What is your idea of the perfect Wisconsin summer road trip? If it involves a family adventure topped with squeaky cheese curds, handcrafted brats, and plenty of small-town charm, there’s a brand-new event with your name written all over it.
Welcome to the CheeseBall 500. It’s being dubbed the ultimate cheese and meat road trip with the month-long event putting a fun spin on supporting local businesses across Central Wisconsin. And despite the name, don’t expect race cars.
“It’s really more of a trail than a track,” laughs organizer Javin Krenn. He dreamed up this inaugural event as a way to bring families together while shining a spotlight on local food businesses. Krenn works in sales and marketing at United Process Piping in Marshfield, the main CheeseBall 500 sponsor.
LISTEN to Teri Barr’s interview with Javin Krenn, organizer of the CheeseBall 500:
More than a passport—it’s an adventure
Ready. Get set. Go! All you need to participate is a simple passport. You can pick one up at any of the participating businesses or at United Process Piping. Now the adventure begins.
Visit one — or stop in at all 20 of the small, family-owned cheese and meat stores and farms. You’ll earn a passport stamp with every purchase, whether you spend five dollars or fill a cooler with Wisconsin favorites.
The more stamps collected, the more chances you have to win prizes at the end of the month.
But the fun doesn’t stop there.
Trivia contests will be posted on Facebook throughout August. Krenn says it will give participants even more opportunities to win donated prizes while learning fun facts about the businesses along the trail.
“People love to win,” Krenn explained. “And the trivia lets people learn something new about these businesses at the same time.”
20 locations participating:
- Lynn Dairy, W1929 US 10 in Granton
- Nasonville Dairy (retail store), N14505 Sandhill Ave. in Curtiss
- Nasonville Dairy (main location), 10898 U.S. 10 W. in Marshfield
- Weber’s Farm Store, 9706 County Road H in Marshfield
- Mullins Cheese Retail Store, 203843 County Road DB in Mo20sinee
- Abbyland Travel Center, 219 Plaza Drive in Curtiss
- LaGrander’s Hillside Dairy Inc., W11299 Broek Road in Stanley
- Marieke Gouda, 200 W. Liberty Drive in Thorp
- Feltz’s Dairy Store, 5796 Porter Drive in Stevens Point
- J&S Processing LLC, 11656 Grant Lane in Marshfield
- Butcher Block 66, 1033 State 66 W. in Stevens Point
- Dairy State Cheese, 6860 State 34 in Rudolph
- Humbird Cheese, 2010 Eaton Ave. in Tomah
- Wisconsin River Meats, N5340 County Road HH in Mauston
- Harmony Cheese, 122480 Schnappsville Road in Athens
- Dutch Country Treats (formerly Hawkeye Dairy Store), 118 S. Fourth St. in Abbotsford
- Seehafer Farm Creamery LLC, 202600 State 97 in Marshfield
- Ray’s Market, 100620 Elderberry Road in Colby
- Custom Meats of Marathon Inc., 1300 State 107 in Marathon City
- OMG Butchering, 10624 State 73 in Pittsville
A family-friendly twist on a Wisconsin tradition
The idea of a Poker Run is nothing new in Wisconsin. But it can often be centered around bars.
Krenn wanted something a little different.
“I figured this would be something fun to do with your family,” he said. “Some people are looking for things to do together on the weekends.”
And many of the stops include family attractions, playgrounds, farm stores, and opportunities to explore. This makes it just as much about the experience as the cheese.
Each day, a different direction
The cheese and meat trail stretches across the central part of the state. It runs from Athens and Colby to Mosinee, Pittsville, Tomah, and beyond. And every stop is within one hour of Marshfield. But rather than trying to cram everything into one day, Krenn recommends tackling a different section each weekend.
“One trip might take families north toward cheese factories and farms. Another weekend could send drivers west or south in search of smoked meats, specialty cheeses and hidden gems,” Krenn shared. “You could do it all in one day, but you don’t really get to enjoy the various places and have time to look around.”
Bring a cooler… Trust us on this one
Krenn does offer one piece of advice. Bring a cooler.
Many of the participating businesses offer products you won’t find anywhere else.
A discovery that surprised him? A root beer brat.
“I wouldn’t have thought to put root beer in a brat,” he admits. “I tried it. It’s good. I bought a pack.”
Building something bigger
This year’s CheeseBall 500 is the first of its kind, but Krenn already has big dreams for the future.
He hopes participating businesses eventually host their own family-friendly events throughout August. He’s talking about bounce houses and kids’ activities to special promotions of all kinds. It could turn the CheeseBall 500 into an even bigger celebration of Wisconsin agriculture, food and community.
“I hope this grows,” he said. “I’d love to see these places hosting events that bring even more families out.”
The bottom line?
Wisconsin has never needed much of an excuse to celebrate cheese.
Now it has one more.
The CheeseBall 500 offers a delicious excuse to hit the road. And whether you’re chasing passport stamps, discovering your new favorite brat, filling a cooler with local specialties or simply spending a summer day exploring a town you haven’t visited in the past, it’s all part of the idea behind this event.
And it may already be delivering on what Krenn hoped for this event. He received word, just as we wrapped up our interview, that one family had already visited five locations and was having a blast.
For something new built around community, local businesses, and a whole lot of cheese, that’s a pretty gouda start.
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