Its again the time of the Season for Season’s, (and not just the NFL season), as they take Pepper Fest — and going into fall — to another level via the utmost loyal clientele

If you are Season’s Tavern, put up the tents and they will come, in many cases foresaking the Pepper Fest across the street and doing their socializing during much of the time that weekend at the historic Season’s venue, as they have for years. And you can bet they’ll be back in as autumn unfolds.
It has been a tradition for many people for the course of the last decade to spend a few hours, or more, at the Season’s decked out parking lot before going over to Pepper Fest park — or just staying at the grill and bar for the entirety of the fest weekend. On Saturday afternoon, there is the famed house band playing that has been around the region for even longer than the Season’s tenure, Thirsty Camel, and their wicked wings challenge, a food-fast-chuck-it-down annual competition that rivals the eating contests that are kitty-korner across the street. As they say at Season’s, with more than one meaning, beware if you are a chicken. And people check them out during the parade too. And if people tire of the Pepper Fest music, some of it boilerplate, or the Sunday coronation, you now know there is a option, which indeed is ongoing — much like the fall colors shown on their sign — because of all the amenities offered by Season’s. And those who swear by Season’s will be back, so stop in and see what all the fuss is about.
<The festival preview unfolds>
It was early Saturday morning of the Pepperfest at the Season’s lot, and the six long tables under the menagerie of tents was already full, and there were a dozen people clamoring to get quickly through the line and obtain the refreshments available at a kiosk set up just for the day. A woman stopped enroute to smell the flowers, and possibly peppers, next to the sidewalk. “Damn,” she said, and that says it all about the ongoing hoopla. She was passed by a guy holding a takeout container, again maybe with peppers, just exiting the Season’s area, even though it was not yet lunchtime.
Two Season’s this-weekend-annually regulars under the tent framed what it is all about and what keeps them coming back. Robert, who has done this for years, said that its largely the people, staff and patrons, who are available for both quick chit-chat and also longer conversations, as well as the food and drink, and just the overall ambiance of both a party and at-ease just hanging out that brings them back. He always makes it a point to stop at the Season’s lot first, and foremost, for a few hours before venturing across the way, and stressed that this before-and-after pattern is intentional. He noted the rationale behind having such as fest, raising much-needed money for a North Hudson school, and seeing a need and just getting it done, and he is gracious about contirbuting to the effort. And Season’s can relate to that, being community minded and just liking to be part of such an effort. And at the other end of the three tents, closer to where the band was setting up, Jim said he has been an area resident for, count ’em, 26 years first in North Hudson and then in the past several years Somerset, but Season’s back in North Hudson has always been Pepper Fest weekend home, and return visits. He even recalls days with Brad, the owner, back on Grand Avenue in St. Paul when that was the gig he was running. These situations mean your name gets around, as Season’s fame is spreading. A mutual friend, Jeanie, who has worked at McGoverns Pub on West Seventh for about that amount of time, knows Brad from back in that day, and the mention made her face light up. They both speak very highly of each other, both personally and professionally.
<Pre-Pepper Fest planning>
All this doesn’t happen on a wing and a prayer, not even the wicked wings challenge. Or does it. Brad and his two bandmates were on the patio Thursday evening and I asked them if they were doing some pre-concert prep as far as things like song list. The answer? No, we have played for decades starting in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and that longevity has meant they can make their tight-played but still-full-of-flourishes sets come about like clockwork without a lot of kibbitsing. Meanwhile, inside in the main restaurant area, a server at a specially-all-set-up-booth for just this weekend thought this whole shebang was worth a lot of publicizing. “Cool,” she summarized.
— Meanwhile, if you wanted to get around the immediate area (read, a few blocks worth, and beyond), flag down the — you read this right — bicycle, on the very front end, converted into a rickshaw that can get you around also. Other rides are available, as well, but this has got to be the coolest. It has Christmas-tree lights flashing on the top cover, and showing a bow to the best of newer aspects and technology, a comfy seat where you sit. Thing your favorite easy chair while getting around and sort of being chauffeured. Contact Shawn Gary, as he is back new in the area, at (612) 701-9664.
<And the fest preview takes center stage>
As the parade and beyond wrapped up, there was a (magic) bus, school bus that is, going up the way toward Fourth Street as the Pepper Fest stars took center stage. A bit later, there was another big vehicle hauling butt and carrying a porta-potty too, what gives with that?
These thingees were trekking past the place known around North Hudson as the ultimate man cave, but it has been shut down for a while by the proprietor for health reasons. So at the annual Cherry Circle cul de sac party, that was part of a preview for Pepper Fest during National Night Out, had the party center replaced — and put up in short order — by some new to the neighborhood, a floating bar rail as wide as such a truck.
The Freedom Value Center, of course, was at the center of things, and while waiting in line to pay for gas, the guy in front of me pointed out a great deal opted for by the guy in front of him for — go figure — beer now in 30 pack, that’s 2.5 dozen for only about a dozen dollars. I told him, the guy in front of me not the patron in front of him, that it was my guess everybody’s stocking up for the Pepper Fest weekend. There at first was no reaction for that one comment, he kept looking straight ahead, but then he opened up. He said their work crew is from Minnesota, so they always get the cheap beer while doing jobs here. I guess that means Spotted Cow is not on the grocery list. So, I said, you must be familiar with Pepper Fest, and the elixer to wash down those hot peppers, and I got only a glimmer of a smile, then turned his head a bit. The next day, a T-shirt worn by, again, by the guy in front of me, said “Our State has been outdrinking your state since 1848.” Funny.
It then was noted that in the good ol’ U.S. you can get beer cheaper than milk, and not just in Wisconsin with it being the Self-Proclaimed, or did I just proclaim it, King of Beer (screw Budweisier and its state of origin). Cheese is another story. What a country. Or is that so, or such a good thing?
Spoiler alert. I know that there now are at least seven spots in the village where the cops sit while trying to give out tickets. That is the word to the wise for all those people from Minnesota, but I am not going to give those locations away, as we need the revenue.
Up a ways, there was a Kozy Korner kiosk, or actually a float, being assembled, but in a way that compared to other years, was more over the top, and Freedom was not to be outdone via hosting their sweet corn stand.
Not in this case the peppers of choice, Kozy’s contraption this time even had a roof, which just might have been needed for the rain that also disrupted the viewing of the first Packer Preseason Game, for those venues without the Sunday Ticket and trying to get it by dish. And down one block toward the river, a crew looked like they were dismantling a stop sign, when in fact they were erecting a detour sign in conjunction with the parade.
But the earliest activity in the week was at the house that hosts dozens of people each year for a huge yard party, and it also was erected in a hurry, in a matter of hours, with cars up and down the street that would have to be moved by two days later for the parade route. Again rain considerations.