Each year we’re delighted to have new items for the shop, both handcrafted artwork by our students and teachers and the wide variety of yarns, books and fiber art materials for makers. The Sievers Shop will officially open on Thursday, May 20 with hours of 10am – 4pm daily through October 31.
At this time of year, we like to share information about any new businesses being established and changes to others. The W.I. Souvenir Hut (WISH) and Heart of a Gypsy shops are located side by side on Main Road in the former Island Café and Bread Company. In January, the Café permanently closed, partly due to Covid-19 and staffing considerations. The building was sold and now two shops occupy the space. WISH features owner-designed t-shirts, cards, jewelry, handmade gifts and souvenirs. Next door, Heart of a Gypsy has items made in the USA and on Washington Island including wood cutting boards and signs, honey, home décor and an array of quilt fabric (from a great stash).
Also new is Washington Island Pottery. Located on Airport Road, some of you may have seen Phyllis Kirchner’s work at Sunset Resort or at the Washington Island Farmer’s Market.
Just across the road, we have a new neighbor-owner at The Inn at Frog Hollow. Dawn Nelson and family, former owners of the W.I. Campgrounds opened to guests last season and are ready to welcome you in 2021!
There are new owners at the Island Outpost. Re-opening soon, they will continue under the Island Outpost name and proudly carry products from Kühl, Fjällräven, Woolly Dry Goods, Hook & Tackle, Five Brothers Workwear, Merrell and Sperry shoes, Buck Knives, Orca Coolers and Suncloud Sunglasses.
Also under new ownership is the former Susie’s Sweets candy and gelato shop on Main Road. We understand it will be a coffee shop, serving food as well. We also understand there will be new ownership at Holiday Inn soon. The Findlay’s permanently closed the Inn and restaurant in the fall of 2019.
The Historic Island Dairy and Island Lavender Company building and grounds were sold to the County of Door and the building is now home to the W.I. Rescue Squad. Structural changes will be made to accommodate the island’s two ambulances.
Time Out Concessions, the hot dog and ice cream stand located in Jackson Harbor by the Maritime Museum, has closed permanently.
Sunset Resort, like last year, will be serving breakfast to their overnight guests only. Hotel Washington is accepting lodging guests again after a pause in offering rooms in 2020. Their restaurant is ready to serve lunch and dinner starting May 14th. Both inside seating (at a limited capacity) and outside seating are available.
The remainder of your favorite Washington Island businesses are still in operation but some may have changes due to renovations, new interests or Covid-19 considerations.
Rock Island State Park will re-open at the end of May after being closed to public last year, partly due to the high water levels and inability to safely dock there. On another island nearby, lighthouse restoration begins on Plum Island.
The Sol Grass Music Festival, a new event with an emphasis on bluegrass, scheduled for 2020 then put on hold until this year, will be held at the W.I. Campgrounds from June 25-26. The W.I. Music Festival will be held from August 2-13 with outdoors-only and “pop-up” concerts in various locations around Washington Island. The Art and Nature Center is re-opening the Nature Room and offering children’s art classes after July 1st.
Coming eventually to a computer near us (??) is the capacity for fiber optic communications and broadband internet. The W.I. Electric Co-operative was recently awarded a grant to help pay for the installation of fiber cable on the mainland to Northport. When new underground lines were dug for cable to replace hard-to-access power poles, fiber duct was included. Now, fiber line can connect to a tower here, extending the option of high-speed internet to a portion of the island. All of these efforts are a work in progress and no timetable has been established yet for full broadband across Washington Island.
Speaking of infrastructure, travelling to Washington Island this summer may take you through Door County road construction and Green Bay area ramp closures. Some work finishes before Memorial Day weekend and some takes place outside of the peak summer season.
And then there are things which aren’t new and never seem to change. It’s a good balance.
Thank you for the update of changes on the Island.
Hi Terry, We’re trying to stay ahead of everything that’s going on…some of it while I wrote! Take care, Carolyn
A very helpful update. So sorry to hear of the businesses that closed, but really glad to know that you are still there! Thanks.
Thanks, Mary. We plan to be here for a long time! Take care, Carolyn
What a great public service this is, Carolyn. Thank you for keeping us up to date with all this news!
Hi Barbara,
Thanks! I’ve been keeping a list going for quite awhile and I think some changes were happening as I wrote! See you this summer, Carolyn
Carolyn you sure do a good job telling about the islands new and changed establishments. I am so happy to be coming in July, Lucy will bring me and haul me around. Took my son and the girl from Chicago two hours to disassemble and load it. Big job. Gave her your Sievers class schedule. She has never been to Door County, so I hope she will come sum time. Really will miss seeing the loom, but am glad it is gone.
Hi Carol,
I’d been keeping a running list of all the changes since January and hope to have captured everything. I’m sure the loom will have many years of happy weaving in its new home. Take care, Carolyn
Thank you for all of the news about businesses on the Island. We look forward to discovering what they have to offer. Also, I am pleased to read that the land around the tower will be purchased and protected from development. Now we need a commitment to repair the tower one of the most popular tourist spots on the Island.
Hi Eric,
It was fun (and interesting) to keep track of the changes. Plus, there are always more surprises that are in the works or will be in place by the time you arrive back on the Island. Yes, it is good news about the land surrounding the tower. I think repairs to the tower itself are possible, but if nothing else, the climb up the stairway is beautiful, too, besides being good exercise. Take care, Carolyn
Wow – that was a load of information – thanks for all of the updates. I do so enjoy hearing about all the happenings on the Island and am still hoping to return someday. I hope you are all staying well and most of all happy. Miss you
Love, Linda Hoppe
Hi Linda,
It was a lot! Things evolved quite a bit over the winter and up to yesterday. We’re all doing great and are doubly vaccinated. We’ve had a great response to classes this year and are getting all the buildings ready in these next couple weeks. It would be great to see you, but in the meantime, we love that you stay connected this way. We miss you and send our love and hugs! Carolyn
You are better than the Observer, Carolyn. I love your reporting and miss you, Sievers and the island more than you can imagine!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the great comments! I hope my due diligence matches theirs. We miss you, too. The leaves are just starting to unfurl in a perfectly blue sky today. It feels like spring! Take care, Carolyn