About 15,000 folks will follow the smell of roast beef this weekend as Minocqua hosts one of the long-standing events in the Northwoods: Beef-A-Rama.
Beef-a-Rama began in 1964 as a way to bring travelers back to the region in a time when visitors had left for the summer and to thank them for their business.
It started out as Fish-a-Rama, but soon switched over to the more available beef as crowds began to grow.
There's a wide range of activities including the Saturday Rump Roast Run beginning from Lakeland Union High School . There's also music, vendors, food and refreshments and things to see and do all over Minocqua.
The original idea was to thank travelers for being in the Northwoods and Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce Director Krystal Westfahl says the folks coming back make an impact...
"...Not just us, but all the communities surrounding us, it means a lot of economic impact. We bring in somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000 people, best guestimate that we can make. It brings in money to our local businesses. We couldn't be more proud of that partnership, the Downtown Business Association, The Rotary, The Lions, and all the participating partners..."
Among the highlights is the 55th annual ‘Top all ‘Round Winner’ Roasting Competition along Oneida Street, along with a beef eating contest.
The event begins Friday night and runs most of Saturday at the Island City. More information is at the websiteMinocqua.org.
