Our Beer Garden events, four throughout the summer, are another great family-friendly outing on Thursday evenings.  Great local beer from Biloba Brewery available for purchase, as well as corn on the cob, brats, hot dogs, chips, and more.  Enjoy live music from local bands such as The Stangs, while the kids can play provided outdoor games such as bag toss and giant jenga in a safe, fenced in area.  Select vendor spots will be available on a first come, first served basis.  We like to keep this event focused on families, and provide a wonderful way to enjoy summer weather, great music, and great food and drink in Brookfield.  Please check our Beer Garden page for more information, tentative dates, and some exclusive sponsorship opportunities.

Be sure to sign up for our email list, and follow us on Facebook at @brookfieldvillagewi for the most up-to-date info on Village events.  We can’t wait to see you in the Village!

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The Gift Shoppe business is seen at it’s location in the Town of Brookfield Wednesday, May 20, 2015, in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Article by John Basil

The Gift Shoppe keeps things bright under the guidance of owner Judy Carlin.

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Not long after Carrie Kroening began her career as an event planner, she felt the pull of a beloved, previously held part-time job.

“I worked as a florist all through high school and college and found that I really missed it,” she said. “My passion for flowers and artistic gift for design was so strong that I decided to resume being a florist on the side. When I acquired enough clients to financially sustain me for a year, I resigned from my nine-to-five job — figuring I could always return to the corporate world if owning my own business didn’t work out for the long term.”

That was in 2000. Since then, Petals Floral Design has grown — moving from the confines of a room in Kroening’s home to a retail space in Milwaukee, and earlier this year to a studio on Pleasant Street in the Village of Brookfield.

With a primary focus on creating floral arrangements for weddings and parties, Petals Floral Design serves about 125 clients a year in southeastern Wisconsin, according to its owner.

“I mainly work with brides who have average-sized budgets, rather than high-end budgets, as I enjoy the challenge of designing within tight parameters,” said Kroening. She even declines to charge a rental fee for vases. “Every bride is different, so I don’t offer packages. Instead, I custom design for each girl. If one wants to combine three different flowers to make a unique bouquet or centerpiece, I can do that. I love hashing out arrangements that reflect their personality.”

Petals Floral Design also offers a la carte selections, including optional delivery, the opportunity to purchase flowers in bulk, and a tear-down service, in which, instead of being discarded after a ceremony, leftover flowers are donated to a local hospice.

Consultations are available at the studio by appointment only. Kroening recommends that prospective brides book meetings at least six months in advance of their weddings to allow for uncontrollable circumstances.

“Working with a fresh product is always a challenge and something you don’t have a lot of command over,” she said. “But, fortunately, I get my supply from a great wholesaler, so if there’s a drought in California and I can’t get hydrangeas, she’ll recommend another suitable flower to sub in for it. She also keeps me in the loop on floral-industry trends, like what new varieties of roses last the longest.”

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Less than 3 1/2 months into the new year already a quartet of new attractions have opened in the Village of Brookfield.

The Gift Shoppe, based in Cudahy, will be opening its second location in the Village on or around May 1.

The Gift Shoppe will join Basket Weaving Studio and Petals Floral Design, which both recently made their homes on Pleasant Street. Petals Floral Design, which provides arrangements for weddings and other special events, moved to the Village from its former location in Wauwatosa.

Also relocating to the Village will be Treat Street Popcorn, which is moving from Pewaukee to the Village and expects to open in the next few weeks.

Brookfield Economic Development Administrator Tim Casey says that the city is pleased with the progress that the Village area has made since it and Brookfield Village, Ltd.,set out to rejuvenate the area in late 2013.

“It’s very encouraging. What we’re finding is that when we walk around the Village and tell them all the things that are going on, it’s really selling itself,” Casey said. “People can see the momentum. They understand what the plans are for additional development and for the bike trail that is coming.”

Two of the new business’ owners concurred with Casey on why they chose the Village.

“When we saw this space on Brookfield Road, we felt it was perfect to display our line of spinners and other products in a very visible manner,” Gift Shoppe owner Judy Carlin said in a statement. “As we learned about all of the plans in the Village area and the sense of community, we jumped on this opportunity.”

Petals Floral Design owner Carrie Kroening attended one of the Village’s monthly meetings and was very impressed with what she learned and heard.

“Hearing about the plans for the area and all the events, you really feel the sense of community that is growing here,” Kroening said in a statement. “To feel like you’re a part of something and have people welcome you with open arms is not something you expect. It made me feel very good about our new location.”

The city hopes to continue developing buildings that fit the architectural style and feel of the Village area and it is also looking forward to working with Waukesha County in installing the Fox River Trail, which will be built in 2016 and ’17.

The trail will connect the Village area at Brookfield Road and Riverview Drive to Frame Park in downtown Waukesha.

“We’ve all seen how much people are walking and running and biking these days and it’s just going to be a great opportunity for people to come to the Village,” Casey said. “It will be easy for residents of Waukesha to get on their bikes and come to our Village and vice versa.”

The Fox River Trail is still a few years out; however, Casey says that he is already surprised by the progress that the area has made in a short period of time.

“We’ve only been at this for a little over a year in terms of having a formal organization to work with, and I think things are moving more quickly than we might have imagined,” Casey said. “I think the Hoffman Avenue parking lot has been a good part of that. Obviously employees need a place to park, customers need a place to park, and it hosts our farmers market.”

Moving forward, the city hopes to continue development and rejuvenation for the Village, but at the same time, officials recognize that they may want to be wary in making sure that the neighborhood maintains its unique, small-town feel.

“Plans really lay out what’s important in terms of buildings and historical look and feel which need to be saved,” Casey said. “The feel of the Village area and the scale is something that we need to retain.”

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