2011 spring-summer events:layout 1 - travel wisconsin · midwest horse fair photo bastille days...

EventsSPRING/SUMMER 2011 Sampler

travelwisconsin.com 32 travelwisconsin.com

In Wisconsin, when the weatherwarms up, so do the events. It’s time toget out and go. Here’s a sampling of someof the many fun and exciting events you’llfind in Wisconsin. For even more greatevents, vacation ideas, travel planningtools, packages and deals and muchmore, visit travelwisconsin.com.

AprilMAR 30-APR 3MADISONWisconsin Film Festival: A four-day exploration of 200 newAmerican independent dramaticand documentary films, anima-tion, experimental restorationsand revivals, held in nine theatersin the heart of the city. 608/262-9009, wifilmfest.org.

APR 1-3MADISONWisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo:590 booths with exhibits, factoryreps, guides and outfitters, newproducts, rifle, black powder andbow hunting gear, accessoriesand free seminars. Alliant EnergyCenter. Fri 2-9pm, Sat 9am-7pm,Sun 9am-4pm. 608/267-3976,deerinfo.com.

APR 2TOMAHTomah Antique Toy Farm Show:Scale replicas of farm tractors &trucks, antique combines &threshers, plus any farm-relatedequipment, past or present.Tomah Rec Building. 9am-3pm;toy auction, 4pm. 608/372-6907.

APR 7-10WEST ALLISWheel & Sprocket Bike Expo:Bike show and sale featuring fac-tory reps and experts, clinics,seminars, clothing, accessories,1000s of bike parts and 1500fully-assembled bikes ready forsale. Wisconsin Expo Center atState Fair Park. 414/529-6600,wheelandsprocket.com.

APR 15-17MADISONMidwest Horse Fair: Top-notchfamily show with nearly 50,000attendees, 1,500 horses, and 500top vendors from across the coun-try. Equine clinics, demonstra-tions, education, rodeo, Kid’sKorral, and shopping for horseowners and enthusiasts. 608/267-3975, midwesthorsefair.com.

NEW LONDONBig Whopper Weekend FishingContest: Fish the Wolf River dur-ing the legendary spring Walleyerun. Contest prizes in many fishcategories, buffalo burgers, con-cessions, music and a huge raf-fle. Riverside Park. 920/779-6346,newlondontourism.com.

APR 29-MAY 1JEFFERSONSpring Jefferson Car Show: Swapmeet, car corral and car show forclassics, collectibles, street rodsand trucks. More than 3,000 ven-dor sites with 1,200 cars for sale.Car Show Sunday only – withmore than 2,000 show cars.608/244-8416,madisonclassics.com.

MERRILLCentral Wisconsin ConcertinaFestival: More than 100 concerti-na artists from around the stateand beyond play and enjoy theirfellow musicians. Food andrefreshments, free parking, con-certina display. Les & Jim’sLincoln Lanes. 715/536-9405.

WEST ALLISInternational Gem and JewelryShow: Exhibitors from around theworld offer a huge selection ofquality jewelry including loosecolored gemstones, fine finishedjewelry, fashion jewelry, beadsand more. 414/727-8840, wiexpocenter.com.

APR 30-MAY 1GREEN BAYTitleTown Train Show:Northeastern Wisconsin's premiertrain show with 40,000 sq. ft. ofmodel trains, operating layoutsand exhibits. Enjoy clinics, ven-dors, door prizes, and a modeljudging contest. Brown CountyArena. 920/494-7834,ttsgbllc.com.

MayMAY 6-8GAYS MILLSGays Mills Spring Festival: Tourone of Wisconsin’s prime applegrowing areas including orchardsin bloom. Includes a flea market,food stands, May Day celebration,Little Britches Rodeo, and theannual Festival of Folk Music andDance. 608/735-4810,gaysmills.org.

NELSON TO BAY CITYMississippi Valley Partners 100-mile Garage Sale: Bargains onboth sides of the Mississippi fromAlma north along Hwy. 35 throughNelson, Pepin, Stockholm, and

Maiden Rock to Bay City. 8am-5pm all three days. Held rain orshine! Mississippi-river.org/calendar/garagesale.html

MAY 6-9HORICONHoricon Marsh Bird Festival –Horicon: Experience the peak ofthe spring bird migration on this32,000-acre refuge. Enjoy guidedbird hikes, bird banding demon-strations, pontoon boat birdingadventures, night sounds bustour, twilight birding by boat andmuch more. 920/485-4663, horiconmarshbirdfestival.com.

