62 years of tradition
The 62nd Horse & Buggy Days will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, with activities starting at 8 a.m. and lasting until 11 p.m.
The parade
The line-up starts at 10:30 a.m. at the fairgrounds. The parade starts at noon. and heads to Main Street. The kiddie parade will lead the main parade. The parade goes down Main Street to Mill Street, turns right onto North Mill Street and right on to Wisconsin Street. Volunteers will be asked to continue to march to the Crossroads Care Facility for a “mini parade.”
East Main Street will be closed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. parking is available in the city lot off Wisconsin Street, the city lot off Alfred Street and along streets near the downtown area.
King and queen
The king and queen of Horse & Buggy Days are David and Mary Werth. They will celebrate 60 years together August 22, 2024.
David Werth grew up in Oconomowoc and Mary (Brownlow) Werth was born and raised in Wild Rose. They met while attending the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Dave studied law at Marquette University and graduated in 1967. Werth has been a lawyer in Weyauwega since 1967, working as as a partner with Van Epps & Gull and Van Epps & Werth, along with working as Weyauwega’s city attorney.
He has been a member of the Weyauwega Area Chamber of Commerce, the Weyauwega-Fremont Lions Club, the Weymont Run Golf Course, Weyauwega Industrial Development, Inc. and the Waupaca County Economic Development group. He is an active member of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church, has worked as a member of the St. Peter Lutheran Foundation, and has served as church president. Dave was a chairman of the Horse & Buggy Days Parade Committee for many years.
Mary taught English for four years at Oconomowoc High School while Dave finished law school.
She taught at Weyauwega High School from 1968-1999. For over 40 years, Mary has servesd on the Weyauwega Public Library Board and is involved in keeping it and history alive.
She, along with Bill and Joan Mall, put together the Weyauwega Remembers book for the community’s 2006 sesquicentennial. She has also assisted in compiling other historic books.
Along with those skills, she was a member of the Weyauwega Garden Club, Kensington Bridge Club, and the AAUW-Waupaca. She is also an active member of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church and its Ladies Aid club.
Activities
The VFW will host a pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The Weyauwega Scouts will host a brat fry after the pancake breakfast that will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Refinery Church will host a free lunch in front of the church before the parade and it will last until the food runs out.
The Dahlke Life Celebration Center will host bingo games from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The Weyauwega Area Historical Society will host a pie and ice cream social in the community room of city hall after the parade. In years past, the line of people is long as the homemade pies are in big demand.
Picklebellies Pub will serve pulled pork barbecue from 11 a.m. until it’s all gone.
The Former Horse &Buggy Days Kings & Queens Brunch will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 200 S. Pine in Weyauwega at 9:30 a.m. It is catered and provided by Crossroads Care Center of Weyauwega.
The Weyauwega Historical Society will offer tours of landmark homes in the community. This is the second year of the tour. The people-moving trailer is like a picnic table on wheels that is pulled by a pick-up truck. The tour is narrated and heavy with local history. Tours will be at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Tickets are limited and sell out quickly. Meet behind city hall.
Vendors will be set up along the sidewalks of East Main Street.
Main Street Klippers is hosting a beard and mustache contest.
DJ Reggie’s Mobile Entertainment will crank the tunes and will be set-up near Heckey’s Computer Service & Pet Store.
There will be free buggy rides for two hours after the parade provided by L&M Carriage Service. The starting and ending points of the ride is behind city hall.
Grewe’s Blacksmith Shop will host blacksmithing demonstrations.
There will be children’s games on Main Street after the parade.
Wega Arts organized a pop-up photo booth at the Gerold Opera House. There will be dress-up costumes available.
Live music by the Loose Cannons will start at 6 p.m. and they will play until 10 p.m.