Martin, and

I do appreciate you listening

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and joining me here today.

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Whether you're in your car, you're

out jogging, you're at the gym.

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You're listening at the

office or just existing.

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Thank you so much Hey, I'm currently

lining up guests for upcoming

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weeks of the show, and while I

usually ask this question at the

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end of the episode, I'm going to

make a request with you right now.

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If you have an idea for the show,

reach out to me, 15withfuzz at gmail.

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com, spell out the word

15, 15withfuzz at gmail.

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com, or go to fuzz.

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cc slash guest, that is fuzz.

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cc slash guest.

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And, there's a little easy form right

there when you go there to fill out

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this week, I am joined by Noelle Braun

of the Downtown West Bend Association.

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There are tons of great things

happening in West Bend, including

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music on Main, the Art Walk banner

project, the farmer's market.

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And a whole bunch of other cool things.

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And with that, here are 15 minutes on

the cool things happening in downtown

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West Bend this summer with Noelle Braun

of the Downtown West Bend Association,

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right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

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Noelle, glad to see you again.

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Thanks so much for coming

back in the studio.

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You just had spring fling.

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You just had the wine hop, but the

Downtown West Bend Association has so

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many things happening this spring and

in the summer, and I'm glad to have

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you in here to talk about those today.

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Noelle Braun: Yeah, thank you so much.

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There is a lot to let you know.

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Yeah,

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Fuzz Martin: I've seen a ton of like

your posters and things around, and

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I'm like, well, we should probably

connect again and talk about, Some

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of the things that are going on.

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So, first of all, we've got the downtown

Art Walk banner project happening.

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It is You guys have the grand

opening gallery coming up, right?

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Noelle Braun: Yes, that is coming

up on Saturday, May 4th, 3:30 to

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6:30 at the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

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Fuzz Martin: All right, very good.

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So Tell us a little bit about what

Art Walk is for maybe people who

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haven't experienced it before What

is the downtown West Bend Art Walk?

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Noelle Braun: Yeah, so the Art Walk

banner project You I'm learning to, and

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it's still in my first year of being

with the Downtown West Bend Association.

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But if people are, you know, from

the area, you've been downtown in the

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summer, you'll see these beautiful

banners that are painted hanging

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on Main Street and on 6th Avenue.

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And that is from local artists who

paint these banners every year.

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So it's a great way to celebrate local

arts, to celebrate our community, to

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create a beautiful, vibrant outdoor

gallery, and yeah, just add some

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color and vibrancy to our downtown.

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Fuzz Martin: And so the, these banners,

obviously, like you said, they're

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very colorful, and they're painted

by local artists, and And that's why

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you kick things off at MOWA, right?

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Noelle Braun: Yes, it's a great

partnership, collaboration

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that we have with them.

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They allow us to use their space

for this Grand Gallery opening.

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So what people can expect this

year is on May 4th, we are

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inviting people to this free event.

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I really want to emphasize that.

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It is a great way to see this

beautiful art museum, this gem

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that we have in our community.

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Their exhibits will be open

during the Grand Gallery open.

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But when people come, they'll be

able to see all of the banners from

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2024 that the artists have painted.

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And then the banners from 2022 were

recently hanging up in City Hall.

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There's a bit of a rotation every year.

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Sure.

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And those banners will be up

for bid, like for auction.

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Okay.

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At this event.

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So all of the art lovers out there, if

you want a piece of local art, they are,

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you know, banners that get hung up on the.

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light poles.

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But they could certainly hang up

easily on a wall, you know, add to

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your collection of art that you have.

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So we're looking forward to that too.

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And there's also, desserts and appetizers

that have been donated by local

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businesses and restaurants in town.

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There'll be some jazz music

playing, a cash bar provided

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by the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

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So it's just a great event.

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And this year for the first time

ever, we're doing a fun We're going

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to be doing a Kentucky Derby theme

because the event falls on the

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same day as the Kentucky Derby.

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So like, let's have fun with this.

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People are invited to wear, you know,

hats with the big flowers and feathers

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or dress up colorfully and just enjoy

that atmosphere too at the event.

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Fuzz Martin: Excellent.

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Will there be mint juleps at the cash bar?

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Noelle Braun: I have asked.

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That's so funny.

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That's funny.

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You mentioned that.

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I'm like, wouldn't that be

a great way to tie that in?

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For what I understand at Moa, they

can only have beer and wine there,

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but we're looking into a fun,

possibly a non alcoholic version.

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Okay.

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We just got to see if the mints going to

be available, but we're looking into it.