MAY 7-8MANITOWOCHorse-A-Rama: Horses thatdance, prance, perform tricks,and even paint pictures. Paradeof Breeds, seminars, 250 vendors,free pony and wagon rides, Kid’sCorral, and lots of good food.Manitowoc County Expo Center.920/682-9669, horse-a-rama.org.

WOODFORDBloody Lake Rendezvous: Visit apre-1840's reenactment camp.Hear the story of The Battle ofBloody Lake. See knife & toma-hawk throwing, as well as primi-tive shooting competitions. Tastefoods of the fur trade era. BlackHawk Park. 608/325-9890, yfc-bloodylake.com.

MAY 13-15ELKHART LAKESVRA Spring Vintage Weekend:The Sportscar Vintage RacingAssociation offers tightly regulat-ed, wheel-to-wheel racing forowners of vintage and historiccars. 400 participants in ten racegroups. Road America. 800/365-7223, roadamerica.com.

STOCKHOLMSpring Fresh Art Tour: Enjoy aself-guided tour of 12 galleries &studios as well as the splendor ofspring in the scenic Lake Pepinarea of Western Wisconsin.Discover quaint river towns andmeet some fabulous artists.715/672-8188, freshart.org.

Changes may occur. Beforetraveling a long distance to attend an event, call or e-mail to verify dates or visittravelwisconsin.com.

Midwest Horse Fair MIDWEST HORSE FAIR PHOTO

Bastille Days PHOTO BY JANET MCMILLAN


STOUGHTONSyttende Mai Folk Festival:America’s largest celebration ofNorwegian “Constitution Day.”Two parades, folk dancing, rose-maling, hardanger and quiltexhibits, ethnic food, arts & craftsfair, canoe race, and the annual20-mile run/walk. 608/873-7912,stoughtonwi.com.

SULLIVANWisconsin State Polka Festival:Nine big bands featuring Dutch,Polish, Czech, Slovenian, andGerman-style polkas. Two hugewooden dance floors with a danceexhibition Sat night. Fri – FishBake and Polka Jam; Sun – PolkaMass. Concord House. 920/474-4545.

MAY 14-15MUSCODAMorel Mushroom Festival: Craftfair, flea market, carnival, heav-enly fried morels, or you can pur-chase some to take home. Satnight fireman's annual steak feedfollowed by fireworks; Sun paradeat 2pm. 608/739-3182, muscoda.com.

MAY 20-22ASHLANDChequamegon Bay Birding &Nature Fest: A weekend of birdingand nature programs at the peakof the spring migration. More than140 activities to choose from,each guided by knowledgeablelocal and regional experts.Northern Great Lakes VisitorCenter. 800/284-9484, birdandnaturefest.com.

GERMANTOWNMai Fest: An annual GermanSpring Festival featuring Germancuisine, beer and music anddance. Sponsored by theDeutschstadt HeritageFoundation. 262/251-2853, germantownchamber.org.

MAY 21-22WISCONSIN DELLSAutomotion: Spring bringsantique and collector vehicles tothe Dells with more than 900show cars on display, a car corralwith cars for sale, a swap meet,live entertainment and great food.800/223-3557, wisdells.com.

MAY 27-29ARCADIAArcadia Broiler Days: Activitiesinclude a 30-team softball tour-ney, bicycle tour, 2-mile and a10km run, talent show, Grandparade on Sun, tractor pull, live

music, and tasty BBQ chicken.Memorial Park. 608/323-3645,arcadiawi.org.

MAY 27-30BURLINGTONChocolate Festival: Midway thrill,musical entertainment, chocolatecreations, chocolate Olympics,petting zoo, parade, chocolateeating contest, arts & craftsshow, and more. 262/763-3300,chocolatefest.com.

MAY 28-30BLACK RIVER FALLSHo-Chunk Nation Pow-wow: Thenation honors its warriors with450 colorful dancers and 25singing groups. As a celebrationof thanks, the Ho-Chunk nationwelcomes all friends and neigh-bors. Enjoy traditional foods, anda variety of fine Native art andcrafts. 715/284-9343, ho-chunknation.com.

MAY 29MILWAUKEECinco de Mayo Springfest: Twostages of Mexican music andentertainment, Mexican food, car-nival rides, children’s piñatas andface painting, El Mercadito withmerchandise vendors and more.UMOS Headquarters. 414/389-6007, umos.org.

