Every June, Watertown kicks off summer with the Watertown Wine & Beer Walk and ends the evening with live music at Thursday Night Live.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to indulge in new industry beverages, and support the vibrant community of businesses that make Watertown unique,” said Geri Timm, director of member engagement at the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce.
More than 20 chamber member businesses come together to sample different wines, beers, seltzers, mixed drinks, and nonalcoholic options.
For this year’s event, 605’s publisher Alana Snyder and I drove into town and met up with Visit Watertown director of marketing and business development Lindsay Stangl. With Stangl as our guide, 605 toured and tasted our way through downtown Watertown.
Our first stop was The 19th Hole—a golf-inspired bar and lounge. Alana admired the merch and the golf simulator in the back room, while Stangl and I sipped on non-alcoholic merlot and a margarita mix.
Next was Dempsey’s Brewery, Restaurant & Pub, where we were encouraged to sample two of their tap beers: a blond ale called Fox Blanc Saison and a German wheat beer, the König Weizen Hefeweizen.
After snacking on charcuterie skewers at Element—a private event space and collective workspace—we headed to Breakout.
“There are no words that can fully express what Breakout is,” laughed Stangl. “It’s a coffeehouse, bistro, escape rooms, wine and craft beer bar, and rentable venue all in one.”
The eclectically-decorated lobby filled up as the Breakout staff sampled three drinks, including a specialty latte.
Spotting popcorn in the hand of one enthusiastic wine-walker, we headed to Town Players—the local theater.
Since 1977, Town Players’ mission has been to create a space for people to come together and enjoy the performing arts, while also providing educational and outreach opportunities to the community.
Here we also encountered local business A Sacred Space. Specializing in psychic readings, tarot, and energy healing, owners Megan Anderegg and Kimberly Loiselle shared about their business and even did a tarot card reading with Stangl.
As we headed next to Jeff’s Vacuum Center, Stangl filled us in on her favorite thing about Watertown’s annual wine walk.
STOP & SIP
EACH OF THESE BUSINESSES WERE A STOP ON THE 2024 WINE WALK.
1906 BOUTIQUE & SALON
A SACRED SPACE
AMJ STYLE
BREAKOUT
CENTURY GALLERY – SANDY ELLYSON ART & STUDIO
COUNTY FAIR SMOKEHOUSE & CONCESSIONS
DAKOTALAND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
DDR BOOKS
DEMPSEY’S BREWERY, RESTAURANT, & PUB
DORALE’S FOOTWEAR & FASHIONS
DOWNTOWN DRUG
ELEMENT
ELEVATE IV
GSI THRIFT
HAPPY TAILS K-9 TRAINING & SUPPLIES
HARRY’S RESTAURANT
HOT MAMA MACK’S
JADE + CO.
JEFF’S VACUUM CENTER
OVERBY INSURANCE
PROHIBITION FASHION LOUNGE
SALON LUX
THE 19TH HOLE, INC.
THE GYM, INC.
TOWN PLAYERS
“I love getting into the different stores that I wouldn’t have necessarily gone to, but now I’m a customer of them,” she said. “The wine is an added bonus.”
Timm agrees, adding that trying samples is a great way to find out what kind of wines and beers you love, and what you don’t.
“This event is a great showcase of our vibrant community and what Watertown has to offer,” said Timm.
Our group of three continued on, sampling different drinks and snacks in DDR Books, GSI Thrift, Century Gallery, and the new Prohibition Fashion Lounge.
Prohibition caters to men with the motto “fashion comes in all sizes.” Inside you’ll find sizes small up to 10x, and a six-seat bar with a custom black epoxy top hand built by Shawna Shelton, owner of 1906 Boutique.
THURSDAY NIGHT THEMES
JULY 11 // CLASSIC CAR SHOW
JULY 18 // COOKIN’ ON KAMPESKA
JULY 25 // MOTORCYCLE SHOW
“As the name suggests, they do not serve drinks, but you are able to order from the neighboring Maverick’s Steak & Cocktails and drink in the store,” explained Stangl.
Next up was Happy Tails K-9 Training & Supplies—a dog training center and boutique. After rescuing her first two dogs, owner Shauna Geier opened the business in order to help troubled canines and their owners. She offers group and private training, as well as educational seminars.
In addition, the storefront carries supplies like pet apparel, toys, treats, and more. Geier also leads the charge in creating dog-friendly events, like the annual downtown Pup Crawl.
After browsing a few more stops like AMJ Style and Hot Mama Macks, our trio headed to Foundation Plaza for Thursday Night Live.
“Thursday Night Live offers a vibrant blend of live music, delicious food, and refreshing beverages to kickstart the weekend early,” explained Timm.
“Watertown’s Wine and Beer Walk is a great way to connect with small businesses in downtown Watertown.”
-Geri Timm
Each Thursday is also themed to create a unique experience. In honor of Dairy Month, the theme of our night was Dairy Palooza. We snagged some grilled cheese and ice cream while dancing to live music by the Sioux Falls-based band 280 Fifth.
We ended our night at Dempsey’s for some pizza and beer, reflecting on Timm’s words:
“It’s rare to see a frown on Wine Walk night,” she’d said. Now we understand why.
