Rudolph Wisconsin Lives up to its Name

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Last summer my family and I traveled to the Wisconsin Dells for our summer vacation. For those of you who do not know, Wisconsin Dells is the waterpark capital of the Midwest. If not the waterpark capital of the nation. The family had a great time.

Whenever we go on vacation we look for local restaurants to try out while in town. Craving a good breakfast one morning we stumbled into “Denny’s Diner”, not to be confused with the “Denny’s” restaurant chain. Denny’s Diner offered a great breakfast, but also some good conversation with others dining there.

I had a good conversation with two ladies who hailed from northeast of the Dells. They talked of a number of the other attractions of central Wisconsin. But they specifically pointed out a little town called Rudolph which caught my attention.

The Setting of Rudolph, Wisconsin

Incorporated in 1960, the Village of Rudolph now has a population of 432. This is not some large municipality with a large cast of experienced staff creating exemplary events in conjunction with a robust chamber of commerce. This is a village, the smallest municipality type in Wisconsin. Yet the community boasts a couple of attractions and a Christmas event that draws interest from miles around.

Being of such a small size, there are no chain restaurants or retail stores. But the residents there are quite proud of what they do have. The village website mentions the local banking institutions, a gas station, a body shop, and a hair salon. There’s also Patsy’s Bar and Bowl, a bar with a bowling alley available for the townspeople.

There’s also Pete’s Market, a combination grocery store, butcher shop, and meat processing plant. Pete’s is a regional draw for deer hunters from mid-and-northern Wisconsin to process their venison.

Community Attractions

Nestled deep within the mass of dairy farms that populate central Wisconsin, Rudolph is an ideal location for a cheese factory. Wisconsin Dairy State Cheese Company is not only located in the middle of dairy country, it is located in the middle of downtown Rudolph. Prominently placed at the southeast corner of Main Street and Highway 34, this cheese factory sells over 100 varieties of cheeses. It also sells homemade sausage from Pete’s Market and novelty cheeses as well.

The community also has a rock that draws interest as well. Yes, a rock, but not your typical rock. This massive boulder initially became a canvas in 1971 and has been used to celebrate a variety of weddings, anniversaries, and other events since.

This community is also known as the “Home of the famous Grotto Shrine and Wonder Cave“. Drawing 30,000 visitors each year to Rudolph, the Grotto Shrine is an intriguing tourist attraction of trees, flowers, and man-made rock formations. The Wonder Cave, within the Grotto, is a one-fifth-mile passageway that has a design based on the catacombs in Rome.

This is a large influx of visitors each year (nearly 70 times the community’s population), but the community handles the flood of visitors with aplomb, often drawing return visits.

Father Wagner Memorial Museum, by Jonathunder; Wikimedia, GNU Free Documentation License

Galloping into Christmas

Christmas is where this community lives up to its name though. Okay, fine, the town is actually named after Rudolph Hecox. But most people who visit likely don’t know this and are intrigued by a Christmas celebration in a town that’s possibly named after a reindeer with a magical glowing nose. The annual Rudolph Country Christmas event is held on the second Saturday in December and has recently been

The first Rudolph Country Christmas was held in 2002. In 2003 a lighted Christmas parade was added to the roster of activities. Over 30 different entries follow the parade route, culminating with an appearance of Santa in his sleigh, pulled by Mr. Vitort’s horses.

Lighted Christmas Parade, Image courtesy of Christy Steinle

With the onset of COVID, event organizers sought to keep a sense of normalcy in their lives by keeping the event going. As event organizer, Christy Steinle states, “We created the outdoor Christmas Market to still have Rudolph Country Christmas and be respectful of Covid guidelines.” But Christy admits that this great idea was also fed her interest in the outdoor Christkindl Market. Markets that are popular in Europe and growing in interest on this side of the pond.

Rudolph Christmas Market, Image courtesy of Christy Steinle

Enough Events for Everyone

The event, typically held on the second Saturday in December, now has a wide array of activities and attractions. This year’s list of activities includes:

Run, Run Rudolph 5k
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides throughout Rudolph
Visits with Santa and his Reindeer on Main Street
“The largest Basket Raffle you’ve ever seen”
Mail your Holiday Cards @ the Post Office
Live Music with The Fuller Band
Carols sung by the local high school (AHS) Carolers
Christmas Rummage Sale, Brats and Cookies
Soup and Pie sale at the Legion Hall
Little Sprouts Petting Zoo on Main Street
Pop-Up Christmas Bar on Main Street
Face Painting and Smores Bar on Main Street
Food and Craft Vendors throughout the market

The Rudolph County Christmas Facebook page provides a look into this event with posts and pictures painting the picture of this great celebration.

Schedule of Events, Image courtesy of Christy Steinle

What’s in a Name?

The townspeople have truly bought into the Christmas magic that is tied to the name held in common with a classic Christmas story. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is the first thing people typically think of when they hear the name “Rudolph”. Though the town’s namesake isn’t a magical fictional reindeer, they have saddled up to what the name can do for their community.

Each year the Rudolph post office commissions an elementary school student to draw a one-day cancellation stamp that uses the famous reindeer in the design. There’s also a welcome sign at the entrance to the community on Highway 34 that includes an image of a reindeer head with a “lighted nose”. This brand is also seen on the street signs throughout the community where the reindeer’s image sits to the left of the street name.

Although Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s image on the street signs doesn’t stick out like a “red thumb”, it is just one piece of a successful implementation of a brand. The town has successfully incorporated the reindeer throughout the community in numerous ways.

Rudolph WI Stamp; Image courtesy of Christy Steinle

Takeaways

Rudolph, Wisconsin, is a prime example of a small town finding its niche and running with it. What this little village of less than 500 residents has done with its brand is something that communities 20 or even 40 times its size struggle with on a regular basis. Not everything in the community revolves around a cute red-nosed reindeer. But it doesn’t have to.

Another key takeaway is the level of involvement throughout town. Area businesses regularly sponsor different aspects of the event. As Christy states, “Rudolph is a unique town. It is filled with kind-hearted people willing to help in any way.”