2011SPRING/SUMMER EVENTGUIDE

JuneJUNE 3-5LITTLE CHUTEGreat Wisconsin Cheese Festival:Family festival with live music,concessions, parades, carnivalrides, and all things cheese. Fri5pm-mid, Sat 11am-mid, Sun11am-5pm. 920/788-7390, littlechutewi.org.

LONE ROCKCountry in the Country MusicFestival: Regional country musicfrom 26 bands. Chicken BBQ Satat noon, raffle, on-site camping.Concessions and vendors. BearValley Park. 608/647-6655, countryinthecountry.net.

MARSHFIELDDairyfest: A June Dairy Monthsalute including a dairy breakfast(Fri 5-10am), picnic in the park(Fri 5:30-8:30pm), 125 art & craftvendors, gigantic parade, and liveentertainment. Sat 9am-5pm, Sun10am-4pm. 715/384-3454,marshfieldchamber.com.

JUNE 4-5MANITOWOCThunder on the LakeshoreAirshow: One of the best airshows in the Midwest featuringold-time barnstormers, militaryaircraft, hot air balloons, sea-planes, helicopters, food andplane rides. 920/482-1650, manitowocairshow.com.

JUNE 9-11LADYSMITHNorthwoods Bluegrass Festival:Bluegrass bands from throughoutthe Midwest play at theFairgrounds. Concessions. Thurs& Fri 6-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm.800/535-7875, ladysmithchamber.com.

STEVENS POINTWisconsin Special OlympicsSummer Games: 1,600 specialathletes compete in swimming,track & field, soccer and powerlifting. UW-Stevens Point campus.800/552-1324, specialolympicswisconsin.org.

JUNE 9-12DARLINGTONDarlington Canoe Fest: Eventsinclude stockcar races, duckraces, steak feed, talent show,fireworks, art & craft fair, chickenBBQ, carnival, a parade, an ATVpull, and of course the canoerace. Festival Grounds. 608/776-3067, darlingtoncanoefest.com.

JUNE 10-12FOND DU LACWalleye Weekend: One ofMidwest’s largest and most pres-tigious fishing tournaments.Includes a huge family festivalwith musical acts, sports tourna-ments, midway thrills, lots of foodand fun. Lakeside Park. 920/923-6555, fdlfest.com.

GREEN BAYInternational Bayfest:Northeastern Wisconsin’s largestfood and music festival with con-tinuous entertainment on fourstages, a carnival, food, a worldmarket, boat parade and fire-works. 920/435-5220, artseventsinc.com/bayfest.

MERRILLWisconsin River Pro Rodeo:Bareback riding, steer wrestling,tie down roping, saddle bronc rid-ing, team roping, women’s barrelracing and America’s favorite –bull riding. Dances following theFri & Sat performances.Fairgrounds. 877/907-2757, wisconsinriverprorodeo.com.

MILWAUKEEBead and Button Show: Shop thelargest consumer bead show inthe world with 350+ vendors sell-ing pearls, gems, art glass, seedbeads and more. Midwest AirlinesCenter. 800/554-1448, beadandbuttonshow.com.

MILWAUKEEPridefest: The most dynamicpride festival featuring thelargest LGBT music showcase inNorth America. Top national enter-tainers, commitment ceremony,food and fun. 414/272-3378,pridefest.com.Thunder on the Lakeshore Airshow PHOTO BY DON ABRAMS

Syttende Mai Folk Festival PHOTO BY MARY LANGENFELD

Ho-Chunk Nation Pow-wow RJ & LINDA MILLER


JUNE 11APPLETONFlag Day Parade: The country’slargest Flag Day Parade with morethan 120 bands and units honor-ing the flag and those who servedto preserve our freedoms.Downtown. 2-4pm. 920/954-9112,appletondowntown.org.

RHINELANDERArt Fair on the Courthouse Lawn:Original artwork from more than150 Midwestern artisans. Held inconjunction with the HeadwatersCorvette Club Car Show. Food ven-dors and music. 9am-3pm, rain orshine. 800/236-4386,rhinelanderchamber.com.

ST. GERMAINWalk in the Woods Art Fair: Fineart fair featuring pottery, paint-ings, photography, handmadejewelry and furniture. Wine tast-ing with fine cheeses and livemusic. City Park. 10am-4pm.800/727-7203, st-germain.com.

