It’s mid-October, fall colors are in full swing across various regions, and tons of outdoor fun awaits all around Wisconsin. Take advantage of our gorgeous state with a Wisconsin road trip following the roads of your choice to discover and explore. We’re chock full of Wisconsin Weekend events here, giving you some great road trip ideas. Pick Some Roads and GO!!
Wisconsin Fear Fest at Road America this weekend (and the next two!)
As we approach Halloween, explore the ultimate thrill at Wisconsin Fear Fest at Road America! Dare to explore three spine-tingling haunted houses that promise to send shivers down your spine. Unleash your adventurous spirit with exhilarating activities like paintball, axe throwing, new haunted attractions, escape rooms, a rage experience, and live music every Saturday. Food and drinks are available and parking is free. It runs the next few weekends including this Thursday-Sunday; hours vary by day. Buy your tickets online in advance and you get a $5 discount! Wisconsin Fear Fest is right between Plymouth and Elkhart Lake in Sheboygan County at Road America. Highway 67 brings you right there! More…

Baraboo, Spring Green, Dodgeville, Mineral Point: the Fall Art Tour lets you maximize art, views, and fun in the beauty of the Driftless

Sauk and Iowa Counties y has another great tour in store for this weekend. The Fall Art Tour is perfect for State Trunk Tourers with a love of the Driftless Area and art. It’s a self-guided driving tour where you can meet up to 45 area artists and watch them at work as you make your way through Baraboo, Spring Green, Dodgeville and Mineral Point!
Potters, weavers, glassblowers, woodworkers, painters, jewelers, quilters, photographers & sculptors are all part of it. Meet the artists, experience their work spaces, and witness as they create unique works of art. A wide variety of high-quality artwork is available for purchase in every price range. This is their 24th Anniversary Tour and it’s become one of the most popular art events in the Midwest. It’s also the perfect way to experience the Driftless in the midst of the fall colors! More…
Throughout the state: Wisconsin Science Festival
The Wisconsin Science Festival is a weeklong celebration of science all across the state, with major events in Madison, Wausau, Fond du Lac, Milwaukee, and more! The Wisconsin Science Festival is a statewide celebration with activities for people throughout Wisconsin. Events include hands-on science exhibitions, demonstrations, performances, tours, pub nights, workshops and more. The official festival feature this year is agriculture. Connect to all the event options here!

Paoli: Sugar River Bourbon Festival runs through Sunday

Seventh Acre Dairy Farm in Paoli is hosting this multi-day celebration of all things bourbon, highlighting the country’s top distilleries and chefs. Imbibe in amazing meals and pair them with delicious food complements and beverages – including some amazing Bourbon and whiskey beverages. It features a welcome dinner with chef Joe Heppe and Driftless Glen Distillery, a signature dinner with nine-time James Beard Award nominee chef Edward Lee and Dancing Goat Distillery, a fish fry featuring Blue Ash Farm Craft Spirits, and a special bourbon brunch with J. Henry. The main event is the Sugar River Bourbon Tasting Festival on Saturday, where you can enjoy samplings and meet with over 25 distilleries and distillers, including award-winning local and national distilleries Heaven Hill, Bardstown 45th parallel, Green River, Old Forester, Dancing Goat, J. Henry, and more. There will be live music, along with burgers, hot dogs and barbeque available for purchase from Seven Acre Dairy Company and Knoche’s Meats. Highway 69 bring you there, as does County PB from Verona via U.S. 18/151 to the north or Belleville to the south! More…
Elkhorn: Oktoberfest celebration on the Village Square Saturday!
Many Wisconsin weekend events include Oktoberfest celebrations this time of year, and Elkhorn celebrates Saturday with bands, brats and golden beers, and the annual Classic Car Show. Veterans Park is filled with craft and commercial vendors alike! Walk the line on Wisconsin St and enjoy local and German cuisine from a variety of food vendors! Live music starts at 11am and play till the day ends. You can explore more of downtown Elkhorn at the All Around Town Beer/Wine Tasting. U.S. 12 bring you to Elkhorn, Highways 11 and 67 bring you right downtown! More…

