Good Morning, Fitchrona!

It’s official, it’s love month. It’s also Heart Health Month … and you might also know that Valentines Day Falls in there somewhere.

Also, we LOVE our local Women Physicians and it just so happens to be National Woman Physicians Day!

The Focus will be the highlight of your Monday morning - something you can enjoy in under 5 minutes with your coffee ☕︎ ! Let’s fill our cups!

-Liv - Fitchrona Focus Founder

LOCAL LOWDOWN

💕Celebrate Love & Support Local: Your 2025 Valentine’s Guide 💕

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and we’ve rounded up the best local events, dining experiences, and treats to make your celebration extra special. Whether you’re planning a romantic date night, a family-friendly outing, or looking for the perfect gift, check out these fantastic offerings from our local businesses!

🍽️ The Mill Paoli – Prime Rib Dinner

Savor a Romantic Valentine's Dinner at The Menu at the Mill Paoli ❤️

Make this Valentine’s Day extra special with a delicious prime rib dinner at The Menu at the Mill Paoli! Whether you choose to dine in and enjoy live music or grab a cozy takeout meal, this is the perfect way to celebrate love with an unforgettable meal.

📅 Date: Friday, February 14th
⏳ Orders Due: Monday, February 10th by 9 PM
📍 Pick-Up Time: 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM

🥩 Prime Rib Special – $39

Indulge in a garlic herb-crusted prime rib dinner, complete with:
✔️ Creamy mashed potatoes
✔️ Fresh green beans
✔️ A decadent fresas con crema dessert

🔹Add a side of skewered shrimp for just $8!
🍷 Make it a full experience with $18 bottles of red wine, available at pick-up.

✨ Reserve your meal today! ✨
📍 More details here.

🍷 Seven Acre Dairy Co. – Special Valentine’s Menu

📅 February 12-26, 2025
💲 $50 (Wed/Thurs/Sun) | $65 (Fri/Sat)
Treat yourself to a gourmet three-course meal featuring locally sourced ingredients. Choose from dishes like Black Angus Ribeye, Shrimp-Stuffed Flounder, or Local Beef Milanese. Finish with Chocolate Lava Cake or Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry.
📍 Reserve your table here.

🍪 Missy’s Sugar Shop – Adult Valentine’s Cookie Sets

For a sweet, grown-up twist on Valentine’s treats, check out Missy’s Sugar Shop’s over-21 cookie sets. Perfect for gifting (or treating yourself!).
📍 Order here.

🎂 Grace Coffee Company – Custom Valentine’s Cakes

Pre-order your 6” Valentine’s cake in chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet. Choose a heart or circle shape and personalize with messages like Love You, Be Mine, or a custom phrase!
📅 Pickup: Feb 13-14, 2025
📍 Order here.

🎶 Cave of the Mounds – Love on the Rocks

📅 February 15th | 7 PM - 9 PM
Spend an enchanting evening underground with live music, a keepsake photo, complimentary drink, and appetizers.
📍 Get tickets here.
🏨 Bonus: Stay at the Mt. Horeb GrandStay Hotel and save 10% with promo code CAVE! Book here.

⛸️ Verona’s Century School Park Ice Rink – Love Under the String Lights

Bring the whole family for a magical skating experience under twinkling lights!
🕒 Hours:

• Thurs: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

• Fri: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

• Sat: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

• Sun: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

🎟️ Admission:

• Residents: $2 | Non-Residents: $5

• Skate Rentals: Residents $5, Non-Residents $10
  📍 More details here.

✏️ VASD Charter School & Two-Way Immersion Application Info

Families in the Verona Area School District (VASD) have three tuition-free charter school educational options. All charter schools in the district follow the same learning standards but use unique teaching methods to reach them. Further, VASD also offers the Two-Way Spanish Immersion (TWI) Program.

• New Century School (K-5): Multiage classrooms with a thematic, environmentally-integrated curriculum.

• Core Knowledge Charter School (K-8): Uses E.D. Hirsch’s Core Knowledge curriculum and Direct Instruction, with Spanish offered.

• Verona Area International School (Elementary): A Mandarin immersion program where students split their day between Chinese-Mandarin and English instruction.

• Two-Way Immersion (TWI) Program provides dual-language instruction in Spanish and English, helping students develop proficiency in both languages.

