On June 10, the Whispering Bluffs team helped raise funds for the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin. We were proud to support the museum’s annual Circus of Chefs Gala by serving our wines to guests and donating a gift basket.
Celebrating Circus History at Baraboo
Baraboo was the original home of the Ringling Brothers. It was from this small town that their first circus set out on tour in 1884. The town remained circus headquarters and wintering grounds until 1918. That year, Ringling Brothers combined with the Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Over the years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus entertained more than a quarter of a billion people. In 2017, The Greatest Show on Earth® took its final bow at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Today, the museum is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society and operated by the non-profit Circus World Museum Foundation. It holds one of the largest collections of circus materials in the world. Collections include posters, photography, artifacts and circus wagons used by shows from all over the United States. It also hosts live circus performances throughout the summer.
Circus of Chefs Featured Food, Silent Auctions and a Circus Performance
Over 500 guests sampled a wide selection of food and drinks made by more than 30 professional chefs, vintners and brew masters from south central Wisconsin.
They bid on a gargantuan array of silent auction items. We donated a Whispering Bluffs Winery gift basket filled with our Meadowlark wine and a selection of wine accessories.
In keeping with the theme of the 1950s, we decorated our table with vintage soda fountain decorations.
Guests enjoyed seven wines from Whispering Bluffs:
- Meadowlark
- Trumpeter Swan
- Maréchal Foch
- Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
- Wisconsin Robin
- Kingfisher
- Red Tail Hawk
The Circus of Chefs Gala culminated with a performance featuring Circus World’s galaxy of professional circus stars.
“We consider it an honor and a privilege to give back to the Wisconsin communities that have done so much for our winery,” said Winemaker Wes Helmick. “We were thrilled to bring home this beautiful statue in honor of our participation.”