“O-Town” fills with professional artists who set up in local shops downtown to exhibit their talents. The downtown shopping district stays open late to host the artists and in-store specials. Free horse and buggy rides are offered through downtown and you will catch a strolling barbershop quartet along with other fun activities.
Check their web page for more details and lineups.
Oconomowoc is right where Highways 16 and 67 meet, just north of I-94’s Exits 282 & 283. Nestled between Fowler Lake and Lac La Belle, it’s a beautiful town in western Waukesha County!
Start:
November 6, 2015 5:00 pm
End:
November 6, 2015 9:00 pm
Venue:
Downtown Oconomowoc
Phone:
262-567-5755
Address:
133 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Oconomowoc, WI, 53066, United States
Held at the Waukesha Expo Center, this show features over 70 antique dealers from across the country displaying for purchase American and English furniture, accessories, folk art, jewelry, oriental rugs, lighting, clocks and more!
Hours: Fri 5-9pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.
Dates: Nov. 6-8, 2015; April 29-May 1, 2016; Nov. 4-6, 2016
You can get to the Waukesha Expo Center via I-94 and County T or J; Highways 16 and 164 bring you within a mile and U.S. 18 and Highway 59 are nearby in downtown Waukesha.
Start:
November 6, 2015 5:00 pm
End:
November 8, 2015 4:00 pm
Venue:
Waukesha County Fairgrounds
Phone:
262-896-8490
Address:
1000 Northview Road, Waukesha, WI, 53188, United States
Neenah’s Brewfest offers over 50 microbrews, wines, sodas, and coffees for tasting. Throughout the evening, attendees can enjoy tasting the wide variety of beverages and food along with raffles, 50/50, silent auctions, and live music. I-41 and Highways 47 and 114 bring you to Neenah; the venue is right along Highway 114 by the Fox River.
Lamers Bus Lines provides the Safe Ride program for the event if you don’t want to drive in and out in case you plan to imbibe a lot.
Tickets are available for $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Check their website for details.
Start:
October 23, 2015 6:30 pm
End:
October 23, 2015 10:30 pm
Venue:
Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk
Phone:
920-725-4161
Address:
123 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Neenah, WI, 54956, United States
This premier beer-tasting and brew-teaching event bring great beer, breweries, and people from across the Great Lakes Region to the Harley-Davidson Museum® on October 23 & 24th, 2015. There will be three tasting sessions (Friday 4:30-9:00, Saturday 11:00-3:30, and Saturday 4:30-9:00) and eight 50-minute classes (Friday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 2:00, 3:00 and Saturday at 9:00, and 10:00) taught by brewers Randy Mosher, John Palmer, Stan Hieronymus, and Dr. Brad Smith.
Each brewery will bring a Taproom-Only Beer and/or a Rare Limited-Release Option for each of the three sessions. There is an extensive list of breweries participating, see their website for the full list!
The Harley-Davidson Museum is just south of downtown Milwaukee in the Menomonee Valley, along 6th Street. Highway 145 begins just blocks to the north and Highway 38 begins just blocks to the south, at Highway 59/National Avenue. I-43/94 and I-794 are nearby, as are U.S. 18 and Highway 32.
Start:
October 23, 2015
End:
October 24, 2015
Venue:
Harley Davidson Museum
Phone:
877-436-8738
Address:
400 W. Canal Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, United States
The Wisconsin Book Festival incorporates literature, spoken word, art, and performance. Local literary talents will be featured alongside national voices to create a unique event full of free community programs. Over the course of four days (Oct. 22-25), over 70 festival activities will be hosted at library facilities, particularly the new Central Library, and select other venues. With an anticipated audience of 10,000 people including a wide array of authors, laureates, and luminaries, you should join and be poised for the next chapter!
The Milwaukee Public Market is a gem in the city’s Third Ward, and they celebrate 10 years since their opening on Saturday, October 17th with a bountiful Harvest Fest. Tied in with the Third Ward’s “Gallery Night,” the Market is offering hayrides, live music, pumpkin bowling, and even special offers from plenty of retailers for blocks around!
