Opening marked with public celebration

For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD – The Wenzel Family Plaza opens to the public July 11, with a grand opening celebration.

Construction on the future Wenzel Family Plaza began Sept. 8, on land that served as parking space and an abandoned lot, in an effort to reinvent Marshfield’s downtown area.

Marshfield is joining a growing number of municipalities following on the successes of established public plazas, such as the Rapid City, SD, Main Street Square, which sees 600,000 visitors each year.

The Wenzel Family Plaza will serve as a multiuse, year-round gathering space for the community for events, relaxation, art, and entertainment, and was built with a combination of city and private funds, which includes a large contribution by the Wenzel family, creators of Wenzel Farm Sausage.

Some of the features and uses of the plaza, include: a performance stage for outdoor concerts, a visually appealing water feature for kids to cool off in the hot summer days, dining and seating areas, parking for the plaza and the surrounding downtown area, and outdoor farmers markets.

The grand opening celebration begins at 5:30 p.m. July 11 on the plaza grounds at 201 S. Chestnut Ave., with food and refreshments and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. The Marshfield Civic Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. and Hub City Jazz with perform at 8 p.m.

For information on future plaza events, visit www.mainstreetmarshfield.com/wenzel-family-plaza.