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Suppose you’re driving through a quaint town surrounded by lakes and beautifully appointed parks? The place looks inviting, but how do you find out everything it has to offer?

If you are driving through Three Lakes, stop at the information center and have a chat with Skip and Cyd Brunswick. This husband-wife team serves as the director and administrative assistant, respectively, of the Three Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.

It’s likely that one event they will tell you about is the first ever Northwoods Heritage Fest, which will be taking place Friday, July 20 and Saturday, July 21.

“We received a matching grant to put on this program, and we are very excited about it,” said Skip. “We are inviting everyone to come and participate. They’ll be lots to do.”

This ethnic event will feature a little something for everyone, whether you’re ancestry is German, Polish or Native American. The festival will be held at the Three Lakes High School, and will start on Friday at 3 p.m. The opening ceremony will include a heritage parade of flags through the festival grounds, with music from the national anthem playing from each country. On Saturday there will be food, history, and traditional regalia worn by participants in four large cultural pavilions. A craft show, bingo, demonstrations, exhibits, live entertainment, craft booths, hands-on games for the kids, an interactive pow-wow and much more will be available for visitors all day on Saturday. Among the featured performers will be Richie Yurkovich & the Polkarioty Band, the Wisconsin River Band, alphorn player Vickie Wheeler and Dr. Peggy DeMers, professor of horn at Sam Houston State University in Texas. There will certainly be more festivities, as Skip plans on booking as many acts as he can before the big event.

But besides this fun festival, Three Lakes also has a lot to offer visitors and locals alike. It borders the largest freshwater chain of lakes in the world, making for some beautiful scenery whether you are relaxing at one of its many resorts or boating the chain. This little berg has lots to do, with plenty of cozy shops in the downtown area, as well as places to eat whether you are craving an ice cream cone or a shrimp dinner.

Skip and Cyd love to direct visitors when they come in asking about Three Lakes. They have plenty of maps on hand outlining the chain of lakes, and such useful items as current phone books, trail maps, visitor guide books and much more. And because this couple obviously loves this area so much, they can give first hand recommendations on where to have the most fun, whether that’s on the water or exploring along the shore. “We give out free advice here,” laughs Skip.

The Three Lakes information center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. It is located at 1704 Superior St., which is the main thoroughfare in Three Lakes.

For more information, call (715) 546-3344, email skip@threelakes.com or vacation@threelakes.com or visit threelakes.com.