Here’s a list of everything you’ll be able to do:
• Pumpkin Carving (for the Gallery Night display)
• Apple Cider Pressing – featuring apples from Weston Apple Orchard
• Wood Burning Stove Carmel Apples
• LIVE music under out 88NINE Radio Milwaukee Tent (88.9FM)
• Ping Pong Table
• Pumpkin Bowling
• Build-Your-Own-Scarecrow Station
• Pumpkin Beer Tasting – w/ Lafefront Brewery’s Pumpkin Lager
• Guess the Weight of Giant Pumpkin
• Milwaukee Bucks ticket promo
• Milwaukee Admirals ticket promo
• S’mores – outdoor fire pit
• Food Samples from Public Market vendors
• Savings & specials from neighborhood merchants
• Hay Rides
I-794 and Highway 32 rub right up against the Milwaukee Public Market; U.S. 18/Michigan Street is just two blocks north, and Highways 38, 59, and 145 all bring you close. Check this out!
Start:
October 17, 2015 11:00 am
End:
October 17, 2015 4:00 pm
Venue:
Milwaukee Public Market
Phone:
414-336-1111
Address:
400 N. Water Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Sheboygan’s John Michael Kohler Arts Center heats things up with an immersion into the culture of the world’s fifth largest country. Marvel at the talents of Milwaukee’s Capoeira Nagô, practitioners of an art form that fuses the acrobatic and martial arts. Sample traditional foods and Brazil’s national beverage – coffee! And enjoy creating colorful works of art.
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is in downtown Sheboygan on 6th Street & New York Avenue. Highways 23, 28, and 42 all bring you towards downtown.
Start:
October 17, 2015 11:00 am
End:
October 17, 2015 3:00 pm
Venue:
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Phone:
920-458-6144
Address:
608 New York Avenue, Sheboygan, WI, 53081, United States
Family fun amidst the beautiful fall colors in Egg Harbor are the order of the day for the Pumpkin Patch Festival along Highway 42 in Door County. Entertainment, arts and crafts, rides, live music and lots of treats to eat help top it off, with restaurant all open and street vendors offer brats, roasted corn, caramel apple sundaes, chili, turkey legs and more. And yes, pumpkins will be everywhere!
No, not the Apple computers. We’re talking one of our favorite foods and fruits! Galesville’s Apple Affair is a major event in Trempealeau County. It all started in 1983 as part of Wisconsin’s effort to promote the state’s apple orchards; today, Apple Affair draws people from throughout the state and nearby Minnesota.
This family event is held on the Square in downtown Galesville Saturday, October 3rd. Kicking off the annual event is breakfast which is served in the Big Tent on the Square. The scrambled egg omelet is cooked in one of the biggest skillets you will ever see! It took 1,250 eggs, 30 pounds of ham, 10 cups of onions, 9 pounds of butter, 630 squares of coffee cake, 22 gallons of apple juice, 21 loaves of bread and 1,200 cups of coffee to feed the 630 people who attended the first event. Since then, attendance numbers in the thousands.
As the day continues, the aroma wafting through the Square changes to the smell of bratwurst and hot dogs cooking on the outdoor grills.
In another tent, Galesville’s famous 10-foot apple pie tempts the taste buds as it bakes.
Orchards from the area set up stands where visitors can purchase apples and apple treats served by local growers. Apple pie, apple slices, caramel apples, Queen’s Apple, apple cider, apple juice — if it’s apple, you will find it here.
In the parking lot across from the Square, artisans and crafters attract shoppers with everything from dollhouse miniatures to crocheted doilies to braided rugs to woodworking crafts and so much more.
Throughout the day, music from the big tent permeates the air. Provided by area performers, the music is enjoyed by young and old alike.
The Apple Affair Bike Tour is a popular activity for the day. Hundreds of bicyclists spend most of the day touring the Galesville apple orchards and surrounding area. The scenery of this “Garden of Eden” is spectacular and the event is a perfect family affair. The first Apple Affair attracted 42 bicyclists who rode the 28.7 mile loop from downtown Galesville through the orchards. The bike tour has grown in popularity and some years, depending on the weather, more than 200 bicyclists have participated. To find out more about this year’s ride go to www.appleaffairbiketour.com.
Other activities that day include the Trempealeau County Color Cruise and Open Houses at A.A.Arnold House (aka Eastside Farmstead) and at Old Main.
Free shuttle buses leave the downtown area regularly to take tour groups to the A.A.Arnold House and Old Main.
Galesville is just north of La Crosse in Trempealeau County, at the junction of Highways 35, 54, and 93.