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Fuzz Martin: Yeah.

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Stay tuned.

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Gotcha.

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Yes.

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When it comes to liquor licenses

for events like that, it's

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usually just beer and wine.

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Yes.

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Unless I don't even know

how you get the other ones.

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Noelle Braun: Right.

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Fuzz Martin: It's

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Noelle Braun: beyond me.

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Awesome.

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Yes, beyond us.

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Fuzz Martin: And I work

in government sometimes.

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So this is the 12th year of the Art Walk

Banner Project, and I know this is only

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your first full year as the Executive

Director for the Downtown West Bend

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Association, but how has that Art Walk

Banner Project evolved over the years?

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Noelle Braun: From what I understand, it

was started by one of our board members,

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Chris Porter, who is an artist and a

local resident, and just was thinking of

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different ways to beautify our downtown.

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So that continues, absolutely.

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This year too, the banners are

going to be hung up again on Main

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Street and also on 6th Avenue.

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With the new light poles on Main Street

since the reconstruction of the road

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there will also be some beautiful

flowering baskets, like hanging flower

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baskets that will be on every other pole.

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So just giving everyone a

preview for what's to come.

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There's more beautification

coming to downtown.

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Sure.

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But I believe from what I understand

over the years it's Become more and

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more of a celebration at the Museum

of Wisconsin Art, the addition of

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the food, the addition of, you know,

auctioning off all the beautiful

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artwork that was in the past.

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You know, adding in the music,

just like more of the atmosphere.

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I think we're just trying to

elevate that more every year.

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Fuzz Martin: Sure.

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And this, you know, the mission

that you have with the Downtown West

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Bend Association is to help support.

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Businesses and get more foot

traffic downtown so that

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people go to these businesses.

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So by, you know, giving you a reason to

come and tour downtown, hopefully you'll

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stop at some area businesses and stop in

and, and buy and support local, right?

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That

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Noelle Braun: is always with

everything we do, our mission at

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Mine, our mission is to enhance

and preserve the heart of downtown.

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All of these banners too are, are,

sponsored by different businesses.

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So we have some great businesses,

some great returning sponsors

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who love this art project.

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They want to support, they'll get

their name on the banner or multiple

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banners that they decide to sponsor.

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And so it's a great recognition

for them to downtown.

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The banners are hung up all summer and

into the fall, basically like our farmer's

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market season till end of October.

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Fuzz Martin: Great.

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And we'll talk about the farmer's

market coming up right now.

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So it's obviously the farmer's market.

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A beloved community event.

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Last year, it was up around

the we're right here.

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I'm pointing outside the window,

6th Avenue and 5th Avenue and Tower

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Noelle Braun: Heritage

Center around that square.

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Yep.

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Fuzz Martin: Because of the road

construction that was happening and it.

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Then I think there was some

there was a survey or something

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and now you're going to move it

back down to Main Street, right?

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Noelle Braun: Yes, that is it.

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That is where it is going to be.

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We're bringing it back

to its original location.

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You know, definitely heard loud

and clear majority of, you know,

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the downtown businesses and the

attendees the vendors themselves.

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We wanted to hear from everyone Last

year was a great temporary location, but

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we're really excited to be back downtown.

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It truly does bring a lot of

business to these downtown

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businesses lining up and down Main

Street and even like Sixth Avenue.

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It's just a great place to walk through,

see all of these amazing vendors and then.

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You know, grab a little bit of brunch

or a drink or stop into the shop

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and it's just has a great community

feel and we're excited to have it

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on the new road and celebrate that.

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Fuzz Martin: Exactly.

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It'll be nice and smooth while

you walk your you know, take

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the stroller with your kids.

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Yeah,

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Noelle Braun: take the wagon, take

the stroller, whatever you need to do.

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Fuzz Martin: A little bit wider in

some spots, a little bit, you know,

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so so Westman Farmer's Market is, An

award winning farmer's market, right?

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So there you have lots of different

artisans and farmers with produce

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and different local shops anything

new that we can expect this year

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Noelle Braun: So we are getting all

of our applications in right now.

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We have the majority of everyone

Confirmed sending in everything that

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they need you know this The farmer's

market has been voted number one for

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the last two years in a row in the

state of Wisconsin through the survey

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through the American Farmland Trust.

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So we're going to continue to ask

people to vote this year, but we

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do have a really beautiful market.

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We're really blessed and

fortunate in our community.

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We have well over 90 vendors on any given

Saturday that does continue to grow.

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Our farmers, you know, they're the ones

who really started like at least like four

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decades ago, learning so much about this.

