Rolling Ridge Debuting New Bar with Speakeasy-Themed Event

ST. JOSEPH – A perennially popular summertime event is getting ready to spirit attendees back to the 1920s.

Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center, located along County Road 133 in St. Joseph, is hosting "The Root Cellar Revealed: Post-Season 1920s Themed Wood Fired Wednesday." The speakeasy-themed affair will cap off this year’s Wood Fired Wednesday series and showcase the Root Cellar, a new, recently-completed private venue within Rolling Ridge.

“People are just not ready to give up on summer quite yet,” says Rolling Ridge owner Randy Schmitz. “Plus, we got a late start with the events this spring. We had to postpone and do a few events virtually because of the COVID shutdown.”

The Root Cellar lounge features what Schmitz describes as a “prohibition-style bar.” In keeping with the speakeasy theme, attendees will be asked to retrieve a special code word from a member of the Rolling Ridge staff in order to enter the bar. They're also encouraged to don 1920's style clothes.

“We’ll follow the format of our traditional wood-fired Wednesdays, with a few twists showcasing our new space,” he said. “We really wanted to showcase (the space) in the year 2020, which is the 100 year anniversary of prohibition itself.”

“With all the prohibitions we have this year, it seems a little fitting and appropriate,” he laughed.

Rolling Ridge’s max capacity is 250 people. Schmitz says they’re asking attendees to RSVP in advance on the event’s Facebook page so staff can get an idea of how many people to expect. Attendees will not be able to make reservations.

“Obviously, we have to stick to all the guidelines when it comes to attendance,” he said.

The Root Cellar Revealed kicks off Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. and includes a $5.00 admission fee. To learn more, visit The Root Cellar Revealed's Facebook page.