Start:
October 3, 2015 7:00 am
End:
October 3, 2015 5:00 pm
Venue:
Downtown Galesville
Phone:
608-582-2868
Address:
Jct Highways 35 & 93, Galesville, WI, 54630, United States
Billing itself as “the greatest free one-day festival in Wisconsin,” this 85th annual event features carnival rides and food, horse show and pulls, truck and tractor pulls, huge raffle, music, a parade, arts and craft show, and more. Free admission!
Viola is the heart of the GORGEOUS Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, where Highways 56 and 131 meet. U.S. 14 is nearby, too.
See their website for full details, and informational video, and more.
Enjoy the bounties of the harvest & the warm glow of the autumn colors starting Thursday, September 24, with the 6th Annual Taste of Siren, followed by Saturday’s Hand-made Artisan & Crafter Show, Carriage Rides, Farmers Market, Pumpkin Bowling, Petting Zoo, Walk for the Animals, Motorcycle Show, Contests & MORE!
Siren is right where Highways 35 and 70 meet, in a beautiful area of northwest Wisconsin. Check VisitSiren.com for all the details!
Start:
September 24, 2015
End:
September 26, 2015
Venue:
Village of Siren
Phone:
715-349-8399
Address:
Highways 35 and 70, Siren, WI, 54872, United States
Beaver Dam has a lot of events tailored to specific foods. They have a cream cheese festival in March; in September, things get spicier!
The Beaver Dam Pepper Festival celebrates the Hungarian immigrants who brought peppers to the area in 1912 – we’re guessing foods were a little blander prior to that – and offers music, fun, and spicy dishes. Get all the details on their website!
Beaver Dam is in the heart of Dodge County along U.S. 151 and Highway 33.
Start:
September 12, 2015 10:00 am
End:
September 12, 2015 6:00 pm
Venue:
Park Village
Phone:
920-382-6453
Address:
810 Park Avenue, Beaver Dam, WI, 53916, United States
How fitting is it that Fond du Lac has Fondue Fest?? With an annual attendance of more than 20,000 people, Fondue Fest comes in as the largest event in downtown FDL. Three stages feature a variety of music genres, there’s a huge Kids Zone, art and craft vendors, farmer’s market vendors, and of course, plenty of cheese and chocolate fondue. Dip, twirl, and eat!
Fondue Fest takes place Saturday September 12th along Main Street in Fond du Lac. It’s just off I-41 & U.S. 151 (which bypass the city), with Highway 23 and U.S. 45 providing direct access. Highway 175 comes in from the south as Main Street, although it technically ends before you reach downtown. Keep going north and you’ll reach it!
Check their website for full schedules and details.
Start:
September 12, 2015 9:00 am
End:
September 12, 2015 5:00 pm
Venue:
Downtown Fond du Lac
Phone:
920-322-2006
Address:
Main Street, Fond du Lac, WI, 54935, United States
We love Prescott, which hugs the western shore of Wisconsin where the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers meet. U.S. 10 comes in from Minnesota, Highway 29 begins on the northeast side of town, and Highway 35 ends its majestic Great River Road run here, which originates back near Dubuque, Iowa. Prescott is a Wisconsin town through-and-through, but is technically part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro – almost a suburb.
Prescott celebrates its heritage and its tendency to party in many ways, but particularly with Prescott Daze.
Taking place the weekend after Labor Day, and this year September 11-13, this year’s theme is “Totally 80’s”. Everything from street car shows, parades, arts and crafts vendor booths, a fishing contest, a fun run/walk, and plenty of events for kids from a petting zoo and carnival games to giant jumping slides will be featured. And with an 80’s theme, feel free to bring as much Aqua Net spray as necessary.
Start:
September 11, 2015
End:
September 13, 2015
Venue:
Prescott Daze
Phone:
715-262-3284
Address:
279 Broad Street, Prescott, WI, 54021, United States
Thousands of motorcycles are converge on Milwaukee Labor Day for a weekend full of custom culture. The Harley-Davidson Museum Custom Bike Show will showcase the best in professional and amateur bike builders as part of the annual Milwaukee Rally. The Harley-Davidson Museum Custom Bike Show showcases 160 bikes in 12 categories. This is an annual show that has grown to be one of the biggest bike shows in the U.S., of course!
You’ll find the Harley Davidson Museum along 6th Street within sight of downtown Milwaukee, just north of where Highway 38 ends and just south of where Highway 145 ends… and they both end along 6th Street. Nearby, U.S. 18, I-43/94, and Highways 32 and 59 come very close!
