Pea Soup Days is a weekend-long community celebration that has been going on for more than 75 years. The streets of Somerset, Wisconsin, are filled with fun and revelry as locals and visitors enjoy a carnival, fireworks, parades, sporting tournaments and more. Photos: Somerset Chamber of Commerce
Since the 1940s, Somerset, Wisconsin, has honored its French-Canadian heritage with an annual celebration. Featuring all the mainstays of a great small-town get-together, Pea Soup Days (peasoupdays.com) features a carnival, games, a parade and, as the name suggests, an abundance of one very green comfort food.
But why pea soup? Pea soup was a go-to meal for French-Canadian voyageurs who settled in Somerset, as it is made from a few easily preserved ingredients. The meal remains a beloved symbol of the town’s history.
This year’s event will take place from June 4–7 at various locations and is spearheaded by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, Somerset Fire/Rescue Department and the Somerset Lions Club. These organizations, along with sponsors and volunteers, are responsible for all that Pea Soup Days has to offer: beanbag tournaments, bingo, fireworks, food concessions, golf, live music, a medallion hunt, a pancake breakfast, a petting zoo, softball tournaments and more. Boy Scout Troop 144 oversees the pea soup, making large batches on-site with carrots, ham, peas and spices.
David Bracht, president of Somerset Lions Club, says one of the major draws to Pea Soup Days is the Friday night fireworks. But his favorite part comes just before they begin, as thousands gather on a hill overlooking the carnival to wait for the big show. “There’s just a buzz, and everybody’s in a good mood,” Bracht says.