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But.

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They're the, you know, big reason that

people come and now we're fortunate to

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add a lot of different variety too in

businesses that are able to be there.

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Some of the newer things this year

we have a newer bakery that's gonna

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be here called Daisy's Sweet Treats.

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The new owner of the Barton

Cafe, she's gonna be coming down.

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Seasonally, which means like for the full

season expect to see them most Saturdays.

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You know, one of the different

businesses that we have that's coming.

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He is an artisan that

makes items out of copper.

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So it's just like really neat to

see like these really talented small

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business owners that are able to showcase

the beautiful things that they make

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on this type of at this big event.

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So he makes more like bowls,

trays, jewelry, things like that.

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And then we are.

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In talks right now with another

possible food truck that would be

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hopefully serving some authentic tacos.

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I know that's been kind of lacking

for a little bit at the market.

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We have some great food at the market.

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Just another wonderful addition.

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But yeah, that's that's

in the works right now.

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So.

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Fuzz Martin: Excellent.

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So when does the farmers

market start this year?

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Noelle Braun: Farmer's Market

starts on Saturday, May 18th.

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Fuzz Martin: Okay.

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Noelle Braun: And it's every

Saturday until October 26th,

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the last Saturday in October.

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And it's from 7.

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a.

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m.

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Fuzz Martin: All right.

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Very good.

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And again, back to its original location.

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on Main Street and 6th.

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Downtown, downtown.

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Noelle Braun: This is

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Fuzz Martin: still downtown where

we're sitting right now at Epic, but

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it is you know, the true downtown.

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Not the outskirts downtown.

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Noelle Braun: And I do want to

mention, we're back downtown.

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We are making some slight

updates to the mapping of it.

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We are extending the market for Further

down to Hickory, where the Pearl of

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Canton and the West Bend Music Academy is.

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It's with the new road as people

remember the old road, there were

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these roundabouts in the street and

that people could more easily turn

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around and because the new road doesn't

have those anymore it's making better

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sense for safety and security that

we blocked the street off at Hickory.

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So people have a way to turn a lot easier.

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There's still, you know, some

like beautiful parking that they

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have like behind the downtown

businesses by the river walk.

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There's yeah, there's parking like it's,

it's worth it to walk a little further

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to get to this market if you need to.

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But yeah, so that is changing and we're

also going to be trying out some parking

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on 6th Avenue for those that have limited

mobility or need handicap parking.

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We're going to give that

a try for this year too.

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So yeah, again, it's going to start at

the top where it normally has at the very

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top of Main Street and you're just going

to be heading a little further south

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Fuzz Martin: this year.

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And my hack for parking is to park

over by the MOA parking lot to the

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east of the Aspen trees or whatever

they have, the birch Aspen trees.

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Yeah,

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Noelle Braun: those quaking Aspen trees.

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Yeah,

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Fuzz Martin: yeah.

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So that's where we park.

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Noelle Braun: That's a good idea

because then you can walk across the

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bridges and it's really beautiful.

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So, another great parking area.

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And

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Fuzz Martin: it's, West Bend

has become so walkable and such.

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So so that's fun.

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And then.

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One other event that everybody looks

forward to every year is Music on Main.

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So when is that starting up again?

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Noelle Braun: Yes, we are so

excited to bring Music on Main back

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downtown as well on Main Street.

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It's going to have a big

kickoff on Thursday, May 30th.

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Fuzz Martin: Okay.

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Noelle Braun: And we have

a press release out now.

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We're getting more of the word out,

but the biggest changes with Music on

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Main this year is that the first and

the last Music on Main are going to be

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in a block party street dance format.

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Fuzz Martin: Awesome.

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Noelle Braun: Yes.

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So we are working very closely with

the Bend Theater to make this happen.

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The other 12 Thursdays, cause

there's gonna be 14 Thursdays total.

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So May 30th being the first one,

September 5th being the last one.

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And the other 12 Thursdays are,

we're going to utilize that Old

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Settlers Park stage as it has been.

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It's a great location for music on Maine.

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But yeah, I thank the Bend Theater

for thinking more outside the box and

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thinking bigger in regards to this event.

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So the plan is to shut down a

little bit more of the road.

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So from the top of Old Settlers Park

by Main and 6, south to Hickory.

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Fuzz Martin: Okay.

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Noelle Braun: And we're going to

be putting a stage in the road

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and getting two bigger bands.

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On May 30th, our opening band

is Andrea and the Mods and

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the main act is Johnny Wad.