Start:
September 3, 2015
End:
September 6, 2015
Venue:
Harley Davidson Museum
Phone:
877-436-8738
Address:
400 Canal Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, United States
De Pere buzzes with the Brown County Fair, August 19 to 23, 2015. Check out the roar of engines with demolition derby Wednesday and a Tractor Pull Thursday; bulls, broncos and cowboys at the PRCA Rodeo Friday and Saturday, presented by Broadway Automotive.
Music from bands like The Cougars Thursday, the Mantz Brothers Friday, plus Petty Cash, Nash Vegas, Separate Ways and much more for the whole family.
There’s the All American Lumberjack Show daily, and military appreciation day is Saturday.
Tickets are $9 in advance and $12 at the gate – $5 on Sunday. ight at the gate– all access including rides—all day—just 12 bucks, and just 5 bucks for Sunday. Go online for complete schedule at browncountyfair.com.
You’ll find the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere just off I-41, and Highway 32 (Ashland Avenue), across the river from Highway 57 and just south of the 172 Freeway. It’s right on the shores of the Fox River!
Address:
1500 Ft. Howard Avenue
De Pere, WI 54115
(920) 336-7292 Website
Start:
August 19, 2015
End:
August 23, 2015
Venue:
Brown County Fairgrounds
Phone:
920-336-7292
Address:
1500 Fort Howard Avenue, De Pere, WI, 54115, United States
Sister Bay rocks with groups like Whiskey of the Damned, Unity…the Band, Honey & the 45’s, Recalcitrant, Big Wig Mechanic, and more August 7-8! There’s a Beachfront Stage and a Campfire Stage, and groups play Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
The festival runs rain or shine (or, really, sun or splash) and camping is available nearby. Tickets are $30, kids 12 and under are free. Get the lineup, ticket details, and more on their website!
You can get to Sister Bay via Highway 42 or Highway 57, since they meet up right there by Al Johnson’s Swedish Butik & Restaurant – that’s the one with goats on the roof. So yeah, you’ll have a fun time no matter what!
Start:
August 7, 2015 4:00 pm
End:
August 8, 2015 11:55 pm
Venue:
Sister Bay
Address:
10693 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay, WI, 54234, United States
Brady Street is a neighborhood as well as a street on Milwaukee’s lower East Side and it’s a blast. The annual Brady Street Festival happens Saturday, July 25th, 2015 from 11am to midnight and will feature 4 stages packed with live entertainment, including many popular local Milwaukee area bands.
Along with the music, the Division BMX Stunt Team, the Casablanca Rumble V Pro Wrestling Ring, The Milwaukee Flyers tumbling team, and the CFSC Speleo Cave will perform. There’ll be a variety of vendors, over 40 local cheeses to sample at the Glorioso cheese tent, jewelry and pottery crafters, a vast array of food, and of course, ice cold beer.
Brady Street is just off Highway 32 (Farwell/Prospect Avenues) just east of Highway 145, I-43, and north of U.S. 18. Highway 190/Capitol Drive is just a few miles north.
Address:
1224 E. Brady Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 272-3978 Website
Start:
July 25, 2015 11:00 am
End:
July 25, 2015 11:55 pm
Venue:
Brady Street Festival
Phone:
414-272-3978
Address:
1224 E. Brady Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
This is the first go-’round for this fascinating new event in the Chippewa Valley. Eaux Claires is a two-day, multi-stage experience featuring live music, performance art, visual art, food and more.
The lineup is incredibly extensive and crosses multiple genres. We can note Spoon, The Lone Bellow, The National, PHOX, Field Report, Blind Boys of Alabama, Charles Bradley, Grandma Sparrow, Indigo Girls, Sufjan Stevens, Sylvan Esso, and of course Bon Iver, which hails from Eau Claire. Bon Iver’s founder Justin Vernon has led the way for creating Eaux Claires. The full lineup is here.
Ticket packages vary, but children ten and under are free. It takes place on Foster Farms, a place used to music festivals (Country Jam is the following weekend!) There is no on-site parking, but shuttles will be available from area campsites or hotels, including the BEST WESTERN PLUS Trail Lodge Hotel & Suites, which is only minutes away – even on foot!) The Eaux Claires grounds are on Crescent Avenue just off U.S. 12 and Highway 37 near the Chippewa River on the west side of Eau Claire, just off I-94 and west of U.S. 53 and Highway 93.