JUNE 11-12CAMBRIDGECambridge Pottery Festival & USPottery Games: An all-clay artfair. Potters from all over thecountry meet to exhibit, sell &participate in the US PotteryGames. Food, pottery auction,entertainment. 608/423-3780,cambridgepotteryfestival.org.

HILLSBOROCesky Den Czech Festival: Ethnicfestival featuring two days ofCzech food, polka music, dancing,arts and crafts fair, bake sale(Sat), Czech story teller, flea mar-ket, and a car show. Fireman’sPark. 608/444-0106,ceskyden.com.

NEENAHNeenah StreetBall Challenge:Hundreds of 3-man & 3-womanbasketball teams compete in thisannual 3-on-3 tournament. Maxcompetition, good food, live musicand great spectator sport.920/725-8326, streetball3on3.org.

JUNE 11-19MARINETTEPorterfield Country MusicFestival: Nine days of top countrymusic from top country stars. VIParea, concessions, camping.Green’s Green Acres. 715/7892-130, countrymusicfestival.com.

JUNE 16-19ELKHART LAKESCCA June Sprints: More than 400amateur competitors race in 24classes during this event, one ofthe Sports Car Club of America'slargest races and the first in theTriple Crown of Racing. RoadAmerica. 800/365-7223, roadamerica.com.

PRAIRIE DU CHIENPrairie Villa Rendezvous: Largestbuckskinner and fur trade re-enactment in the Midwest. Theannual Rendezvous includes ablack powder shoot, primitive bowshoot, primitive cooking contestand more. Held at Villa Louis.800/732-1673, prairieduchien.org.

RICHLAND CENTERWisconsin High School RodeoFinals: Competition in 13 events:bareback & saddle bronc riding,bull riding, barrel racing, polebending, cutting, calf roping,breakaway roping, and more.Fairgrounds. Performances Fri &Sat at 1:30 & 7pm, Sun 1pm.608/604-3879,cowboycalendar.com/wihsra.

JUNE 17-18MONROEMonroe Balloon Rally: Masslaunches at the fairgrounds bothdays. Enjoy Swiss Colony’s Tasteof Monroe, an arts & crafts show,car show and more; all downtownon the city’s historic courthousesquare. 608/325-7648, monroeballoonrally.com.

JUNE 17-19COLUMBUSColumbus Carriage Classic:Graceful horses, authentic car-riages, and drivers in periodattire. Includes pleasure driving,obstacle course, and a peoples’choice award. Concessions.Fireman’s Park. 920/623-5325,columbuscarriageclassic.com.

CUSTERRenewable Energy & SustainableFair: Learn about green living.The largest event of its kind in theworld, the fair features more than200 workshops, 275 exhibits,tours and demonstrations, plusentertainment. 715/592-6595,the-mrea.org.

MACKVILLEMackville Nationals Truck &Tractor Pull: Souped-up trucksand tractors in pulls Fri & Sat.Sun is Family Day (free admis-sion) with a farm pull at noon,chicken dinner, pedal pull & liveentertainment. 920/739-0398,mackvillenationals.com.

MERRILLCentral Wisconsin PolkaFestival: Festival brings topWisconsin bands to play. Polkachurch service Sun at 10:30am.Food and beverages, camping (for a small fee), and parking.877/907-2757,merrillchamber.com.

MILWAUKEELakefront Festival of the Arts:One of the country’s finest juriedart shows featuring 181 nationalartists. Sculpture garden, winegarden, entertainment, and con-cessions. Milwaukee Art Museum.414/224-3200, mam.org.Polish Fest: Largest Polish festi-val n the U.S. with folk dancing,polka music, a cultural village,the Chopin Youth PianoCompetition, marketplace, andplenty of wonderful Polish food.414/529-2140, polishfest.org.

PHILLIPSCzech-Slovak Festival: Arts &crafts fair (Sat & Sun), live music,Squeeze Box Jamboree, PolkaMass (Sat), Kolache contest, pork& sauerkraut dinner (Sun 11am),and antique farm equipment.Phillips High School. 888/408-4800, czech-slovak.tripod.com.


