Courtesy Visit Stoughton
The Yahara RIver Trail bridge.
Walk over or paddle under: the Yahara River Trail bridge.
You might say summer starts early in Stoughton, with its annual mid-May Syttende Mai festival that celebrates Norway’s Constitution Day. It’s not unusual to see people wearing bunads, the traditional Norwegian folk costume, and eating lefse, a Scandinavian flatbread made with riced potato and often topped with a simple combo of butter and sugar.
Even if you missed Syttende Mai, there are plenty of other reasons — and opportunities — to enjoy a Stoughton summer. You can take a trip to Norway without leaving the country, start your career as a fine art collector, engage in an eclectic dining experience, enjoy a concert, hike trails or kayak on the Yahara River — all in one day, if you’re ambitious.
Alt for Norge
The Norwegian flag hangs proudly from city light poles, and Livsreise, Stoughon’s Norwegian heritage center, 277 W. Main St., teaches visitors about the city’s immigrant past.
“Stoughton was founded by an Englishman, settled by the Norwegians and run by the Germans,” says Jerry Grytenholm, who is in charge of operations there.
Courtesy of Livsreise
Livsreise Norwegian Heritage Center.
Livsreise means ‘life’s journey,’ and the center tells the stories of many Norwegian immigrants.
Luke Stoughton was born in the state of Vermont in 1799. He visited Wisconsin in 1837, and the following year moved his family to Janesville, according to records at the Stoughton Historical Society. In 1847, he purchased land in Dane County and platted the village that’s now Stoughton.
Stoughton promoted the area to his friends. “He started several business ventures and influenced the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien Railroad to run their line through Stougton,” a display inside the Stoughton Historical Society Museum reads, next to a portrait of Luke Stoughton.
That railroad helped seed Norwegian settlement into the city, says Nancy Hagen, president of the Stoughton Historical Society, as well as other European immigrants. “Norwegians are particularly crafty people,” Hagen says. “It's incredible, some of the architecture in this town.”
That artistic quality is also evident in the town’s plentiful rosemaling, a kind of decorative painting featuring distinctive and intricate floral patterns on furniture, plates and other household objects.
Rosemaling is on display in the museum and in several antique shops and galleries in town. The Nordic Nook gift shop, 176 W. Main St., specializes in selling rosemaling and other Scandinavian-themed gifts.
Stoughton’s also the headquarters of the Wisconsin State Rosemaling Association, which means rosemaling classes often take place nearby in the Dunkirk Town Hall, 654 County Road N. This July there are classes in Hallingdal, a particular rosemaling style. The association also offers classes in sami bracelet making in August. See a schedule at wirosemaling.org/workshops.
Fosdal Home Bakery, 243 E. Main St., bakes lefse Tuesday through Sunday.
Viking Brew Pub at 211 E. Main St. serves Norwegian meatballs as the special on Saturday nights; its lingonberry dipping sauce, that goes along with mostly American appetizers, also offers a taste of Norway. Cheesers LoKal Market, 183 E. Main St., carries a number of Norwegian-themed goods including lingonberry preserves and special cheeses.
Sons of Norway-Mandt Lodge, 317 S. Page St. (and built to look like a Norwegian cottage), holds community events to educate visitors about Stoughton’s Norwegian roots. On June 11 at 7 p.m. Jason M. Schroeder of the UW-Madison Scandinavian studies department will speak on "Midsommar på Åland: Continuity and Change" — the history of Nordic midsummer celebrations. That’s also, appropriately, the lodge’s midsommar program.
Not everything is Norwegian
Yahara Chocolate & Tea, 261 Main St., sells chocolate, tea and pottery. Owner Brook Johnson thinks his shop “adds to the destination feeling” of downtown Stoughton.“Throughout the year, we have more than 400 different craft chocolate bars on our shelves. For a brick and mortar store, this is the largest selection of chocolate bars in the entire Midwest and in the top five stores in the entire country.”
