Public Events Calendar

The McFarland Historical Society invites you to their annual meeting on March 2, 2025, from 1 to 3 pm, in the Training Room at the McFarland Municipal Building at 5915 Milwaukee Street. All are welcome–you do not need to be a MHS member!

2025 Guest Speaker

We are very pleased to have Bill Quackenbush give a presentation on the history and culture of the Ho-Chunk Nation who called Wisconsin their home. One of their villages was located at what is now Babcock County Park along Lake Waubesa. Bill is a Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Tribal Member and serves as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Cultural Resources Division Manager for the Ho-Chunk Nation. You will enjoy Bill’s easy and engaging manner as he takes you back to the early 1800s and before when his predecessors lived lightly on the land. He will also talk about more recent projects and concerns.

2025 Volunteer of the Year

This year, MHS will be honoring lifelong McFarland resident Tim Mitchell. After 39 years working at Wisconsin Power and Light, Tim retired and soon became the consummate volunteer. He helps family, neighbors and local organizations. Tim has been a Lion’s Club member for many years where he enjoys building playgrounds and doing vision screening for young children. He cooks on his grill for the McFarland Lutheran Church “Holy Smokes” picnic supper and Vacation Bible School.

Tim joined the McFarland Historical Society board of directors in 2004 and served about six years.  He helped install a new furnace, cleaned out the gutters and did other maintenance projects at the museum on Main Street.  In 2014, Tim became part of the mowing crew at the Larson House.  He also hauls dirt, brush and aerates the lawn as needed.  Tim and his wife Jane are volunteers for the Strawberry Shortcake Social each June.  He is part of the crew that hauls Christmas trees from the basement and attic to the various rooms in the Larson House and then puts them back into storage in January. This past September, Tim was a demonstrator at the Early Days of McFarland event, showing kids how an old corn sheller works.

The Ladies’ Afternoon tea takes place either inside or outside the Larson House Museum, depending on the weather. Attendees are asked to wear moderately dressy attire (i.e., something you might wear as a wedding guest).

This event features a wide selection of delicious finger sandwiches, sweet treats, and teas. It is open to about 16 participants, and reservations are required. All proceeds benefit the McFarland Historical Society.

The Mothers” Day tea takes place inside the Larson House Museum. Attendees are asked to wear moderately dressy attire (i.e., something you might wear as a wedding guest).

This event features a wide selection of delicious finger sandwiches, sweet treats, and teas served on historic tableware. It is open to about 16 participants, and reservations are required. All proceeds benefit the McFarland Historical Society.

To raise funds for the LHM gardens, Larson House volunteer and Master Gardener Gail Aaroen and a team of volunteers dig extra perennials from the garden. After washing off the soil, they replant in sterilized potting soil and sell the plants from the LHM driveway. This is a hugely popular plant sale that you won’t want to miss!

Plants include flowering and non-flowering plants suitable for full-sun to part-shade. Many Wisconsin native species are available.

The Strawberry Shortcake Social is an annual event at the the Larson House Museum at 6003 Exchange Street and features McFarland’s best strawberry shortcake! The strawberries are freshly picked and the shortcake is homemade.

The event also boasts a variety of live entertainment acts, lawn games and free tours of the Larson House.  Beverages and hot dogs are also served with all proceeds benefiting the McFarland Historical Society.  Hundreds of people come back year after year for this family-friendly event.

The upcoming social will be held June 22, 2025 from 1 to 5 pm. Our slate of entertainers this year includes:

1-3 pm — Singing duo “Susie and Randy,” featuring Luanne Platte

3-5 pm — The Jackie Marie band

Tours of other historical museums and others points of interest are planned for all members and friends, usually in August.

Tours have included Old World Wisconsin near Eagle, Wisconsin, the Rotary Gardens and Tallman House at Janesville, Wisconsin, and the World Circus Museum at Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Guided walks around downtown McFarland cover topics such as railway history, cemetery tours, and beautiful historic homes.

In conjunction with the 2024 McFarland Community Festival, the McFarland History Museum held an “Early Days of McFarland” event at 5814 Main Street. We have not yet decided if we will repeat this event in 2025.

The History Museum, Norwegian Log Cabin and Early Farming displays were open to the public. People of all ages attended and participated in a variety of fun activities.

Our 2024 event featured several live music groups, as well as demos of butter churning, corn shelling, wool spinning, and ice-cream making. Potawatomi native and McFarland resident Art Shegonee presented an exhibit that included a full-sized teepee and beautiful native regalia and Ho-Chunk family photos. Channel 3 did two live interviews with us about the event.

Our Very Victorian Christmas is a popular free event that takes place at the Larson House Museum (LHM) every Sunday in December from 1 to 4 pm. The Larson House Museum is a Queen Anne style Victorian home built in 1898 and furnished to represent the 1920’s when electricity first came to McFarland. It’s a great place to bring out-of-town guests that are visiting for the holidays.

Take a guided tour and enjoy the unique trees and decorations in every room of this photogenic gingerbread house. Don’t forget to grab a survey sheet and vote on your favorite room!  Complimentary beverages and cookies are served in the kitchen after your tour.

The first Saturday of December, the LHM is also open from 10 am to 4 pm as part of McFarland’s “Christmas in the Village.” Along with free tours, fancy treats and hot beverages are served to guests. Christmas music is played on the piano from 10 am until 3 pm. A reading of “T’was the Night Before Christmas” is given at 3 pm, followed by Christmas carols around the living room tree.

Admission is free and donations are welcomed. A Very Victorian Christmas is also a great opportunity to pick up some last-minute gifts, which often include succulent arrangements by Wes Licht, gourd Santa ornaments by Thelma Allen, t-shirts, and wrapped gift baskets.

Between 2022-2024, we have held a number of murder mystery evenings at the Larson House Museum. These events require a reservation and involve 8-20 costumed participants, in addition to a few volunteer servers and actors. Characters are assigned by the Murder Mystery Committee. Guests come up with appropriate costumes and arrive at the lovely Larson House at the date and time specified on their invitation.  Costumes do not need to be elaborate and anything you need can easily be purchased at a thrift store.

During these mysteries, our “John Larson” manikin has suffered horrible deaths by poison in his champagne, an exploding chocolate Easter egg, a candlestick to the head, etc.  Themes have involved various decades and countries (e.g., 1960s France), with food and background music to match. Guests enjoy elaborate and tasty food served to all in the dining room, champagne, wine, or non-alcoholic beverages and an evening of fun as everyone tries to solve the “who done” it mystery.