Good Morning, Fitchrona! Today is National Mutt Day.

We celebrate our mixed-breed dogs & want to thank our local Human Society. If you’ve been thinking of adopting, now is a great time!

The Focus will be the highlight of your Monday morning - something you can enjoy in under 5 minutes with your coffee ☕!

In case you missed it, our Shop Local Holiday Gift Guide features over 50 businesses! Many of the deals are still available—don’t miss out. Check it out!

In today’s Focus:

• Verona Holiday Activities

• Fitchburg Lights It Up

• Responsible Recycling

Let’s fill our cups!

-Liv - Fitchrona Focus Founder

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Things You Should Know About

Verona Hometown Holidays

Santa Claus visits Verona for the Hometown Holidays Kick-Off on Friday, Dec. 6, featuring festive activities at Century School Park (309 W. Verona Ave.) and the Verona Senior Center (108 Paoli St.).

Century School Park Schedule (4-8 p.m.):

• ⛸️ - Ice Skating ($5/person) per 30 minute time slot; FREE skate rental courtesy of Verona Vision Care

• 🚋 - Holiday Express Trolley (Free 10-minute Christmas light loop)

• ☕ - Hot Cider & Cocoa, Fire Pits, North Pole Express Mailbox

• 🎅 - 5pm - Santa arrives via fire truck for the Tree Lighting Ceremony

• 🎙️ - Caroling & News filming on-site

Senior Center Highlights (5:30-7 p.m.):

• 🚋 - Free trolley shuttle from Century School Park

• 🍲 - Chili Dinner (Register at 608-845-7471)

• 🎨 - Crafts, Cookie Decorating, Live Music, and more!

The event is free; donations support the Senior Center.

Fitchburg’s Holiday Lights Tour & Jubilee

If you’re like us, once the leftover turkey is tucked away in Tupperware, it’s time to flip the switch and dive into holiday decorating mode! As you plan your festive displays, Fitchburg residents are encouraged to sign up for the “Holiday Lights Tour.” Get creative by decorating your halls, rooftops, and yards to spread holiday cheer.

The entry deadline is December 9th at 4 PM, so don’t wait—start decorating! Participants will compete to brighten the season, with residents voting for their favorites. The winner will receive a gift basket filled with prizes from local businesses. Plus, there’s a “Best Street” category, so team up with your neighbors to light up the town together!

Responsible Light Disposing

Fun fact: Over 150 Million sets of Christmas lights are sold annually in the US!

Fitchburg Residents - After you decorate for the holiday season and the Lights Tour event, remember to recycle any non-working holiday lights by January 30, 2025. Fitchburg residents can drop off broken light strings and extension cords in the dedicated cart available 24/7 in the City Hall lobby. Please remove any bulbs larger than marble size and recycle them separately.

Verona Residents - String lights should not be placed in your recycling cart. Instead, you can recycle them with Wisconsin Recycling Company on the 1st Monday of each month, from 2-6 PM, at 415 West Verona Avenue.

HAPPENINGS

Check out FitchronaFocus.com for all happenings!

Over 35 Events are featured this week! Submit your event to be featured here.

• Monday, 12/2

  • 👷 - Lego Club @ Fitchburg Public Library

  • 📚 - Preschool Storytime

  • 🍪 -Christmas Cookie Decorating Class @ Bakes & Bites Byg

  • 🏋️ - High School Throwing Program @ Beast

• Tuesday, 12/3

  • 👟 - Verona Winter Speed Camp Begins @ Total Athlete Performance

  • 🍺 - Trivia @ Seminole Tap

• Wednesday, 12/4

  • 🛍️ -Sip + Shop @ Toot + Kates

  • 🤸 -Youth Open Gym @ A Wellbeing Space

  • 🧶 - Library Yarns @ Verona Library

  • 🧘 - Pints + Pilates @ Hop Haus Fitchburg

  • 🍹 - Trivia @ Rusty Bee

  • 🍺 - Premier Trivia @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 💎 - Willow & Weld @ Grand Noir Salon