Address:
3443 Crescent Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54703 Website
Start:
July 17, 2015 11:00 am
End:
July 18, 2015 11:55 pm
Venue:
Foster Farms
Phone:
617-371-3955
Address:
3443 Crescent Avenue, Eau Claire, WI, 54703, United States
Celebrating its 27th year, the Isthmus Jazz Festival is a two-day celebration of America’s homegrown art form (that would be jazz). The free festival kicks off the summer season in one of Madison’s most beautiful outdoor settings, the Memorial Union Terrace, with Lake Mendota as a glittering backdrop.
A diverse crowd of students, jazz aficionados and casual fans fill the tables to hear a lineup that reflects a century’s worth of jazz styles. Dixieland, big-band swing, bebop, Latin jazz and free jazz are all part of the mix, along with contemporary derivations like funk and hip-hop. The festival is committed to honoring jazz’s glorious tradition while keeping one eye fixed on the future.
The festival runs Friday and Saturday, June 19th and 20th and is free, except for the headliner performance, Freddy Cole (4:30pm on Saturday.)
U.S. 151/Washington Street brings you closest in, while U.S. 12, 14, 18 and Highways 30 and 113 all bring you into Madison!
Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events › Festival
November 6, 2015
Fall Gallery Night
“O-Town” fills with professional artists who set up in local shops downtown to exhibit their talents. The downtown shopping district stays open late to host the artists and in-store specials. Free horse and buggy rides are offered through downtown and you will catch a strolling barbershop quartet along with other fun activities.
Oconomowoc is right where Highways 16 and 67 meet, just north of I-94’s Exits 282 & 283. Nestled between Fowler Lake and Lac La Belle, it’s a beautiful town in western Waukesha County!
November 6, 2015 – November 8, 2015
Lake Country Arts & Antiques Show
Held at the Waukesha Expo Center, this show features over 70 antique dealers from across the country displaying for purchase American and English furniture, accessories, folk art, jewelry, oriental rugs, lighting, clocks and more!
Hours: Fri 5-9pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.
Dates: Nov. 6-8, 2015; April 29-May 1, 2016; Nov. 4-6, 2016
You can get to the Waukesha Expo Center via I-94 and County T or J; Highways 16 and 164 bring you within a mile and U.S. 18 and Highway 59 are nearby in downtown Waukesha.
October 23, 2015
Brewfest in Neenah
Neenah’s Brewfest offers over 50 microbrews, wines, sodas, and coffees for tasting. Throughout the evening, attendees can enjoy tasting the wide variety of beverages and food along with raffles, 50/50, silent auctions, and live music. I-41 and Highways 47 and 114 bring you to Neenah; the venue is right along Highway 114 by the Fox River.
Lamers Bus Lines provides the Safe Ride program for the event if you don’t want to drive in and out in case you plan to imbibe a lot.
Tickets are available for $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Check their website for details.
October 23, 2015 – October 24, 2015
Wisconsin Craft Beer Festival
This premier beer-tasting and brew-teaching event bring great beer, breweries, and people from across the Great Lakes Region to the Harley-Davidson Museum® on October 23 & 24th, 2015. There will be three tasting sessions (Friday 4:30-9:00, Saturday 11:00-3:30, and Saturday 4:30-9:00) and eight 50-minute classes (Friday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 2:00, 3:00 and Saturday at 9:00, and 10:00) taught by brewers Randy Mosher, John Palmer, Stan Hieronymus, and Dr. Brad Smith.
Each brewery will bring a Taproom-Only Beer and/or a Rare Limited-Release Option for each of the three sessions. There is an extensive list of breweries participating, see their website for the full list!
The Harley-Davidson Museum is just south of downtown Milwaukee in the Menomonee Valley, along 6th Street. Highway 145 begins just blocks to the north and Highway 38 begins just blocks to the south, at Highway 59/National Avenue. I-43/94 and I-794 are nearby, as are U.S. 18 and Highway 32.
October 22, 2015 – October 25, 2015
Wisconsin Book Festival
The Wisconsin Book Festival incorporates literature, spoken word, art, and performance. Local literary talents will be featured alongside national voices to create a unique event full of free community programs. Over the course of four days (Oct. 22-25), over 70 festival activities will be hosted at library facilities, particularly the new Central Library, and select other venues. With an anticipated audience of 10,000 people including a wide array of authors, laureates, and luminaries, you should join and be poised for the next chapter!
Their website, wisconsinbookfestival.org has details on the many events and venues around town.
U.S. 12, 14, 18, 51, and 151 and Highways 30 and 113 all bring you to and around Madison!