  TWI is offered at:

  • Elementary: Glacier & Sugar Creek Elementary Schools

  • Secondary: Badger Ridge Middle School & Verona Area High School

To apply, submit a Charter/TWI Application before the deadline:

• Charter Schools: Apply between Jan. 6 – Feb. 14

• TWI Program: Apply between Jan. 6 – Mar. 10

Key details:

• Applications are not first come, first served—all are reviewed after the deadline.

• Late submissions go on a waitlist, including siblings of current students.

• Each VASD resident student may submit one application.

• New students must register for the 2025-26 school year before applying.

For more details, visit the New to the District page or contact (608) 845-4360 / [email protected].

Celebrate Winter the Scandihoovian Way in Mount Horeb!

Every February, the people of Mount Horeb shake off the winter blues with a quirky, fun-filled festival honoring their Scandinavian roots. The Scandihoovian Winter Festival is a weekend-long celebration packed with activities for all ages—so grab your red pointy hat and join in!

Festival Overview:

📍 Friday - Sunday
🔍 Downtown Troll Town Scavenger Hunt – Explore the town while hunting for hidden trolls!

📍 Saturday
🎨 Kids' Viking Helmet Craft at the Public Library
🚴‍♂️ Scandi-Fatty Fat Tire Bike Race at Tyrol Basin – 5- and 10-mile frosty trail options
❄️ Snow Sculptures at Evangelical Lutheran Church
🍪 Scandinavian Baking Demos at Driftless Historium - including Krumkake & Lefse!
🎤 Adult Spelling Bee at Martinson Hall
🦃 Frozen Turkey Bowling at Garfield Park Ice Rink
🔦 Cave of the Mounds Black Light Tour

📍 Sunday
🥞 Mount Horeb Rotary's SUPER BRUNCH
🛍️ Optimist Club Silent Auction at Tyrol Basin

This festival started in 2011 as an antidote to post-holiday crankiness, bringing locals together for a mix of outdoor adventure, friendly competition, and heartwarming Scandinavian traditions. Whether you're biking, bowling with frozen turkeys, or cheering on your neighbors, one rule remains: No crankiness allowed!

Visit Mount Horeb this February and experience winter the Scandihoovian way! 🎩❄️

More event details here.

HAPPENINGS

There are too many events to feature here! Check out (and bookmark) our events page for a full list of everything that’s going on and full details for each event featured.

• Monday, February 3rd

  • 🍺 * 4:00 PM - Industry Night (service, education, hospitality and healthcare industries) @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🍺 5:00 PM - Glacier Edge Elementary Fundraising Night @ 5th Quarter

• Tuesday, February 4th

  • 🍺 5:00 PM - Nature Game Night @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🧱 6:00 PM - Lego Club @ Fitchburg Public Library

  • ❓ * 7:00 PM - America’s Pub Quiz Trivia @ Hop Haus Fitchburg

  • ❓ * 7:00 PM - Quizmaster’s Trivia @ Lake Louie Brewing

• Wednesday, February 5th

  • 🧀 5:00 PM - The Dairy Bar by Anna Landmark & Chef Cole Ersel @ Seven Acres

  • ❓ * 7:00 PM - Premier Trivia @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🎵 7:05 PM - Live Music: Elizabeth Mary @ Paddy Mac’s

• Thursday, February 6th

  • 🧱 4:00 PM - Minecraft Club @ Verona Public Library

  • ✂️ 5:00 PM - Craft Cafe @ Fitchburg Public Library

  • 💘 5:00 PM - Valentine’s Day Market @ Crossroads Coffeehouse

  • 🍺 6:15 PM - Pub Runs @ Hop Haus Fitchburg w/ Fleet Feet

  • 🍪 6:30 PM - Sweet Treats Cookie Decorating Class @ Vicki’s Cookies

  • 🍇 6:30 PM - Guess the Grape Wine Tasting Adventure @ The Wine House

  • 🎵 7:30 PM - Verona Area Concert Bands Present: Journeys and Destinations @ Verona Area Performing Arts Center

  • 🎵 8:00 PM - Live Music: Joe Scalissi @ Paddy Mac’s

• Friday, February 7th

  • 🎵 Live Music: Taylor & Von @ Lake Louie Brewing

  • 💘 11:00 AM - Valentine’s Day Crafts @ Fitchburg Public Library

  • 🎵 6:00 PM - Live Music: Girl Crush @ Hop Haus Verona

  • 👗 6:00 PM - Lovelies at Loxley @ Loxley

  • 😄 7:00 PM - Comedy Night @ Bad Art Co.

