Gala of Chefs at Baraboo

Friends of Circus World to gather at annual Gala
By Brian D. Bridgeford /News Republic Posted: Thursday, June 10, 2010 9:22 pm

Friends of Baraboo's Circus World Museum will enjoy an evening of fine food and drink Sunday when the museum holds its annual Circus of Chefs, The Gala 2010, organizers say.
The festivities begin at 5 p.m. and take place in the W.W. Deppe Wagon Pavilion on the south side of the Baraboo River near the Parkinson Research Library on Lynn Street. Tickets are $125 per person with $100 of that amount being a tax-deductible donation to the museum, according to the CWM Web site.

Chefs, vintners and brewers representing 34 area restaurants, wineries and breweries will be sharing their creations with guests, said CWM Executive Director Steve Freese. It represents the largest group of food and beverage providers who have yet come to The Gala.
"People will have an opportunity to taste appetizers, entrées and desserts from the chefs, plus beer, wine and coffee from the beverage purveyors," he said. "We have Yahara Bay Distillery providing the vodka for the (complimentary) martini bar."

The CWM Web site lists a wide variety of restaurants represented, from Baraboo's The Barn Restaurant and Glacier Rock Restaurant and Bar in West Baraboo to Kaminski Brothers Chop House in Wisconsin Dells and Restaurant Magnus from Madison.

This year the museum will have an unusually large number of items to offer through the live and silent auctions, Freese said. In years past CWM has benefited anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000 from items people buy during the auctions.

Wine enthusiasts can participate in the cork sale, he said. CWM will have one of the lion cages filled with bottles of wine with values from $10 to $300. People can buy a cork with a number corresponding to one of the bottles of wine in the cage, Freese said. "There will be like Crown Royal and Wild Turkey and some of the premium alcohol in there," he said. "Everybody's a winner."

Circus of Chefs contributors will also enjoy a circus show right in the Deppe building, he added.
Freese said they have already had a strong response of businesses and individuals purchasing tickets, often occupying whole tables, so he expects a good turn out of guests and a strong benefit for the museum.

The Circus of Chefs is one of the largest fundraising events in Wisconsin, he said.
"We have already sold $131,000 in table sales so we're well on our way to exceeding our goal of $150,000," Freese said. "I think we will hit the 500 mark on guests."
Freese said CWM's staff has been very busy and response from the public has been good since the performance season opened in May.

"We've had enormous (public) turn out," he said. "Opening weekend with the Wild West Show just broke all records for the opening weekend."

Information about the Gala, CWM's summer performance lineup and museum exhibits may be found at the Web site - http://circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org.
Send e-mail to bbridgeford@capitalnewspapers.com

If You Go
• What: Circus of Chefs CWM Gala
• When: 5 p.m. Sunday
• Where: W.W. Deppe Wagon Pavilion, near Parkinson Library on Lynn Street
• Tickets: $125 per person with $100 a tax-deductible donation to CWM
• Info online: http://circusworld.wisconsinhistory.org
Thirty-four chefs, vintners and brewers from around South-Central Wisconsin will provide an evening of fine food and drink. CWM will provide a circus performance and live and silent auctions will be held.