Try a taste, raise money for Art+Fire

A 70-foot-long lake monster will be set ablaze at the culmination of Art+Fire 09, the third annual public art event planned Sept. 25-26 in Stockholm.

A new event, Taste of Stockholm, is being planned to raise money for Art+Fire. The fundraiser will be at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Cottage in the Corn. The cabin is Judith Van Cleve’s rural Stockholm retreat.

The fall menu will feature items from the many shops of the village. In addition to food, there will be wines, craft beers and artisan ciders — all accompanied by live entertainment featuring local musicians.

Van Cleve’s cabin was designed to utilize sustainable building salvage, most notably stained glass windows from a Wisconsin rural church. The residence sits amid rolling fields of corn, under a 180-degree sky.

“The views from all directions are classic and unobstructed,” organizers said, citing the glowing “dog days, when summer is at its peak.”

Tickets for Taste of Stockholm are $45 in advance; reservations are required as seating is limited. Call (715) 442-2266 for reservations or more information. For menu details, go online to www.stockholmwisconsin.com.

Art+Fire is presented by the Lake Pepin Art & Design Center, with local support.

This year, a pre-burn ilumination party and fundraiser are planned Sept. 25. The Ditch Lilies will provide music; admission with an Art+Fire button will be $5 at the gate.

The burning will be at dusk Sept. 26. The party will include art work by Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, Pritika Chowdrhy, Brad Kaspari and Myklebust & Sears; a performance by: Illumination Fire Troupe, a handmade lantern display, live music, family art-making activities and food. Admission to the park will be free, but donations will be accepted at the gate.

Tags: arts and entertainment, communities, lifestyle, stockholm