Green Bay: Great Pumpkin Train at the National Railroad Museum

The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay hosts The Great Pumpkin Train once again this Saturday, October 19th. It’s a family-friendly, fun-filled day celebrating all things fall. Admission ($20, kids under 2 free) to The Great Pumpkin Train includes a train ride to the pumpkin patch, where you can find your own pumpkin to take home with you. Plus, indoor live entertainment, crafts, trick-or-treat throughout the Museum grounds, games for children of all ages, a balloon animal, a not-so-scary haunted house, and the chance to operate their vintage handcar. It takes place rain or shine from 9am to 5pm each day. The National Railroad Museum is right off Highway 32, a little north of Highway 172, east of I-41, south of Highways 29, 54, and U.S. 141, and west of Highway 57. More…
Sister Bay: Fall Fest on the Door Peninsula
Sister Bay Fall Festival is an annual autumn event that celebrates all the sights, sounds and tastes of Fall in Sister Bay, a lynchpin in the towns along the bay side of Door County. Enjoy the annual Fall Fest Parade, great local food and drink, live music, a huge Arts & Crafts Show, kids activities, the Ping Pong Drop, and the Fall Fest Derby Car Race. Highways 42 and 57 come back together in Sister Bay, take whichever route you want!(Watch for some small closures on 57 though… you may want to take 42 or some of the backroads that run up the center of the peninsula!) More…

Milwaukee: BOO at the Zoo at the Milwaukee County Zoo

The Milwaukee County Zoo features Boo at the Zoo, one of the great weekend events that highlight the Halloween season, now through Sunday. Enjoy more treats than tricks, and join in family-friendly activities like a Trick-or-Treat Trail to gather goodies, live pumpkin-carving demonstrations, “Creatures of the Night” talks, and…the ANIMALS! All witches and warlocks (and their parents) are encouraged to wear costumes. Boo at the Zoo pre-purchased tickets are required for this event and are now on sale. Zoo Pass members save 15% with code “halloween15” and their membership number. You can buy tickets here. The Zoo along U.S. 18 at I-41/U.S. 45, with Highway 100 running along the west side. Access via U.S. 18/Bluemound Road! More…
Osceola: Pumpkin Express Train Rides on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway
Weekend events involving trains are always fun. On the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway, you can take the train to the Dresser Junction Depot at the pumpkin patch and take a pumpkin home. Haunted depot, hay wagon rides, face painting, balloon artist, Bouncy House and more! Enjoy food from the food truck vendors. Rides to Dresser. Highways 35 and 243 bring you to Osceola. More…

North Freedom: Midcontinent Railway Pumpkin Special

The Midcontinent Railway Museum just off Highway 136 in North Freedom offers its Pumpkin Special™ Train Rides to the Pumpkin Patch in North Freedom in the heart of Sauk County Saturday and Sunday! The fun begins at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Then, climb aboard the Pumpkin Special and make your way to Quartzite Lake where pumpkins from a local grower await for your arrival. Bring your “harvest” aboard with you for the return trip to North Freedom. It will be a beautiful weekend for a train ride, especially with the weather and fall colors! More…
Oshkosh: Spirits of The Grand Tours through Saturday, Family-Friendly Ghost Tour Sunday
Hit up the historic Grand Theater in Oshkosh and tour over 140 years of history as historic characters, both real and imagined, take center-stage in this interactive guided tour of one of the most haunted theaters in Wisconsin. Since 2010, SPIRITS OF THE GRAND tours have been a highlight of the “October Season” at the historic Grand Oshkosh. Led by the interactive actor/tour guides, you’ll travel from lobby to auditorium to balcony to basement to dressing rooms, each with its own story and spirits around to tell them. Tour times are 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm Thursday through Saturday. They have their Family-Friendly Ghost Tours on Sunday the 20th & 27th. U.S. 45 brings you right downtown, off I-41 or Highways 21, 26, 44, 76, or 91. More…

West Allis: Milwaukee NARI Home & Remodeling Show at State Fair Park

The annual fall NARI Home & Remodeling Show takes place this weekend at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Expo Center. More…
Drive-In Movie? Here’s your guide to 10 of them around the state… THREE are open this weekend!

How about a flick under the stars?? THREE of the 10 Wisconsin Drive-In Movie Theaters are open across the state for movies this weekend, and we have your ultimate – and updated – guide. Get locations, features, and listings all season long right here!
36 Drive-in Burger Stands across Wisconsin
While traveling, a stop at the tasty drive-in is a great complement to your weekend events. A burger, fries or rings, a shake or ice cream is even better when it’s delivered to your car. Sometimes it’s even delivered by a car hop onto a tray hanging off your window! It’s a quintessential American experience. Check out our 35+ Wisconsin Drive-Ins to Try Across the State, many are still open this season!

STATE TRUNK TOUR PODCASTS
The State Trunk Tour Podcast covers Wisconsin’s roads, cities and towns, quirky features, and more. You can access all the episodes on our Podcast Page! Check out some of our most recent ones here: