Here's a scene from the Taste of Fall Saturday at the Briggs Woods Convention Center.

Webster City’s worst-kept secret was let out of the bag Saturday when LIFT WC announced that the first tenant of The Elks will be Wildcat Distilling Co.’s tasting room.

“Well,” said LIFT WC board President Darcy Swon, addressing the diners at the Taste of Fall fundraiser, “I’m thrilled to announce this evening that we have partnered with what we feel is a great organization for the main floor space.”

Wildcat, which is already a powerful presence in downtown Webster City at 626 Second Street, is expected to open in the spring of 2025 in the expansive main floor of the former Webster City Elks Club building, 713 Second Street, which now will go by a name that has itself been distilled: The Elks.

“I’m very excited to be the one up here talking about why we have decided to move our tasting room,” Wildcat co-owner Alissa Nelson told the diners. “So first and foremost, this move is really, truly about embracing and giving back to the community that has been so incredibly welcoming to us since Day One. And we really, really are looking forward to building on that foundation and with the extra space we’re hoping to be able to host more events that bring together live music, guided tastings, or even just a place where great company, as well as a few great drinks as well.

“We honestly could not think of a better group of people to team with. They’re doing amazing work to create a cultural hub right in downtown Webster City.”

Swon, in announcing Wildcat’s move to The Elks, said, “There have been a lot of conversations around town over the last few years and I’ll just put those all to bed here. It’s not a microbrewery, it’s not a wine bar. It’s not an ice cream spot. Those are the three top ones that I’ve heard a lot of. But instead, we’ve secured a business that aligns beautifully with the values of work that you see and that truly understands the importance of creating a welcoming environment where people can come together to relax, connect and support one another. So we are incredibly excited.”

Taste of Fall is the annual big fundraiser for LIFT WC, which launched its effort to rescue the Elks building with a bit of money and priceless dreams. The first Taste of Fall seated the diners on the street downtown in front of the building which, at the time, was still packed with the previous owner’s leftovers. LIFT WC as a nonprofit — Local Initiative for Transformation WC — was organized in 2019. Since then, the only gear it has engaged is drive.

Fast forward to now. With many, many private donations, supportive grant funding and a whole lot of sweat, the multimillion-dollar project is about a quarter million dollars from its fundraising goal. (Yes, LIFT is still fundraising.)

LIFT WC plans to manage the third-floor ballroom of the historic building, Swon said. It will be available for rent by individuals and businesses and organizations for meetings, private dinners and receptions.

In the past she has emphasized that the building will serve as a catalyst for downtown revitalization.

“This project is so important for many reasons,” she said.

How will it be a catalyst?

Swon answers this way:

— The proceeds generated will be reinvested into the community for improvements through grants, microloans, programming, and revitalization of other buildings;

— The venue will draw people downtown and create a spillover effect for current businesses;

— The completed project will enhance the downtown’s aesthetic appeal;

— It will allow for partnerships with existing businesses to provide their services, such as catering;

— And it will attract new businesses as tenants that will contribute to the downtown tax district and create new jobs.

“As you can see,” she said, “this project is really bigger than the building as it will give back to build our community.”

Then she added, “Lastly, let’s not ignore that many have fond memories of or ties to the building and want to see this historic structure brought back to life.”