SCCA June Sprints ROAD AMERICA PHOTO

Monroe Balloon Rally PHOTO BY RJ & LINDA MILLER

JUNE 18MENOMONIENature Valley Bicycle Festival:Top men and women riders com-pete in one of the final stages ofthe Nature Valley Grand Prix. 95-mile road race finishes withthrilling laps in the city. Bikeexpo, stunt riders and family fun.715/235-9087, naturevalleybicyclefestival.com

JUNE 18-19CRANDONBrush Run Off-Road Races: TheMidwest's largest off road vehiclerally with racing in 19 classesincluding pick up trucks and bug-gies. Concert, fireworks, and40,000 spectators. 715/478-2222,crandonoffroad.com.

MILWAUKEEIZOD Indy Car Series: Open-wheel racing returns to theMilwaukee Mile for the Father’sDay weekend. Top drivers competein the 225-mile feature at thecountry’s oldest continually-oper-ated motor speedway. 800/722-3840, milwaukeemile2011.com.

RACINESpike ‘n Splash Festival: Includesthe EVP Men’s & Women’s ProBeach Volleyball Championshipson Sat, as well as the U.S. GrandPrix of Watercross (jet ski racing)Sat and Sun. North Beach.800/272-2463, racine.org.

JUNE 19CHIPPEWA FALLSFATFAR – Frenchtown AnnualTube Float and Regatta: Theworld’s largest tubing and floatevent. More than 5,000 people willfloat down the scenic ChippewaRiver. Activities, food, entertain-ment and tubes for rent. Loopy’sGrill & Saloon, starts at noon.715/723-5667, 723loop.com.



JUNE 21-25OSHKOSHCountry USA: Country music festi-val with some of the hottest starsin Nashville. Special VIP andreserved seating, camping, mar-ketplace & concessions. FordFestival Park. 800/326-7469,countryusaoshkosh.com.

JUNE 23-25DARBOYChickenfest: Features carnivalrides, live music and stageshows, a craft show, pedal tractorpull for the kids, chicken dancecompetition, parade, fireworks,and tasty fried chicken. DarboyCommunity Park. 920/996-1153,darboyfest.org.

ELKHART LAKEBucyrus 200 NASCAR NationwideSeries: Exciting NASCAR racingon Sat, with the GRAND-AM RolexSports Car Series and ContinentalTire Sports Car Challenge. RoadAmerica. 800/365-7223, roadamerica.com.

RICHLAND CENTERStar Spangled Celebration :Country music festival featuringtop Nashville artists. Camping,concessions, VIP passes, generaladmission and souvenirs.Krouskop Park. 800/375-0876,starspangled.com.

JUNE 23-26CADOTTCountry Fest: The top countrymusic stars, plus a naturalamphitheater, superb sound sys-tem, jumbo screens, great food,8,000 spacious campsites, show-ers, security, medical, and con-venient stores. 800/326-3378,countryfest.com.

HAYWARDMusky Festival: The city’s largestcelebration with more than 100art & craft booths, sidewalk sales,live music, street dances (Fri &Sat nights), huge parade (Sun1:30pm), food, carnival, and fish-ing expo. 715/634-8662, muskyfestival.com.

TOMAHSuper National Truck & TractorPull: The top pullers from acrossthe US and Canada compete in 6shows on 2 tracks. Craft & fleamarket all four days, plus foodand fun. 608/372-2081, tomahtractorpull.com.

JUNE 24-26APPLETONBadger State Summer Games:Annual Olympic-style games forWisconsin amateur athletes of allages and abilities. Competition in27 summer sports at sites aroundthe city. 608/226-4780, badgerstategames.org.

ELLSWORTHEllsworth Cheese Curd Festival:Enjoy music, a horse show,parades, Star Search, fireworks,truck & ATV pulls, an arts & craftsshow (Sat & Sun 10am-5pm) andlots of delicious cheese curds.715/273-6442, ellsworthchamber.com.

NEW GLARUSHeidi Festival: Arts and crafts,flea market, entertainment andfood in the city park on Sat & Sun9:30am-5pm. "Heidi" drama per-formed at the high school Fri7:30pm, Sat 10am & 1:30pm, Sun1:30pm. 608/527-2095, swisstown.com.


JulyJULY 1-3MANAWAMid-Western Rodeo: PRCA-sanc-tioned rodeo with a rodeo paradeon Sat (10:30am), dance eachevening, and a chicken BBQ eachday. Performances Fri at 7:30pm,Sat at 2 & 7:30pm, and Sun at2pm. 800/747-6336, manawarodeo.org.

