Food, music, hoops, beer, and more await attendees

By Kris Rued-Clark

Contributor

MARSHFIELD — Quick trivia question: Do you know why Marshfield is called the Hub City? The term was coined because so many train tracks cut through early Marshfield that, on a map, the city looked like the hub of a wheel with train tracks forming the spokes.

It is fitting that Marshfield, the City in the Center, celebrates Hub City Days in the center of the city at the midpoint of summer. The event celebrates Marshfield’s downtown and is planned by Main Street Marshfield. Hub City Days will take place next weekend with events on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25.

Friday’s events include a free movie shown outdoors on Central Avenue, a children’s duathlon, and judging for the sidewalk art chalk contest.Saturday brings a full schedule, including the Hub City Days Duathlon, food and craft vendors, a brew fest, car show, beer garden, the 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament, a pork cook off, the Amazing Race – Marshfield edition, martial arts and dance demonstrations, and a street dance featuring the band Cherry Gun.

This year marks the second year of planning Hub City Days for Angie Eloranta, the executive director of Main Street Marshfield.

“We’ve added a lot of different activities, and we make sure there’s plenty to do for all ages,” said Eloranta.

This is also the second year for the Hub City Hoops 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament for boys and girls in grades four through eight.

“We really hope to grow the basketball tournament,” said Eloranta. She said the tournament brings people from surrounding communities and throughout Wisconsin to Marshfield, with many sign-ups from people who live one to three hours away.

Hub City Days is the biggest annual event and biggest fundraiser for Main Street Marshfield.

“It allows us to carry on our excellent programs,” added Eloranta. All of the events are held on Central Avenue.

“We like to keep it downtown, to create awareness of our downtown area and all of the businesses and stores in the area,” Eloranta said.

Each year new events are added to longtime favorites. This year, back by popular request, the car show returns to Central Avenue from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. As the entry fee is being sponsored by various businesses, entry is free to all participants. Area cooks will compete for the bragging rights to the best pork around. And with plenty of food vendors, no one will go home hungry.

Recalling last year’s event, Eloranta said, “It was a lot of fun. A lot of volunteers come together to make it all work.”

She estimated that over 100 volunteers help run the event and that about 8,000 people attend. Eloranta’s favorite part of Hub City Days? The band and the street dance.

“It brings such a big crowd, and everyone is having fun,” she said.

For a detailed schedule listing dates and times, visit mainstreetmarshfield.com.