Let Master of Ceremonies Del Heins (pictured at left) take you on a folk music tour of Switzerland...without ever having to leave Green County!

An array of musicians and performers from our Swiss-American community will come together to help raise awareness and funds to retire debt at the Turner Hall of Monroe.

The Swiss Talent Showcase will include groups such as the Monroe Swiss Singers, the Männerchor New Glarus and the New Glarus Yodel Club, as well as yodelers Ernie Jaggi and Tony Zgraggen, accordionists Del Heins and Bill Niederberger, and alphornists Heinz Mattmann, John Wegmueller and John Colstad. Also appearing will be singer and accordionist Nancy Streiff, and a new and up-coming young yodeler, Toni Blum Seitz.

The Ratskeller Restaurant, with its authentic Swiss cuisine located in the lower level of the Turner Hall, will be open from 5 - 9 p.m. that evening.

A longtime landmark and focal point of Swiss heritage in Green County, Turner Hall was nearly lost in recent years due to contracted management issues and accumulating debt, a large part of which was incurred by a $245,00 legal settlement related to contracted management. A change of leadership in 2002 resulted in refocusing on Turner Hall's purpose, operation and financial stability. A major fundraising effort will begin in the near future to retire the current debt, build up endowment funds.

As part of Turner Hall's Swiss Heritage Series, the Swiss Talent Showcase, as well as other programs during 2005, is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. More information on Turner Hall's Swiss Heritage Series is available here.