Throughout the year, Delavan’s historic downtown corridor is host to an array of special events. As the seasons change, and cooler, crisper air sets in, a pair of fun-filled autumnal walks are routinely held in the heart of the city.
This year, the Downtown Delavan Brew Walk is on tap for Saturday, October 24, and the Delavan Holiday Wine Walk is slated for Saturday, November 21. The Delavan Historic Foundation Inc. is overseeing both events, in conjunction with other organizations, including Visit Delavan.
Because of each walk’s placement on the calendar, the late-in-the-year Brew Walk commonly takes on more of a Halloween theme. The Wine Walk serves as a glimpse into Thanksgiving, Christmas and other accompanying festivities during the holiday season.
Mayor Ryan Schroeder, who serves on the Delavan Historic Foundation, said both events have become crowd-pleasers with the community — and beyond.
“It’s always interesting seeing the food that the local businesses choose to put out and pair up,” Schroeder said. “The beers and the wines will always be different. People love to come out and
try the different tastings.”
The Brew Walk, in particular, is an opportunity for attendees to tap into their creativity as they partake in the festivities.
“We get a lot of people who like dressing up,” Schroeder said. “It’s always fun to see what people are going to come out as. It’s always a great time.”
In these waning months of 2026, America’s 250th birthday remains a focal point of the festivities at both of the upcoming Walks.
Each of the more than 10 downtown locations will be featuring beers and wines at the respective events from all across the U.S., showcasing the diversity that is the cornerstone characteristic of this country.
The autumnal Wine and Beer walks have been a part of the downtown Delavan landscape for nearly a decade. Along the way, there have been new features introduced.
“We’ve had some entertainment at each location; we’ve tried to incorporate that into all of the different walks we have in the city,” Schroeder said. “It might be the local high school orchestra, band or a local artist.”
Speaking to the full array of festivities at each event, Schroeder adds, “There’s more to it than just the sampling and walking into the various different businesses. People really enjoy the overall atmosphere of it. I think it’s what continues to make it very successful for us.”
For some attendees, the Walks have been a part of their annual itineraries. They intertwine the events into their perusal of the rich array of businesses that dot the downtown.
“It’s just awesome to hear them say, ‘Well, we’ve done a lot of these, but we’re back again this year because we’ve had so much fun,’” Schroeder said. “People will come all the time and say, ‘Wow, I just didn’t know that this b
usiness existed, or I don’t get into the downtown area that much.’”
Events such as the Beer and Wine walks are part of local organizers’ commitment to spotlighting the downtown corridor as the true heartbeat of what makes Delavan a great place to live, work and play.
“It’s been a labor of love for those of us on the foundation,” Schroeder said. “We enjoy helping with these different events. It’s a great way to highlight what we’ve got going on.”
In addition to attending the Wine and Beer walks in October and November, respectively, consider an extended stay in Delavan and check out other unique attractions, businesses and events throughout the community.
Check out Visit Delavan’s events page for a full list of upcoming events.