ONEIDAOneida Pow-wow: Experience tra-ditional Native American foods,arts and crafts, music, dance andculture. Spectacular Grand Entryas more than 400 dancers enterthe Norbert Hill Center Pow-wowGrounds. 920/496-5020, oneida-nation.org.

RED CLIFFAnnual Red Cliff Traditional Pow-wow: Experience Chippewa hospi-tality and culture at this colorfulevent overlooking Lake Superior.Fri – open drumming; Sat – grandentries at 1 & 7pm, Sun at 1pm.715/779-3700, redcliff-nsn.gov/default.htm.

JUNE 30-JULY 3MADISONNational Women’s MusicFestival: A four-day musical andcultural event with workshops,concerts, comedy, theatre presen-tations, and marketplace. A cele-bration of the art of womanhood.608/267-3976, wiaonline.org.

JUNE 30-JULY 4HUDSONHudson Booster Days: Midwaythrills, live entertainment, parade& fireworks (Sat), car show (Sun),fabulous concessions and fun forthe youngsters. 800/657-6775,hudsonboosters.net.

LA CROSSERiverfest: Top name entertain-ment and family fun. Fireworks,food fair, arts & crafts, rivercruises, live music, and dance.Riverside Park. 608/782-6000,riverfestlacrosse.com.

OSHKOSHSawdust Days: Stroll through theearly Wisconsin Living HistoryVillage (1750-1860) with morethan 400 reenactors. Enjoy mid-way thrills, musical entertain-ment, flea market, parade andfireworks. Menominee Park.920/235-5584, sawdustdays.com.

JUNE 25-26CEDARBURGCedarburg Strawberry Festival: Astrawberry and arts weekend fea-turing "Arts On The Avenue," apainting competition, fresh straw-berries, strawberry desserts &pancakes, food courts, live music,and hayrides. 888/894-4001,cedarburgfestivals.org.

SPRING GREENSpring Green Arts & Crafts Fair:Annual juried show featuringmore than 200 national artists.Concessions. Sat 9am-5pm, Sun9am-4pm. 608/588-7082, springgreenartfair.com.

JUNE 29-JULY 10MILWAUKEESummerfest: The world’s largestmusic festival. This 11-day musicmarathon offers top-notch enter-tainment on 11 stages. Enjoy 800bands, good food, comedians,demonstrations, and the sky tram.Closed on Monday, July 4th.414/273-2680, summerfest.com.

JUNE 26ELKHORNElkhorn Antique Flea Market:One of the largest antique andcollectible shows in the Midwestwith more than 500 dealers.Concessions, free parking, boothsinside and out. 414/525-0820,nlpromotionsllc.com.

Summerfest PHOTO BY ROBB FISCHER

JULY 1-4 STEVENS POINTRiverfront Rendezvous: Fourstages of musical entertainment,comedy/magic shows, downtownparade, lighted boat parade, food& beverage tents, fireworks.Pfiffner Park. 715/346-1531,stevenspoint.com.

JULY 2MADISONRhythm & Booms: The Midwest’slargest fireworks display set tomusic. Festivities include midwaythrills, entertainment, live bandsand a food court. Warner Park.608/833-6717, rhythmandbooms.com.

JULY 7-9SPOONERHeart of the North Rodeo: One ofthe most popular professionalrodeos in the Midwest with threeperformances, live music, clowns,vendors, a huge parade (Sat at1:30pm), and a Sunday barbecue.800/367-3306, spoonerrodeo.com

Badger State Summer Games WISCONSIN SPORTS DEVELOPMENT PHOTO



cars in ten race groups. Onsitecamping, auto concourse Fri &Sat nights. Road America.800/365-7223, roadamerica.com.

MILWAUKEEBastille Days: The streets ofMilwaukee are transformed into amini French city complete with anEiffel Tower. Enjoy street enter-tainers, a marketplace, more than25 sidewalk cafes and the annualStorm the Bastille 5K funrun/walk. 414/271-1416, easttown.com.

JULY 15-16RACINEGreat Midwest Dragon BoatFestival: 70 teams of 25 peoplepaddle beautifully decorateddragon boats for great prizes.Enjoy food, drink and the lake-front. Samuel Myers Park.262/632-0530, midwestdragonboatfestival.com.