• Thursday, 12/5

  • 👟- Fleet Feet Pub Run @ Hop Haus

  • 🍷 - Holiday Sparkles @ Waterford Wine & Spirit

  • 🎭- She Loves Me @ Verona Area Community Theater

  • 🏠 - Homebuying Assistance Drop-In Session @ Fitchburg Library

  • 📶 - Tech Help @ Fitchburg Library

  • 🖼️- Craft Cafe - Watercolor Leaves @ Fitchburg Library

• Friday, 12/6

  • 🎅 - Saturday with Santa @ Lake Ridge Bank

  • 🎁 - Winter Market @ Four Winds Farm

  • 🎵 - Live Music: Dawg Bones @ Lake Louie

  • 🎄 - Miller & Sons 7th Annual Holiday Open House @ Miller & Sons

  • 🎉- Monthly Sow Birthday Party @ Sow’s Ear

  • 🎵 - Live Music: Mark Croft @ Seminole Tap

• Saturday, 12/7

  • 🛍️ - Holiday Sip & Shop @ North Edge Nutrition

  • 🎁 - Winter Market @ 4 Winds Farm Fitchburg

  • 🎅 - Saturday with Santa @ Lake Ridge Bank

  • 🎨 - Intro to Colorwork - Flicker Flame Stranded Hat @ Sows Ear

• Sunday, 12/8

  • 🥃 - J. Henry Bourbon & Barrel Aged Beer Pairing @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 👟- Youth Open Gym @ A Wellbeing Space

  • ❄️ - Gnaomi Gone Workshop @ Sow’s Ear

  • 🧵 - Beginner Embroidery with Amber @ Sow’s Ear

  • 👩‍👧‍👧 - Storytime with Ben & Henry @ Kismet Books

  • 📚 - Local Author Event with Lynn Perez-Hewitt @ Kismet Books

  • 🎅 - Pet Pictures with Santa Event @ Lake Louie

MAKER FEATURE

This week’s maker feature is Katharisma Cleaning.

My name is Yazmin Lopez, and I’m the CEO of Katharisma Cleaning, a business I started in 2021 after seeing how much people needed help maintaining clean, healthy homes post-pandemic. Before this, I spent 10 years as a manager in the food industry, where I gained experience in customer service and team training. When I became a stay-at-home mom, I struggled with mental health and home organization. This inspired me to help other moms by providing a service that lightens their load.

Today, I’m proud to run a business that views clean homes as a basic human right. We’re based in the Fitchburg area and provide residential and office cleaning services. Our approach emphasizes nonjudgmental support, understanding that life can get overwhelming, and we aim to be the extra helping hand our clients need. I’m an ambassador for the Fitchburg Chamber of Commerce, and I’m excited about upcoming Fitchrona events where I’ll connect with the community. Stay tuned on my social media—I’ll be giving away a FREE cleaning service soon to celebrate the season and thank my supporters!

The local maker that Yazmin thinks we should know about is - Mailara’s Bouqcakes “a local gem”. Her cupcake bouquets are as beautiful as they are delicious, perfect for special occasions or as a thoughtful gift. Her creativity and attention to detail inspire me as a fellow local business owner. Check her out (she has a Sip and Decorate class at Toot & Kate’s on 12/11)—you’ll love her work!

Know a local maker who should be featured - submit here!

CHECK IT OUT

This week, be sure to visit Grace Coffee Shop as they celebrate 5 years! To thank you for your support, they’re offering special deals each day.

• Monday, 12/2-Enjoy a 12oz drip coffee for $1 with any purchase! _{Upgrades not included.}

• Tuesday, 12/3-12oz latte for $2 with any purchase! _{Upgrades not included.}

• Wednesday, 12/4-Buy a Grace Coffee mug for $15 & we’ll fill it for free!

• Thursday, 12/5 - Buy a bag of Grace Coffee retail beans, get a bag free!

• Friday, 12/6 - Free mini cookie to every customer (while supplies last)

• Saturday, 12/7 - Free celebration pastry for the first 500 customers (baker’s choice)

Have a place that we should check out? Submit it here.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEAL

Every Monday - Friday the Great Dane celebrates the “Happiest of Happy Hours” From 3-6pm enjoy $3 pints of any of their flagship & seasonal brews

THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading the Fitchrona Focus today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who loves a mutt as much as we do!

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