October 17, 2015
Milwaukee Public Market 10th Anniversary Harvest Festival
Here’s a list of everything you’ll be able to do:
• Pumpkin Carving (for the Gallery Night display)
• Apple Cider Pressing – featuring apples from Weston Apple Orchard
• Wood Burning Stove Carmel Apples
• LIVE music under out 88NINE Radio Milwaukee Tent (88.9FM)
• Ping Pong Table
• Pumpkin Bowling
• Build-Your-Own-Scarecrow Station
• Pumpkin Beer Tasting – w/ Lafefront Brewery’s Pumpkin Lager
• Guess the Weight of Giant Pumpkin
• Milwaukee Bucks ticket promo
• Milwaukee Admirals ticket promo
• S’mores – outdoor fire pit
• Food Samples from Public Market vendors
• Savings & specials from neighborhood merchants
• Hay Rides
I-794 and Highway 32 rub right up against the Milwaukee Public Market; U.S. 18/Michigan Street is just two blocks north, and Highways 38, 59, and 145 all bring you close. Check this out!
Festival Brazil, Sheboygan
Sheboygan’s John Michael Kohler Arts Center heats things up with an immersion into the culture of the world’s fifth largest country. Marvel at the talents of Milwaukee’s Capoeira Nagô, practitioners of an art form that fuses the acrobatic and martial arts. Sample traditional foods and Brazil’s national beverage – coffee! And enjoy creating colorful works of art.
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is in downtown Sheboygan on 6th Street & New York Avenue. Highways 23, 28, and 42 all bring you towards downtown.
October 10, 2015 – October 11, 2015
Pumpkin Patch Festival
Family fun amidst the beautiful fall colors in Egg Harbor are the order of the day for the Pumpkin Patch Festival along Highway 42 in Door County. Entertainment, arts and crafts, rides, live music and lots of treats to eat help top it off, with restaurant all open and street vendors offer brats, roasted corn, caramel apple sundaes, chili, turkey legs and more. And yes, pumpkins will be everywhere!
Their event website has more updates and details.
October 3, 2015
Apple Affair
No, not the Apple computers. We’re talking one of our favorite foods and fruits! Galesville’s Apple Affair is a major event in Trempealeau County. It all started in 1983 as part of Wisconsin’s effort to promote the state’s apple orchards; today, Apple Affair draws people from throughout the state and nearby Minnesota.
This family event is held on the Square in downtown Galesville Saturday, October 3rd. Kicking off the annual event is breakfast which is served in the Big Tent on the Square. The scrambled egg omelet is cooked in one of the biggest skillets you will ever see! It took 1,250 eggs, 30 pounds of ham, 10 cups of onions, 9 pounds of butter, 630 squares of coffee cake, 22 gallons of apple juice, 21 loaves of bread and 1,200 cups of coffee to feed the 630 people who attended the first event. Since then, attendance numbers in the thousands.
As the day continues, the aroma wafting through the Square changes to the smell of bratwurst and hot dogs cooking on the outdoor grills.
In another tent, Galesville’s famous 10-foot apple pie tempts the taste buds as it bakes.
Orchards from the area set up stands where visitors can purchase apples and apple treats served by local growers. Apple pie, apple slices, caramel apples, Queen’s Apple, apple cider, apple juice — if it’s apple, you will find it here.
In the parking lot across from the Square, artisans and crafters attract shoppers with everything from dollhouse miniatures to crocheted doilies to braided rugs to woodworking crafts and so much more.
Throughout the day, music from the big tent permeates the air. Provided by area performers, the music is enjoyed by young and old alike.
The Apple Affair Bike Tour is a popular activity for the day. Hundreds of bicyclists spend most of the day touring the Galesville apple orchards and surrounding area. The scenery of this “Garden of Eden” is spectacular and the event is a perfect family affair. The first Apple Affair attracted 42 bicyclists who rode the 28.7 mile loop from downtown Galesville through the orchards. The bike tour has grown in popularity and some years, depending on the weather, more than 200 bicyclists have participated. To find out more about this year’s ride go to www.appleaffairbiketour.com.
Other activities that day include the Trempealeau County Color Cruise and Open Houses at A.A.Arnold House (aka Eastside Farmstead) and at Old Main.
Free shuttle buses leave the downtown area regularly to take tour groups to the A.A.Arnold House and Old Main.
Galesville is just north of La Crosse in Trempealeau County, at the junction of Highways 35, 54, and 93.
