What's Happening in Burlington, WI…

With the Nestlé plant closing its tours and uncertainty around the possibility of having a ChocolateFest this year, Burlington is preparing to move away from its long association with chocolate.

Instead, the city will take advantage of the scenic trails in the vicinity and promote itself as a destination for exploring its hiking and biking trails.

Burlington has been a tourist destination known as “Chocolate City, USA” since 1987. The city’s Nestlé chocolate factory provides employment for about 400 Burlington residents. Visitors in past years have flocked to Burlington for tours of the factory, the annual ChocolateFest, and other chocolate-themed tourist attractions.

However, in warmer weather, visitors can explore trails such as the White River trail, Seno Woodland trail and Seven Waters trail, hence the proposed move to the slogan “City of Trails.”

The White River trail is a limestone trail near downtown Burlington. The Seno Woodland trail delves through forest, nature and wild flowers, while the Seven Waters trail is a biking trail that passes along beautiful lakes and rivers in Burlington. Parks dot the river banks of the Fox River and White River.

The proposed slogan change will no doubt necessitate an increase in poster printing and banner printing to have residents and visitors adopt the new slogan. As “Chocolate City, USA” becomes a sweet memory, the city will have to work hard to popularize the idea of visiting Burlington to experience nature.