2025 Prairie Chicken Festival
This year's event runs April 7-12, 2025. The Rudolph Rock at HWY O and HWY C will be painted by locally born Weyauwega art teacher Dan Kiedrowski to celebrate the 2025 Festival. More details and an updated poster will be shared as they become available. Here is a current list of events: 
  • Monday, April 7 - The movie The Need to Grow, McMillan Memorial Library, 1:30 and 6 pm.
  • Tuesday, April 8 - A community open skate opportunity at the South Wood County Recreation Center will be held. Booming Bob, the Greater Prairie Chicken costume (think Big Birds wild cousin) along with numerous friends will be available for a meet and greet on the ice. Friends in attendance include Smokey Bear, Rosco Rafter, Mid-State’s Grit the Couger, and Wisconsin Rapids Visitor Bureau Cranberry Guy.
  • Tuesday, April 8–Thursday, April 10 - Exhibit at the South Wood Co Historical Museum will be on display from 1-4pm. This exhibit will be up at the Museum the entire month of April. The exhibit will reflect the history of Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival; inform people of current events celebrating one of Wisconsin’s rare birds; and honors the late (Frederick and Frances) Hamerstrom’s literary and scientific work to save the bird from extirpation in Wisconsin. Books by Fran, her daughter, Elva, and her granddaughter, Lita Judge will also be displayed. A coloring page, created by Joe Riederer, will be available as a children’s activity in the Solarium. The exhibit will also include a prairie chicken mount from Sandhill Wildlife Area, a memorial to Dan O’Connell-who dedicated 35 years to conservation and the species, a variety of video tapes, voice tapes, books. The Booming Bob prairie chicken costume will be on display and the history of the Prairie Chicken Festival. There will be a link to the Waushara County Historical Society that includes Fran and Fredrick Hamerstrom history. The month of April will also include a traveling exhibit featuring Laura Engels Wilder.      
  • Thursday, April 10–Sunday, April 13 - Sit in Prairie Chicken Observation Blinds available at Buena Vista and Paul J Olson Wildlife Areas. Blinds were constructed by Lincoln and Auburndale High School Agricultural classes. The Farmers of the Mill Creek Watershed Council store and move the blinds into place on the leks in the Spring. Over 80 people from across the Country will have an opportunity to visit the community to view the greater prairie chicken.
  • Friday, April 11 - We host Keynote speakers Nikki Kallio, Dr. Kirk Johnson (pending) or Lita Judge (via video) at McMillan Memorial Library from 6-8 pm. 
  • Saturday, April 12 - Prairie chicken blind viewing opportunities. A grassland birding bus tour with Susan Vos, Marsha and Elizabeth as birding guides. Once blind viewers return to the barn, they will join area producers/landowners, public and natural resource professionals for breakfast by Chatter-R-Box catering. During breakfast speakers will present on: Festival Planning Committee, Farmers of the Mill Creek Watershed Council, Live kestrel, Conservation Education and Outreach efforts, National Audubon Society efforts at Paul J Olson Wildlife Area and a memorial to Dan O’Connell. Exhibits will also be available for visitors along with a silent auction. Exhibitors include North Central Conservancy Trust, Bird City, The Nature Conservancy, Ice Age Trail Alliance, NRCS/Pheasants Forever, Green Fire, Aldo Leopold Audubon Society, WI DNR, Farmers of the Mill Creek Watershed Council, The Prairie Chicken Project, Wild Ones, National Audubon Society, Wisconsin Society of Ornithology and Natural Resources Foundation.
  • Sunday, April 13 - Prairie chicken blind viewing opportunities. Exhibit at the South Wood Co Historical Museum will be on display from 1-4 pm and children’s activity in Solarium.
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**WATCH A 2022 NEWS STORY ON EFFORTS TO BUILD LOCAL PRAIRIE CHICKEN POPULATIONS**

To see more Prairie Chicken videos go to our Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival YouTube Page.
Sunday April 14
            Bird Viewing 4:15- 8:00 (blinds may be full)

For any specific questions about the Prairie Chicken Festival, email: [email protected]. On Facebook go to:  WIPrairieChickenFestival and Clean Green Action. To see Prairie Chicken videos go to the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival YouTube Page.
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