September 25, 2015 – September 26, 2015
Viola Horse and Colt Show
Billing itself as “the greatest free one-day festival in Wisconsin,” this 85th annual event features carnival rides and food, horse show and pulls, truck and tractor pulls, huge raffle, music, a parade, arts and craft show, and more. Free admission!
Viola is the heart of the GORGEOUS Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, where Highways 56 and 131 meet. U.S. 14 is nearby, too.
See their website for full details, and informational video, and more.
September 24, 2015 – September 26, 2015
Harvestfest and Taste of Siren
Enjoy the bounties of the harvest & the warm glow of the autumn colors starting Thursday, September 24, with the 6th Annual Taste of Siren, followed by Saturday’s Hand-made Artisan & Crafter Show, Carriage Rides, Farmers Market, Pumpkin Bowling, Petting Zoo, Walk for the Animals, Motorcycle Show, Contests & MORE!
Siren is right where Highways 35 and 70 meet, in a beautiful area of northwest Wisconsin. Check VisitSiren.com for all the details!
September 12, 2015
Beaver Dam Pepper Festival
Beaver Dam has a lot of events tailored to specific foods. They have a cream cheese festival in March; in September, things get spicier!
The Beaver Dam Pepper Festival celebrates the Hungarian immigrants who brought peppers to the area in 1912 – we’re guessing foods were a little blander prior to that – and offers music, fun, and spicy dishes. Get all the details on their website!
Beaver Dam is in the heart of Dodge County along U.S. 151 and Highway 33.
Fondue Fest
How fitting is it that Fond du Lac has Fondue Fest?? With an annual attendance of more than 20,000 people, Fondue Fest comes in as the largest event in downtown FDL. Three stages feature a variety of music genres, there’s a huge Kids Zone, art and craft vendors, farmer’s market vendors, and of course, plenty of cheese and chocolate fondue. Dip, twirl, and eat!
Fondue Fest takes place Saturday September 12th along Main Street in Fond du Lac. It’s just off I-41 & U.S. 151 (which bypass the city), with Highway 23 and U.S. 45 providing direct access. Highway 175 comes in from the south as Main Street, although it technically ends before you reach downtown. Keep going north and you’ll reach it!
Check their website for full schedules and details.
September 11, 2015 – September 13, 2015
Prescott Daze
We love Prescott, which hugs the western shore of Wisconsin where the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers meet. U.S. 10 comes in from Minnesota, Highway 29 begins on the northeast side of town, and Highway 35 ends its majestic Great River Road run here, which originates back near Dubuque, Iowa. Prescott is a Wisconsin town through-and-through, but is technically part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro – almost a suburb.
Prescott celebrates its heritage and its tendency to party in many ways, but particularly with Prescott Daze.
Taking place the weekend after Labor Day, and this year September 11-13, this year’s theme is “Totally 80’s”. Everything from street car shows, parades, arts and crafts vendor booths, a fishing contest, a fun run/walk, and plenty of events for kids from a petting zoo and carnival games to giant jumping slides will be featured. And with an 80’s theme, feel free to bring as much Aqua Net spray as necessary.
September 3, 2015 – September 6, 2015
Harley-Davidson Museum Custom Bike Show Weekend
Thousands of motorcycles are converge on Milwaukee Labor Day for a weekend full of custom culture. The Harley-Davidson Museum Custom Bike Show will showcase the best in professional and amateur bike builders as part of the annual Milwaukee Rally. The Harley-Davidson Museum Custom Bike Show showcases 160 bikes in 12 categories. This is an annual show that has grown to be one of the biggest bike shows in the U.S., of course!
You’ll find the Harley Davidson Museum along 6th Street within sight of downtown Milwaukee, just north of where Highway 38 ends and just south of where Highway 145 ends… and they both end along 6th Street. Nearby, U.S. 18, I-43/94, and Highways 32 and 59 come very close!
August 19, 2015 – August 23, 2015
Brown County Fair
De Pere buzzes with the Brown County Fair, August 19 to 23, 2015. Check out the roar of engines with demolition derby Wednesday and a Tractor Pull Thursday; bulls, broncos and cowboys at the PRCA Rodeo Friday and Saturday, presented by Broadway Automotive.
Music from bands like The Cougars Thursday, the Mantz Brothers Friday, plus Petty Cash, Nash Vegas, Separate Ways and much more for the whole family.
There’s the All American Lumberjack Show daily, and military appreciation day is Saturday.