JULY 15-17GRANTSBURGWorld Championship SnowmobileWatercross: Oval and drag racingsnowmobiles on the open water ofMemory Lake. Vintage snowmobileshow, fireworks, two bands andmore. 715/463-4269, grantsburgwatercross.com.

PRAIRIE DU CHIENVilla Louis War of 1812 inWisconsin: Wisconsin’s only battlefrom the War of 1812 is recreated.Living history camp, narrated bat-tle each day, fur trade encamp-ment, fireworks on Sat night.608/326-2721, villalouis.org.

JULY 10-17MILWAUKEENative American IndigenousGames: Eight days of sportingcompetition among 6,000 youngathletes (13 and up) from acrossCanada and the US. Competitionin 15 sports including baseball,basketball, soccer, field lacrosse,and archery. 920/217-0309, milwaukee2011.com.

JULY 14-17CADOTTRock Fest: This four-day blowoutbrings the best of rock music tothe Chippewa Valley. Enjoy greatfood and music while camping inone of the 8,000 campsites, allwithin walking distance of theconcert area. 800/326-3378, rock-fest.com.

ELKHART LAKEKohler International Challengewith Brian Redman: One of thelargest gatherings of vintage rac-ers in the US with 30 classes of

JULY 7-10BELOITRiverfest: Three stages of non-stop music featuring rock, metal,country, reggae, R&B, hip hop,jazz, blues, and gospel.Entertainment, carnival for thekids, concessions and merchan-dise. Riverside Park. 800/423-5648, beloitriverfest.com.

IOLAIola Old Car Show & Swap Meet:The largest automotive festival inthe Midwest with 2,500 collectorshow cars, 4,500 sites for partsvendors, 1,000 collectible cars forsale, 1,600 campsites and120,000 spectators. Concessionsfrom breakfast to 4-course chick-en dinners. 715/445-4000,iolaoldcarshow.com.

RHINELANDERHodag Country Music Festival:Top country music stars performin a natural outdoor amphithe-ater. Camping on the grounds,food, beverages and concessions.715/369-1300, hodag.com.

JULY 8-10TREMPEALEAUCatfish Days: Great musicalentertainment, a bike race, walk-run, fishing tournament, midwaythrills, craft show, Sunday parade(2pm) and fireworks (10pm), andCatfish sandwiches. 608/534-6335, trempealeau.net.

JULY 9-10MADISONArt Fair on the Square: A spec-tacular cultural event with200,000 art lovers buying ceram-ics, fiber, glasswork, jewelry,leather, wood, painting, photogra-phy, and sculpture from 450national juried artisans showingon the Capitol Square. Enjoy livemusic and great food. 608/257-0158, mmoca.org.


JULY 16BLACK RIVER FALLSKarner Blue Butterfly Festival:Visit the "Butterfly LearningCenter" downtown and the butter-fly's nearby habitat sites. Alsoincludes a 5K-10K-Half-Marathonrun, a grand parade, artists andcrafters, historical museum toursand more. 715/284-5850, downtownblackriverfalls.com.

EAGLE RIVERArtarama: Juried art show with125 artisans. Live music, conces-sions, “Young at Art” tent.Riverside Park. 9am-3pm rain orshine. 800/359-6315, artarama-er.com.

PORT WASHINGTONFish Day: “The World’s LargestOutdoor One-Day Fish Fry.”Includes a huge parade, livemusic on five stages, arts andcrafts show, car show and fire-works. 800/719-4881, portfishday.com.

JULY 16-17MOUNT HOREBArt Fair: Annual fair featuresmore than 125 artists showingand selling along the “Trollway”(Main Street). Food and conces-sions. Downtown. Sat 9am-5pm,Sun 10am-4pm. 888/765-5929,trollway.com.

