Wisconsin Life

08/09/2026

Kevin Henkes, who lives in Madison, has written and illustrated nearly 50 picture books and more than a dozen children’s novels. His picture book “Kitten’s First Full Moon” won the Caldecott Medal in 2005, and has a rhythm that almost sings when you read it. That’s no accident, he told WPR's Wisconsin Life.

🖌️

Reporting: Jenny Peek (link in comments)
Photos: Angela Major

07/19/2026

Happy National Ice Cream Day! Celebrate by grabbing a scoop (or two) at The Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe, an iconic ice cream spot with more than 100 flavors in rotation. The Windmill has been part of the Berg family since 1993, and has since grown into a cornerstone of the Northwoods community!

Want to learn more about the Berg family and the Windmill’s history? Check out our website wisconsinlife.org for the full scoop!🍨

Have you ever stopped by the Windmill? Which ice cream flavor is your favorite?😋

The Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe in Tomahawk is a family summer tradition.

07/16/2026

When Winneconne was left off the state highway map, the village seceded from the state of Wisconsin. The stunt made national news and is still celebrated at the annual "Sovereign State Days," which takes place this July 16-19.

When Winneconne was left off the state highway map, the village seceded from Wisconsin. The stunt made national news and is still celebrated at the annual Sovereign State Days.

07/11/2026

Scores of camping chairs and event tents surrounded the basketball courts at Elver Park on Madison’s west side on a day in late June. The smell of carne asada rode a light breeze as basketballs arced through the air against the backdrop of thick summer clouds.

The crowd was gathered for Quiotepec en Wisconsin, a basketball tournament hosted annually for more than 10 years.

Event organizer Guillermo Martinez Melgar said while participating teams tend to be from the Midwest, some come from as far as California. The thing that connects them all, he said, is their shared roots in Oaxaca, Mexico.

🏀 Read more from Wisconsin Life: https://www.wpr.org/culture/quiotepec-en-wisconsin-oaxacan-basketball-midwest

Reporting and photos: Jonás Tijerino

07/08/2026

There are so many activities that define summertime as a kid. Maybe it’s running through a sprinkler. Trips to the library. Playing tag through the neighbors’ yards. For writer Ron Weber, it was playing baseball, something he looks back on with deeply fond memories. From Wisconsin Life

There are so many activities that define summertime as a kid. Maybe it’s running through a sprinkler. Trips to the library. Playing tag through the neighbors’ yards. For writer Ron Weber, it was playing baseball, something he looks back on with deeply fond memories. == It comes as the snow...

07/04/2026

Adams, Wisconsin, a small city north of Wisconsin Dells, celebrated America’s 250th birthday with an original play about their city and county namesake — founding father John Adams.

“In many ways, he’s kind of the forgotten founder,” said Adams County Historical Society president Michael Goc, who wrote the play. “We think of Washington and Franklin and Jefferson, but Adams was there all the time.”

Read and listen for more from WPR's Bridgit Bowden for Wisconsin Life : https://www.wpr.org/culture/abigail-john-adams-first-couple-united-states-second-president-spotlight-play-250

Photos: Angela Major

07/02/2026

As people across the state mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence with parades and fireworks, one Wisconsin community is celebrating a key figure in early American history with a new work of theater.

Adams, Wisconsin, a small city north of Wisconsin Dells, celebrated America’s 250th birthday with an original play about their city and county namesake — founding father John Adams.

https://bit.ly/4wHH8ZB

Adams, Wisconsin, a small city north of Wisconsin Dells, celebrated America's 250th birthday with an original play about their city and county namesake — founding father John Adams.

07/01/2026

Ojibwe dancer and designer Aerius Benton-Banai sees the jingle dress as medicine, not just clothing.

“I love to create dresses that are very contemporary but also reflect the knowledge with respect to the medicine dress,” Benton-Banai said. “I highly respect this dress and what it brings to the community. But I also see this dress moving forward into the future, which I’m really proud to be a part of.”

For Aerius Benton-Banai, the jingle dress is more than a garment; it is medicine. “When I started dancing jingle, I was going through a tough time in my life,” Benton-Banai said. “These dresses healed me, and they mean everything to me.” Benton-Banai is a Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe artist an...

06/02/2026

When writer Nancy Jorgensen retired from teaching high school choir, she lost her musical community. She found it again in her own neighborhood, and reflects on the experience in her essay "Creating Music, Creating Community."

Writer Nancy Jorgensen lost her musical community when she retired from teaching high school choir. She found a new one right in her own neighborhood.

05/26/2026

Despite the gloomy weather, the Madison ceremony in March was a joyous occasion, as friends and family packed the courthouse to watch their loved ones take the next step towards citizenship.

In 2018, Griselda Solis de Drucker was dealing with the end of her 30-year marriage and decided to get away from her native Argentina to visit an uncle living in the Madison area.  She had planned on saving up some money and returning to Argentina. But something unexpected happened: she...