Tickets are $9 in advance and $12 at the gate – $5 on Sunday. ight at the gate– all access including rides—all day—just 12 bucks, and just 5 bucks for Sunday. Go online for complete schedule at browncountyfair.com.
You’ll find the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere just off I-41, and Highway 32 (Ashland Avenue), across the river from Highway 57 and just south of the 172 Freeway. It’s right on the shores of the Fox River!
Address:
1500 Ft. Howard Avenue
De Pere, WI 54115
(920) 336-7292
Website
August 7, 2015 – August 8, 2015
Midwest Sunsplash Festival
Sister Bay rocks with groups like Whiskey of the Damned, Unity…the Band, Honey & the 45’s, Recalcitrant, Big Wig Mechanic, and more August 7-8! There’s a Beachfront Stage and a Campfire Stage, and groups play Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
The festival runs rain or shine (or, really, sun or splash) and camping is available nearby. Tickets are $30, kids 12 and under are free. Get the lineup, ticket details, and more on their website!
You can get to Sister Bay via Highway 42 or Highway 57, since they meet up right there by Al Johnson’s Swedish Butik & Restaurant – that’s the one with goats on the roof. So yeah, you’ll have a fun time no matter what!
July 25, 2015
Brady Street Festival
Brady Street is a neighborhood as well as a street on Milwaukee’s lower East Side and it’s a blast. The annual Brady Street Festival happens Saturday, July 25th, 2015 from 11am to midnight and will feature 4 stages packed with live entertainment, including many popular local Milwaukee area bands.
Along with the music, the Division BMX Stunt Team, the Casablanca Rumble V Pro Wrestling Ring, The Milwaukee Flyers tumbling team, and the CFSC Speleo Cave will perform. There’ll be a variety of vendors, over 40 local cheeses to sample at the Glorioso cheese tent, jewelry and pottery crafters, a vast array of food, and of course, ice cold beer.
Brady Street is just off Highway 32 (Farwell/Prospect Avenues) just east of Highway 145, I-43, and north of U.S. 18. Highway 190/Capitol Drive is just a few miles north.
Address:
1224 E. Brady Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 272-3978
Website
July 17, 2015 – July 18, 2015
Eaux Claires Music Festival
This is the first go-’round for this fascinating new event in the Chippewa Valley. Eaux Claires is a two-day, multi-stage experience featuring live music, performance art, visual art, food and more.
The lineup is incredibly extensive and crosses multiple genres. We can note Spoon, The Lone Bellow, The National, PHOX, Field Report, Blind Boys of Alabama, Charles Bradley, Grandma Sparrow, Indigo Girls, Sufjan Stevens, Sylvan Esso, and of course Bon Iver, which hails from Eau Claire. Bon Iver’s founder Justin Vernon has led the way for creating Eaux Claires. The full lineup is here.
Ticket packages vary, but children ten and under are free. It takes place on Foster Farms, a place used to music festivals (Country Jam is the following weekend!) There is no on-site parking, but shuttles will be available from area campsites or hotels, including the BEST WESTERN PLUS Trail Lodge Hotel & Suites, which is only minutes away – even on foot!) The Eaux Claires grounds are on Crescent Avenue just off U.S. 12 and Highway 37 near the Chippewa River on the west side of Eau Claire, just off I-94 and west of U.S. 53 and Highway 93.
Address:
3443 Crescent Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Website
June 19, 2015 – June 20, 2015
Isthmus Jazz Festival
Celebrating its 27th year, the Isthmus Jazz Festival is a two-day celebration of America’s homegrown art form (that would be jazz). The free festival kicks off the summer season in one of Madison’s most beautiful outdoor settings, the Memorial Union Terrace, with Lake Mendota as a glittering backdrop.
A diverse crowd of students, jazz aficionados and casual fans fill the tables to hear a lineup that reflects a century’s worth of jazz styles. Dixieland, big-band swing, bebop, Latin jazz and free jazz are all part of the mix, along with contemporary derivations like funk and hip-hop. The festival is committed to honoring jazz’s glorious tradition while keeping one eye fixed on the future.
The festival runs Friday and Saturday, June 19th and 20th and is free, except for the headliner performance, Freddy Cole (4:30pm on Saturday.)
U.S. 151/Washington Street brings you closest in, while U.S. 12, 14, 18 and Highways 30 and 113 all bring you into Madison!
Get more details on the Isthmus Jazz Fest website here.