Dear Ashwabay Alliance Community,
In my last newsletter, I shared more about the organizational structure of the Ashwabay Alliance, including the Board’s role and my own. Today, I want to take that conversation one step further and talk about the framework guiding our decisions.
Behind every concert under the Big Top, every ski lesson at Mt. Ashwabay, and every gathering at The Backstage and StageNorth is a thoughtful system designed to move us forward with intention.
Here’s what that looks like.
The Budget
Our fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. Before each new year begins, staff prepare a proposed budget using historical data and careful projections for income and expenses. The board reviews and approves it.
As the year unfolds, our finance committee and staff meet monthly to compare projections with actual performance. That information is shared openly with staff and board so we remain aligned and accountable.
The Chart of Accounts
This essential document tracks every dollar and ensures income and expenses are categorized accurately. It supports our budgeting process and provides a clear financial picture.
The Strategic Plan
Our strategic plan outlines the goals and measurable benchmarks we are working toward. Staff and board review it quarterly to track progress and adjust as needed. It keeps us focused not just on today, but on where we are headed.
The Marketing Plan
This plan guides how we share what’s happening across Mt. Ashwabay, Big Top Chautauqua, The Backstage, and StageNorth. From messaging and branding to advertising and outreach, it ensures our story is told clearly and consistently.
The Advancement Plan
This is about relationships. It outlines how we connect with donors, sponsors, grantors, patrons, and our broader community. It ensures we communicate impact with transparency and care.
Venue Plans
Each venue has its own operational plan, including layouts, cost structures, and venue-specific goals that align with our broader mission. While each location has a distinct identity, all contribute to the same shared purpose.
Together, these frameworks allow us to adapt and improve within a structure of accountability. They are designed to support one another and, ultimately, to serve this community well.
Because what you experience on the hill or under the tent does not happen by accident.
It happens because of thoughtful planning, steady leadership, and people who care deeply about getting it right.
Thank you for being part of that work.
Respectfully,
Garry Schalla
How an Artist Gets Booked at Big Top
As we begin announcing this summer’s Big Top Chautauqua schedule, you’ll start to see the lineup take shape. To better understand how those artists make it onto the hill, we asked Zoe Blackman, Talent & Program Director, how an artist gets booked at Big Top.
From the audience, a Big Top performance looks effortless.
- Lights on
- The artist takes the stage
- The first chords ring out under the canvas
But that moment is the result of months of careful coordination.
It starts with a list.
Zoe keeps a running roster of artists our community would enjoy. Longtime favorites. Emerging talent. Unexpected fits. From there, she studies tour routing, show size, ticket history, and budget realities. Does the artist align with Big Top? Does it make sense for both sides?
If the answer is yes, the offer begins to take shape.
Hospitality expectations, production needs, and performance details are built into a formal proposal sent to the agent. Sometimes the answer comes quickly. More often, it takes weeks or even months of back and forth, adjusting dates, reviewing numbers, and confirming that Big Top fits within the artist’s larger tour.
Booking is equal parts logistics and relationships.
Zoe works closely with venues across the Midwest, coordinating schedules and sharing information so touring through our region is both efficient and viable. When Big Top becomes part of that route, it strengthens the experience for everyone involved.
Once it’s official, the real coordination begins.
Marketing plans roll out. Production schedules lock in. Travel and hospitality are confirmed. Every detail is reviewed again, because performing under the tent is unlike any other stop on a tour.
And artists notice.
They arrive tired and leave refreshed. Some jump into Lake Superior for an impromptu cold plunge. Others spend an afternoon fishing. Nearly all of them talk about the warmth of our community and the care they feel from the moment they arrive.
That experience is not accidental.
It’s built through planning, relationships, and preparation long before the show begins.
People Who Make It Happen: The Nordic Trail Groomers at Mt. Ashwabay
Before the first skier clicks into their bindings and the parking lot fills, there’s a team already at work.
Volunteers who lay tracks, roll corduroy, clear branches, and operate complex equipment so others can enjoy the trails.
“They’re passionate and super consistent,” says Mac, Nordic Coordinator at Mt. Ashwabay.
But it doesn’t come without challenges.
Nordic skiing at Ashwabay is dependent on conditions and equipment. Snow. Wind. Ice. Machines that freeze when temperatures drop.
“We plan appropriately and stay flexible when something doesn’t work. Our volunteers can problem solve pretty fast. And John, our head mechanic, keeps everything running. He really knows his stuff,” Mac explains.
Some volunteers operate complex grooming equipment. Others recommend trail improvements. A few step into the ticket both, and many keep a watchful eye on the trails picking up debris and trimming branches.
No one asks them to. They just do.
“Growing up,” Mac reflected, “you think you need to do something really big. But these small things, like tending to a trail system, get overlooked. And they’re so valuable. People use that space every day. The people who take care of it are the most important and should be hugely celebrated.”
Because when you glide down a freshly groomed trail or watch racers climb toward the Summit, you are experiencing the result of quiet, consistent care.
The kind of care that happens behind the scenes.
Where Adventure Meets Community: Nordic at Mt. Ashwabay
There’s something different about skiing the Nordic trails at Mt. Ashwabay.
These trails climb and descend through the remote forests of Northern Wisconsin. There’s space to explore. A feeling of adventure that comes from being removed from the rest of the world.
“You don’t always get that in other places,” Mac, Nordic Coordinator, shared. “Here, you feel it.”
But what makes these trails unique isn’t just the terrain. It’s what they offer in the middle of a long Bayfield winter.
“It’s a place to connect to yourself, the environment, or with other folks. Winter here can be cold and gray. It can feel isolating. The trails change that. For many, it’s part of a daily routine. A way to get outside and move,” explains Mac.
That spirit was on full display at the recent Summit Ski Race on February 1.
“Behind the scenes, it was easy to get caught in the weeds of questions, logistics, and moving parts,” says Mac. “But out on the snow, what you saw was over 400 racers having a great experience.”
Doug Olson summed it up best: “Mission accomplished.”
Racers stayed after their events. Some headed to the alpine lifts. Others went back out on the Nordic trails. The smiles were constant.
One parent shared, “We just love the vibe here. It’s our favorite race of the year.”
Not one ski patrol call. Kids and adults outdoors together. Alpine and Nordic working side by side.
That’s what Ashwabay is all about.