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And on September 5th our opening band

will be Jeff Landon's High Country and

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the main act being the Foo Foo Dolls.

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Excellent.

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So yeah, we're really

excited to bring them in.

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Fuzz Martin: When I was in

radio Jeff Landon would always

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participate in the radio show.

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We have the Hodeg

Country Pickoff and such.

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So I, I know Jeff really well, but I

have not seen him in probably a decade.

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So

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Noelle Braun: yes, he's been doing a

lot with his music over all these years

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and making a good name for himself.

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So yeah, really excited to bring them in.

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And I, again, I think the band

for getting some of these acts

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too, for these big block parties.

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But we have, we have a great lineup.

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We have so many different artists.

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different genres of music.

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There's something for everyone.

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If you look at the list and see who

you want to see, hopefully we'll see

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a majority, if not all of these music.

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I mean, it's because they're so fun.

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It's just a great way

to, to celebrate summer.

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And it's always free to

attend this event too.

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Fuzz Martin: Perfect.

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And so again, it kicks off on

May 30th, Thursday, May 30th.

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And then the other 12,

what time do those start?

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Noelle Braun: Great question.

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So on May 30th and September 5th,

those are starting at five o'clock.

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Fuzz Martin: Okay.

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Noelle Braun: So that's when that

that opening band will be playing.

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The other Thursdays, it depends

if there's an opening act

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or not for any of our music.

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I mean, if we get an opening band

performing, that'll start at five.

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Okay.

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But our main stage acts start at 6

30 and the event goes till nine 30.

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Fuzz Martin: Excellent.

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All right.

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Very good.

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Well, Noel, I got a lot of great stuff

happening with Downtown West Bend.

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If people want to learn more about

these events that we've spoken about

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today the losing my mind here, the

Art Walk, the Farmer's Market, Music

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on Main, you've got Wheels on Main

after that, you've got another,

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another Wine Walk in October, right?

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Yeah, so.

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Always something awesome going on

town and thanks for all you do.

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But where can people learn more

about these events and others?

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Noelle Braun: Absolutely.

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So people can learn more at

our website, which is www.

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downtownwestbend.

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com.

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All of our events are there.

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We update them frequently.

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We also have a really

good presence on Facebook.

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People are using that

social media platform.

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We yeah, we do have about

like 10, 000 followers just

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on our regular Facebook page.

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Facebook page and then we

have more like in the music on

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Maine and the farmer's market.

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We have Facebook pages for all three

of those and we're always updating and

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letting people know what's happening

downtown and love to promote the

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businesses that are in the area too.

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Fuzz Martin: Yeah, it definitely

contributes to the vitality of our

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downtown and those business owners

whose livelihoods depend on you.

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Listening, coming, buying dinner, buying

you know, different kinds of items at

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retail and food and drinks and all that.

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So get out there and support local.

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Noelle Braun: Absolutely.

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Fuzz Martin: All right.

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Noelle, thanks for coming in.

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Noelle Braun: Thank you so much.

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Fuzz Martin: Thank you again to

Noelle Braun of the Downtown West Bend

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Association for joining me on this week's

episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

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Again, I said it at the beginning of

the show, but if you ever have an idea

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for the show, or if you know someone

I should talk to, please tell me.

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Even if you don't have their contact

information, you can let me know

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by emailing 15 with fuzz at gmail.

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com.

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Again, spell out the word "fifteen."

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Fifteen with fuzz at gmail.

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com.

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Or go to fuzz.

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cc slash guest F U Z Z dot CC

slash guests and fill up the form.

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New episodes drop on Tuesdays.

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Listen on Apple podcasts, Spotify,

YouTube, or at 15 with fuzz.

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com or really anywhere you list a podcast,

wherever you're listening right now, just

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be sure to destroy that follow button.

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And I'll talk to you next Tuesday,

right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.

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About the Podcast

Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz
Showcasing the positive things happening in Washington County, Wisconsin.
Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz is sheds light on all the great things going on in and around Washington County, Wisconsin. The host, Fuzz Martin, is a local business owner (EPIC Creative) and a former radio personality (92.5 WBWI - now Buzz Country). New episodes launch on Tuesday mornings. https://fifteenwithfuzz.com

Whether you're in West Bend, Kewaskum, Slinger, Hartford, Germantown, Richfield, Jackson, or anywhere else in the area, 15 Minutes with Fuzz serves the community with fun and positive people, places, events, and attractions.

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Fuzz Martin

Fuzz Martin is a partner and Chief Strategy Officer at EPIC Creative in West Bend, Wis.