Viroqua

Visit Viroqua
Viroqua is a small Midwestern city with a strong personality. In the midst of  geographical splendor, long-term residents and relative newcomers alike have converged to create an human environment that calls to artists, writers, natural healers and to families looking for a reasonably-paced life full of community warmth.

People often marvel at the robustness of this little town. Quite apart from any stereotype of "nothing to do" in a small town, residents are often torn between having to choose from a number of events and offerings.
While a thriving town, Viroqua is still fundamentally rural. Even on residential streets, you can occasionally hear a cow or the howl of a coyote. Just minutes from downtown in any direction lie the gorgeous hills and valleys of the Coulee Region covered with farmland or tall woods. There is much to discover both in Viroqua and the surrounding area.

History
In 1852 when its founder, Moses Decker, donated 40 acres of land, voters decided that Viroqua would be Vernon County's seat. As such, the town has grown to be the place where people from smaller towns around the county come not only to get their marriage license or accomplish other civic tasks, but also to shop, dine or have a night on the town.

Today, the spirit of Decker lives on in the generosity of Viroqua's community. Residents have worked together on several community projects to better the town, including restoring an old theater, creating a splendid downtown playground and park, working towards a new animal shelter and putting together a huge community arena. The Vernon County Historical Society is also in Viroqua.

Shopping & Services
Viroqua has a thriving infrastructure. The north side commercial area includes the locally-owned grocery store, a movie theater, fast-food restaurants, several car dealerships and a 24-hour Wal-Mart. Drive a bit further into the old Main Street and you'll find the charming historic buildings that house businesses established and run by local families, some of them for more than a 100 years. There's Art Vision, which boasts work from artists both local and far-flung, plus fabulous art supplies and a fun kids' toy section. There are several other interesting shops, including an art gallery in an indoor market, an Asian foods shop, music and instrument shop, a precious stone shop, a jeweler, and several antique shops. On the practical side, the town has two pharmacies, a valuable hardware and farm store, furniture stores, and clothing stores, nearly all of them family-owned.

The town has a full-service hospital, an eye clinic and several other mainstream clinics. There is also an amazing array of alternative health care options in the area, including massage therapists, acupuncturists, herbalists and others. The hospital will soon open an alternative medicine wing. 

Food
Food is one of the highlights of the area. This county has one of the highest number of organic farms in the United States. It is easy to buy from the many small organic farms in the area producing high-quality produce, dairy products, eggs and meat. Residents really know the seasons by the foods that come right off the farm -- neighbors are maple syruping, fresh sweet corn is hawked on street corners, pumpkins grow in the fields nearby. The farmer's market, held from spring through fall, is an abundance of carrots and broccoli, flowers and herbs, honey and bread, and the Amish baskets and other homemade products. If it's not Saturday morning, the Viroqua Food Co-op is the place to find all the beautiful, organic produce and other goods that are grown in this fertile land. Besides shopping, the co-op is also the gathering spot -- earning its tag of "the black hole:"  you can go in, but conversations make it pretty tough to get out. Community Supported Agriculture is alive and well in the area with such fine choices as the Bad Axe Farmer's Alliance  and Harmony Valley Farm .

Entertainment
In this little town of 4300, people make interesting things happen. Residents worked together to restore the Temple Theatre  on Main St. and now the theater season is lively. The Viroqua Fine Arts Association brings world-class musicians to our stages, Bramble Books  keeps writers and poets coming through, local cafes bring in bands and other live entertainment. The people here like to move: there's yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, salsa, swing and African dance. Boys and girls play hockey at the Viroqua Community Arena . The parks program has many sports and activities for kids, available through the city. And summer isn't summer without the cries of fans from "the park bowl" where baseball still means hotdogs and popcorn and good fun Less formally, there are many groups that meet  to discuss books, financial investments, business alliances, biodynamics and other areas of interest. Another resource available to brush up on Spanish or learn computer skills is right downtown at the Western Wisconsin Technical College .

Natural Wonders
The geography of the Viroqua area is unique because the glaciers missed this region and left not only the gorgeous rolling hills and the craggy rock outcroppings, but also many species of plants that aren't found elsewhere. Viroqua is 20 minutes from the Mississippi River and 20 minutes from the trails and canoeing in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. The reserve is almost 8,600 acres of land available for hiking, skiing, horseback riding, biking and camping. The closest state park, Wildcat Mountain, is in the reserve. In or out of the reserve, visitors and residents alike are constantly amazed by the beauty of the area. Biking is a favorite activity in the area with some of the best biking trails in the region just an hour or two away.
Nearby, the county park system has designated several parks with trails, camping, picnic areas and swimming spots.

Even little Viroqua is speckled with small city parks and graced with one major playground/picnic area/baseball field/ in beautiful Eckhart Park. This is where you're sure to catch someone you know as the kids run and play in the enclosed playground.

Financial Aspects
Although the opportunity for high-paying jobs in Viroqua is limited, the cost of living here is still manageable. A three-bedroom house in good condition can still be found for $100,000. Try one of the many realtors in the area: http://www.openprojects.net/wi/viroqua/realtors.htm Many people in town are not traditional 9 to 5ers, but make a living more creatively. Some people cobble together a living by working on several projects at a time. There's a lot of construction work, other's some telecommute and some freelance. There are craftspeople and a large network of alternative healers. Two of the biggest employers in the area are the Vernon County Hospital  and Organic Valley, the country's largest organic cooperative of small family farms. Some people also commute for work to LaCrosse, 30 miles to the north, or even Madison, two hours to the south.

The School
The Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School, with about 100 families, has become an integral part of this small town. Some of us live in town and some of us live in the country - the school draws from 2800 square miles. After 25 years, the lines between "the school community" and "the locals" are still there, but the lines are blurring. The school affects the outside community and the outside community affects the school. We all work to be good neighbors and continue to blur the lines.

Since so many in the school community come from places around the country and around the world, there is an eclectic and interesting group of people who contribute to the varied experience of life in Viroqua. We're raising our children together, eating together (potlucks are important in this town) and working together. We've gathered here, where the immense beauty of the land is matched by the solid integrity of its residents. We've found a small bit of paradise in southwestern Wisconsin. Maybe you'll come join us!