Spry Whimsy Fiber Arts, located at 168 W. Main St., sells yarn and spinning equipment. “People come from all over due to the teachers we bring in and the quality supplies and extensive selection we offer,” says Ingrid McMasters, owner of Spry Whimsy. “We have a particularly welcoming and inclusive vibe that makes people feel comfortable. They come for the camaraderie and socials. The fiber arts tend to fill a mental health need for most of our community.”
Abel Contemporary Gallery, located inside a restored tobacco mill at 524 E. Main St., moved to Stoughton from Paoli in 2019, “banking on what we already saw as a vibrant arts community,” says gallery owner and artist Theresa Abel. “We represent some of the best local artists and pair them with regional and national artists.”
The gallery gets a boost from its proximity to the Stoughton Opera House at 381 E. Main St.
“The Opera House brings so much more than live music entertainment,” says Christina Dollhausen, the development coordinator for the historic venue. “With 80-plus shows a season, it draws thousands of visitors downtown, where they eat, shop, stay overnight, and discover the best of what Stoughton has to offer.”
A recent economic impact study showed that in 2024, the Opera House generated more than $3 million in local economic activity, says Dollhausen, “above and beyond the price of a ticket.”
As a small historic venue, the Opera House often draws name entertainers who like playing there just for the intimate nostalgic feel and enthusiastic audiences. For instance, the great Taj Mahal is playing there June 17.
Tim Erickson
The interior of the Stoughton Opera House.
The 1901 Stoughton Opera House lends concerts a special vibe.
Get a dose of nature, too
Summer in Stoughton is “all about going outside and getting the most of the warm weather,” says Tony King, superintendent of Stoughton Parks and Recreation, adding the town is a great place to start any outdoor adventure — biking, hiking or paddling.
Lake Kegonsa is just a few minutes away and offers great opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming. “The Yahara River is also a favorite as it runs through the heart of the city and it’s a beautiful spot for kayaking and canoeing if you’re looking for something more relaxing,” says King.
One likely spot to launch a canoe or kayak to head downstream to Stoughton is La Follette County Park. Take out at Viking County Park (about a three-mile paddle) or Riverside Park in Stoughton (about 5.25 miles).
A lesser-known spot (to out-of-towners, anyway) that King recommends is the city’s Troll Beach in Mandt Park, 401 Mandt Parkway, which features clean city-treated water, zero-depth entry, a sandy beach, beach chairs, shade structures and in-water inflatable play structures, “so it’s a great option for families.” It’s kind of like a swimming pool that’s also a small clean lake. Non- resident fee is $9.50/day, $8.50/day for kids 15 and under.
“Mandt Park is undergoing some exciting renovations right now, and once it's finished, it’s going to be a major event hub,” says King. Walking paths and access to the Yahara River are also being planned.
King also recommends Lowell Park “for people who love nature. It has everything from hiking trails and a zip line to a basketball court, and the Mel Bakke Bike Park,” a dirt bike area. “It’s a great example of how Stoughton blends outdoor recreation with community spirit.”
The Yahara River Trail, also part of the Stoughton parks system, starts on the banks of the Yahara with a small parking area at the intersection of Cooper’s Causeway and Ridge Street in Stoughton, and continues through marsh and woods until it dead-ends in a business park. Even so, it’s good for quiet walking and bicycling.
Eventually, if the Yahara River Park project comes to fruition, the area where Stoughton’s dam blocks the Yahara will become a family-oriented river park with “a series of drop pools” for paddling and tubing, according to the Stoughton Recreation Department’s website.
What roads lead to Stoughton?
This summer, Highway 51 east of Stoughton (between Interstate 39/90 and Stoughton) is closed. Instead take Highway 51 south from McFarland, or Highway N and follow the signs for the detour.
Festivals, festivals and more festivals
If you missed Syttende Mai, you still have options.
Music fans should look for the Catfish River Music Festival, held July 3-6 at the historic Stoughton Opera House and Rotary Park.
The Stoughton Fair, July 2-6, is a classic fair experience with carnival rides, food vendors, and live entertainment.
