Spring in the Amana Colonies
Where does the time go? Officially spring begins in March and with that in mind, the “Things to do list” grows as do the early flowers poking through the mulch. 
Here at Zuber’s we are working through our list of things to do which involves painting, adding some decorations to some of the rooms, we had all new room pictures taken and updated the website, new shelves were built for kitchen use which we took turns staining and sealing, and more people are beginning to venture out ready to stay at and visit the Amana Colonies.
There was a new Springtime event in the Amana Colonies this year called “Take A Bite!” This was a 4 day “food fest”. You could come and taste different foods, participate in some cooking activities, and enjoy several different types of meals. Each day there was a special meal you could make reservations to attend. There were Communal Dinners, a Vintner Dinner, a brewers Dinner, and an Afternoon Tea. This new event was enjoyed by many and most likely will happen again next spring.
The unofficial beginning of “festival season” is Maifest. This festival is often effected by the weather, some years it is warm and wonderful – other years it is windy and rainy. Whatever the weather, people come and enjoy this festival that celebrates spring.
In preparation for Maifest and the coming of warmer weather,
we had many gardening tasks on our “To Do” list. The flower barrels in front of Zuber’s have “seen their day” so we are replacing those.
I am working on enlarging our garden space in the backyard for guests to enjoy. A new event last year and will be continued this year is, “Colonies in Bloom”. This event is a time for businesses and home owners to add to their gardens and landscaping to have the “colonies blooming” with color! Visitors to the colonies can enjoy the colors by driving around or walking. Last year there was a van tour (which you paid to take), that took you around to specific gardens. It was hosted by a master gardener. Visitors could also vote on their favorite displays. Another event along with the outdoor gardens was the creation of “Fairy Gardens”. Many of these were in businesses.
Still in the spring – June events are: the first weekend in June is Rhubarbfest and Becksterfest. The third weekend in June is Father’s Day but is also host to Wurstfest. IF you enjoy sausage – you need to come to the Amana Colonies on June 18th to enjoy this event. It was a huge success last year – the first year and will be even bigger this year! The last weekend in June is Colonies in Bloom. This is a beautiful time in the colonies, which just keeps getting better and better! 
We start getting busy in the spring and summer is just around the corner!
