Good Morning, Fitchrona!

Today is National Pastry Day. Where are your favorite places to grab a pastry in Fitchrona? We love Rolling Pin, Alice Good & Firefly Coffee.

Fun Fact: The Danish, a classic breakfast pastry, was actually a French invention.

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

In today’s Focus:

• So Many Events!!!

• Holiday Lights Tour

• Career Exploration

Let’s fill our cups!

-Liv - Fitchrona Focus Founder

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Last Week’s Highlights

FitchronaFocus Events Calendar

Have you checked out the Fitchrona Events Calendar yet? If not, you’re missing out! This week over 40 events and 39 different local businesses, makers or musicians are featured. Even more impressive, since October over 250 events have been added to the calendar.

Events are tagged with one of the following categories, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for:

• Arts & Crafts

• Charity/Fundraiser

• Children’s Events

• Educational/Information

• Fitness

• Music

• Restaurant/Bar/Coffee Shop

• Shopping Local

• Sports

If you’re aware of any events, recurring activities, festivals, etc., please submit them here. All submissions will be added to the event calendar and may be featured on our social media! We’d love for you to share upcoming events to ensure nothing is overlooked and so we can help promote them for you!

There’s so much happening in our vibrant Fitchburg and Verona communities, and we want to keep you informed and connected to everything going on around you. Let’s grow and thrive together in our community.

Fitchburg’s Holiday Lights Tour & Jubilee

This Friday, December 13th from 5pm to 8pm the “Get Festive” celebration at Agora kicks off the Fitchburg Holiday Lights Tour and Jubilee. Family fun activities for all:

• 5:15pm - Lighting Ceremony

  Free Carriage Rides

• Live DJ

• Hot Mulled Wine & Beer

• Free Hot Chocolate for the kids

• Shopping

• Cookie Decorating

• Outdoor Movie

• Food

From December 13th-15th, local residents and businesses will showcase stunning light displays, and you can vote for your favorites. Note: The Holiday Lights 2024 Map of participating locations & voting forms will be available 12/12 on the City of Fitchburg’s website.

Good luck to all of those participating!

VAHS Hosts Career Exploration Expo

Last week, Verona Area High School proudly held its inaugural Career Exploration Expo, uniting students, families, and the community for an evening filled with inspiration and opportunity!

With representatives from technical trades, the military, and various industries, attendees gained valuable insights into exciting career paths.

Kudos to VAHS, who has done an excellent job providing students with both academic and career planning options, including exposure to youth apprenticeships and regional career pathways!

HAPPENINGS

Check out FitchronaFocus.com for all happenings!

• Monday, 12/9

  • 🎭 - Suite Surrender - Auditions @ Verona Area Community Theater

  • 🎂 - Fitchburg Great Dane Turns 22 @ Fitchburg Great Dane

  • 🍴 - Eat your Words @ Verona Public Library

• Tuesday, 12/10

  • 📚 - Story Time @ Sow’s Ear

  • 📖 - Graphic Novel Book Club @ Verona Public Library

  • 🍪 - Cookbook Club: Holiday Cookie Swap @ Verona Public Library

  • 🤔 - Trivia @ Seminole Tap

• Wednesday, 12/11

  • 💪 - Youth Open Gym @ A Wellbeing Space

  • 📚 - Library Yarns @ Verona Library

  • 🎅🏻 - Call An Elf - Virtual

  • 🍺 - Dancing Goat Private Barrell Release Party @ Waterford Wine & Spirits

  • 📖 - Evening Book Club @ Fitchburg Public Library

  • 🤔 - Trivia @ Rusty Bee

  • 🤔 - Premier Trivia @ Delta Beer Lab

  • ✂️ - Ribbon Cutting @ Greater Heights Climbing

  • 🍺 - Wollersheim Holiday Happy Hour @ Quivey’s Grove

  • 🎉 - Small Business Holiday Party with Starting Block Madison @ The Loxely

  • 📹 - Independent Film Makers @ Copa

  • 🧁 - Make A Christmas Cupcake Bouquet @ Toot + Kate’s

  • 📖 Book Group @ Verona Senior Center

  • 🎰 - Swiftie Bingo & Bracelets @ Verona Public Library

• Thursday, 12/12

  • 🎭 She Loves Me @ Verona Area Community Theater

  • 🍝 - 2024 Fitchburg Business Appreciation Luncheon with Jennifer Mnookin @ City of Fitchburg