  • 🎉 7:00 PM - Monthly Birthday Party @ The Sow’s Ear

• Saturday, February 8th

  • 🏃‍♀️ 10:30 AM - WERQ Dance Fitness Class @ Lioness Fitness

  • 🩸 12:30 PM - Let’s Flip to Fight Blood Cancer @ Gymfinity

  • ☃️ 1:00 PM - Paoli Winter Games @ The Hop Garden

  • 🐝 1:00 PM - Community Spelling Bee @ Buck & Honey’s Mount Horeb

  • 🎵 2:00 PM - Live Music: Elizabeth Mary @ Bailey’s Run

  • 🎵 5:00 PM - Live Music: James Crocket @ Mt. Vernon Tap

  • 🎵 6:00 PM - Live Music: Justin Raudebush @ Hop Haus Verona

  • 💘 6:00 PM - Singles & Friends @ Loxley

  • 🎵 7:00 PM - Live Music: Steve N Mark Band @ Paddy Mac’s

• Sunday, February 9th

  • 📖 12:00 PM - Madison Readers Book Swap @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🍺 1:00 PM - Meat Raffle @ Stone Porch Alehouse

  • 🎵 1:00 PM - Live Music: Carson Hall @ Bailey’s Run

  • 🌱 2:00 PM - Native Garden Design @ Lussier Heritage Center

Key - * indicates event is recurring

MAKER FEATURE

This week’s maker feature is Schyler Arthur, creator of Petal It Forward - who is MAKING a difference in people’s lives!

Schyler gives us a peak into Petal it forward:

Petal It Forward is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that donates wedding flowers to local nursing homes & other care facilities. I heard about wedding flowers getting tossed at the end of the night and I thought “there has got to be something we can do with these!” And Petal It Forward was born. Wedding flowers in particular are SO gorgeous and carefully chosen & crafted into arrangements by florists that they deserve to continue to spread joy beyond the wedding day. We currently serve Dane County and as we continue to acquire volunteers to do pick ups, we have been able to take on more dates. We pick up your flowers at the end of the night, rearrange & deliver to a facility(or facilities) next day. There is no fee but we encourage a donation of any amount :)

We will be at the FREE Stoughton Wedding Show at the Chorus Public House on February 9th.

The local maker that Schyler thinks that readers should know about is Blooms by Brandi!

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

CHECK IT OUT

Today, February 3rd, is National Women Physicians Day, a day dedicated to celebrating women in medicine. The date honors the birthday of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman in America to earn a medical degree. Side note - she graduated first in her class in 1849, go Dr. Blackwell! Her practice focused on hygiene and preventative care. She co-founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children and trained nurses during the Civil War. Later, she established a medical college in New York City. Her achievements paved the way for generations of women to join the medical profession.

This weeks Check It Out feature is - rootsMD.

Here at the Fitchrona Focus we want to honor and thank our local women physicians. We thank you for your hard work!

Patients at rootsMD receive care from board-certified Family Medicine physicians in a Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership model. This allows relationship-based, unrushed and price-transparent primary healthcare services. Membership covers visits and communication without copays, and grants access to up to 90% savings on self-pay lab work, office procedures, imaging and many generic medications. Especially helpful for patients with high deductible health plans and fellow small business owners. Without insurance companies in the exam room, our focus is back on the patient-physician relationship, and quality of care . . . we've stepped away from impersonal assembly line medicine with long waits, uncertain costs, and difficulty seeing the doctor that knows you best. Patients are able to keep their rootsMD family physician even when their job, or insurance status changes. HAPPY DOCTORS and HAPPY PATIENTS. Learn more about us at www.rootsdpc.com.

Select services such as ear piercing, joint injection, aesthetic and other skin and minor office procedures are available to non-members. Mention this newsletter and receive 10% off ear piercing or Xeomin botox services completed in February if you're new to rootsMD!

For a quick explication on what what direct primary care is all about.

Follow them on instagram @rootsmdpc.

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

NEIGHBORHOOD DEAL

Wine Wednesday!

All glasses of wine just $5 or... celebrate with Friends

-

2 appetizers or flatbreads + 1 bottle of wine for $45!

THANK YOU!

💒Thanks for reading the Fitchrona Focus today! If you found something useful, please share it with someone who is getting married soon who might be interested in repurposing flowers to make another persons’ day. Share with someone who might be interested in the incredible work that Petal It Forward is doing for our community 💐🌸🌼 !

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