A girls night out adventure awaits

Taking a gamble on the “girls’ night out” theme, Karen Schairer marketed an event last year where women could create something while enjoying wine, food and the company of good friends.

Schairer, owner of Autumn Acres — a farm and corn maze venue in Birnamwood, brought back the event this year, and the Thursday night spots are filling up quickly. In fact, the Sept. 24 event is already sold out. People will be in full fall mode and ready to embrace the season by then, says Schairer.

“Each guest can choose six samples from the 12 different wines as part of the experience,” said Nikki Fraaza, a Birnamwood friend of Schairer’s who serves the wine.

According to Fraaza, Schairer goes to Withee to pick up the wine produced by Munson Bridge Winery. The winery offers a large variety of fruit wines using locally grown fruits and ingredients. They also have an event and wedding venue at that location. While there, Schairer noticed they had repurposed a piano and made it into a wine bar. Schairer recreated the look as a focal point in the bar area in her barn where the event takes place.

“After sampling the wines, people can pick a favorite and buy a glass or bottle to bring back to a table and enjoy some food or to drink while decorating their pumpkins,” said Fraaza.

Along with wine for sale, there is a full appetizer menu with easy-to-share items. Reservations are limited to 40 each Thursday night and need to be made in advance so that Schairer can prepare all the decorations. The pumpkins come from her farm’s pumpkin patch and are the perfect size for a table decoration. She grows the large variety of succulent plants in her greenhouse at a different location. The pumpkins are not pierced so they will last all season and the slips of the succulents are hot glued to the pumpkin so they can be transplanted at a later date.

“We like to get our girls’ nights in, and we’re always looking for something fun to do and this totally fits the bill,” said Cori Soukup, Hatley, who came with two of her friends. “It’s got crafts and good company and good food.”

In addition to the wine and the food, there are other items to help satiate a shopping fix. There are mums, canned goods and framed word art created by Kelly Lettau, Schairer’s sister-in-law. Last year, Schairer asked Lettau to bring in some of her art to give the barn a cozy ambiance. The artwork sold so well, it’s available on all the weekends that Autumn Acres is open to the public.

Kelly Gutowski lives close by and always has been a big supporter, noting that there are always so many things to do throughout the season and the farm is especially fun for the kids. The “Sips & Succulents” event is a nice outlet for Gutowski and her adult friends.

“I buy all my pumpkins, corn stalks. I get everything from Karen,” said Gutowski. “I just naturally gravitate to Autumn Acres in the fall.”

The Sips & Succulents event runs from 5:30-9 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 8. The cost is $40, which includes the create and take home pumpkin decoration and wine samples.

WHAT: Sips & Succulents ladies’ night out
WHO: Schairer’s Autumn Acres
WHERE: 194 Western Ave., Birnamwood
WHEN:  Sept. 17, 24 Oct. 1, 8 from 5:30-9 p.m.
RESERVATIONS: call 715-573-8397
FYI $40 includes a take-home pumpkin succulent decoration you create and wine tasting