  • 🍺 Speed Meeting @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🌿 Learn to Grow Native Plants @ Lussier Family Heritage Center

  • ⚡ - Pokemon Club @ Verona Public Library

• Friday, 12/1🎰 -

  • 🎶 - Live Music: Elizabeth Mary Duo @ Lake Louie Brewing

  • 🎶 - Live Music: Tessa Marie (Duo) @ Hop Haus Brewing

  • Blues in the Barn Dance @ Four Winds Farm

  • Get Festive - Kicking off the Fitchburg Holiday Lights Tour @ Agora

• Saturday, 12/14

  • 📚 - Family Story Time @ Verona Public Library

  • 🍸 - Krampus Fest @ Loxely

  • 🎭 Reindeer Live @ Sugar Creek Elementary

  • 🫒 Wreath Making with Linen & Clove @ Hop Haus Fitchburg

  • 🥐 - Brunch with the Grinch @ Me & Julio

  • 🏀 - Dairyland Sports - Volunteers Needed @ VAHS - MadCity Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

  • 🎬 - Fitchburg Holiday Lights Tour @ AMC

  • 🎄- Holiday Lights Tour @ Delta Beer

  • 🤿 - Holiday Family Swim & Social@ Diventures

  • 🎶 - Live Music: Dawg Bones @ Paddy Mac’s

• Sunday, 12/15

  • 💪 - Youth Open Gym @ A Wellbeing Space

  • 📚 - Storytime with Alina Loux @ Kismet Books

  • ✂️ - Rooted Culture & Company’s Holiday Party @ Rooted Culture

MAKER FEATURE

This week’s maker feature is Jenny Pleva, creator of KnitWit608.

Jenny began knitting during Covid and hasn’t stopped since! She loves creating hats and other knitted or crocheted home items and decor. Her business initially focused on Verona and Wildcat hats, but has since expanded to include hats for other towns and teams. She’s also introduced luxury 100% Merino Wool hats and knitwear to her online shop!

The local maker Jenny thinks we should know about it Abby from Welcoming Simplicity!

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

CHECK IT OUT

Last week, we visited Greater Heights Climbing, an impressive new climbing gym in Fitchburg off Rimrock Road. This top-tier facility features 16ft bouldering walls, 40ft rope walls, and a one-of-a-kind 12’x12’ Kilter Board. If you're wondering what a Kilter Board is, don’t worry — we were curious too! Check out the video below for all the details. The gym offers climbing for all skill levels, along with yoga, strength and cardio rooms, and event spaces. It's the perfect place to push yourself, and be prepared to feel sore in ways you never expected the next day!

Don’t wait, get your membership today! Lots of great deals for annual or household memberships!

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

CHECK IT OUT II: HOLIDAY BONUS - Firefly Coffeehouse

Tis the season for sharing! In that spirit, we wanted to share another local business from our friends in Oregon - Firefly Coffeehouse! This season, they are continuing their holiday tradition of baking cookies. They’re offering 14 varieties daily, including Grandma Shirley's Gingerbread Boys and Jumbo Frosted Holiday Cut-Outs, which hold special family significance. Both handmade and hand-decorated, these cookies are available for $3.25 each. Check out their Facebook, and better yet stop into their coffee shop, it’s like stepping into a winter wonderland.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEAL

🍔& 🍺 - Mondays, fly on over to the Flying Hound - offering $10 Burgers & $4 pints!

THANK YOU!

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

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