Wisconsin County FairsAshland County Fair, Marengo.................................Sept 1-5Barron County Fair, Rice Lake .................................July 13-17Bayfield County Fair, Iron River ...............................Aug 25-28Brown County Fair, DePere......................................Aug 17-21Buffalo County Fair, Mondovi ..................................Aug 4-7Burnett County Fair, Grantsburg...............................Aug 18-21Calumet County Fair, Chilton ...................................Sept 2-5Central Wisconsin State Fair, Marshfield .................Aug 31-Sept 5Columbia County Fair, Portage ................................July 20-24Dane County Fair, Madison .....................................July 20-24Dodge County Fair, Beaver Dam...............................Aug 17-21Door County Fair, Sturgeon Bay ...............................Aug 3-7Dunn County Fair, Menomonie.................................July 27-31Eau Claire County Fair, Eau Claire...........................July 27-31Florence County Fair, Florence................................Aug 26-28Fond du Lac County Fair, Fond du Lac .....................July 19-24Grant County Fair, Lancaster ...................................Aug 14-21Green County Fair, Monroe......................................July 20-24Head of the Lakes Fair, Superior .............................July 19-24Iowa County Fair, Mineral Point ..............................Sept 1-5Jackson County Fair, Black River Falls ....................Aug 3-7Jefferson County Fair, Jefferson ...............................July 6-10Juneau County Fair, Mauston...................................Aug 17-21Kewaunee County Fair, Luxemburg ..........................July 21-24La Crosse Interstate Fair, West Salem .....................July 13-17Lafayette County Fair, Darlington.............................July 13-17Langlade County Fair, Antigo...................................July 27-31Lincoln County Fair, Merrill.....................................July 20-24Manitowoc County Fair, Manitowoc .........................Aug 23-28Marinette County Fair, Wausaukee ..........................Aug 25-28Marquette County Fair, Westfield.............................July 7-11Monroe County Fair, Tomah.....................................July 27-31Northern Wisconsin State Fair, Chippewa Falls ........July 13-17Oconto County Fair, Gillett ......................................Aug 25-28Oneida County Fair, Rhinelander .............................Aug 4-7Outagamie County Fair, Seymour .............................July 26-31Ozaukee County Fair, Cedarburg..............................Aug 3-7Pierce County Fair, Ellsworth ..................................Aug 11-14Polk County Fair, St. Croix Falls ..............................July 28-31Portage County Fair, Rosholt ...................................Sept 2-5Racine County Fair, Union Grove .............................July 27-31Richland County Fair, Richland Center ....................Sept 7-11Rock County Fair, Janesville ...................................July 26-31Rusk County Fair, Ladysmith ...................................Aug 10-14Sauk County Fair, Baraboo......................................July 12-17Sawyer County Fair, Hayward..................................Aug 18-21Shawano County Fair, Shawano...............................Aug 31-Sept 5Sheboygan County Fair, Plymouth............................Sept 1-5St. Croix County Fair, Glenwood City........................July 21-24Taylor County Fair, Medford ....................................July 28-31Trempealeau County Fair, Galesville........................July 21-24Vernon County Fair, Viroqua....................................Sept 14-18Vilas County Fair, Eagle River .................................Aug 11-14Walworth County Fair, Elkhorn ................................Aug 31-Sept 5Washburn County Fair, Spooner...............................July 28-31Washington County Fair, West Bend ........................July 26-31Waukesha County Fair, Waukesha...........................July 20-24Waupaca County Fair, Weyauwega ..........................Aug 24-28Waushara County Fair, Wautoma .............................Aug 18-21Winnebago County Fair, Oshkosh ............................Aug 9-14Wisconsin Valley Fair, Wausau ...............................Aug 2-7

World Championship SnowmobileWatercross PHOTO BY RJ & LINDA MILLER


Villa Louis War of 1812 in Wisconsin RJ & LINDA MILLER

EAA Airventure PHOTO BY ROBB FISCHER Lumberjack World Championships PHOTO BY ROBB FISCHER


JULY 17APPLETONAppleton Old Car Show & SwapMeet: Open to collector cars 1980and older. Dash plaques to first1000 cars, trophies in over 32classes, over 1200 cars expected,free admission, no registrationfee, large swap meet, car corral,food and fun. 920/954-9112,appletonoldcarshow.com.

JULY 21-23EAU CLAIRECountry Jam USA: Three soliddays of country music’s top enter-tainers, tons of vendors, greatfood and a fantastic venue withon-site camping. 800/780-0526,countryjam.com.

JULY 21-24TWIN LAKESCountry Thunder: One of thefinest outdoor country music fes-tivals in the nation. The 2011headliner will be Rascal Flatts.45+ bands, VIP packages, camp-ing on-site, concessions.866/802-6418,countrythunder.com.


JULY 21-24MILWAUKEEFesta Italiana: America’s largestItalian cultural event with ninestages of entertainment. Enjoy theSicilian brass marching band, thecultural exhibits, nightly fire-works, fantastic food, music,dance, and the colorful processionfollowing Sunday Mass. 414/223-2808, festaitaliana.com.

PULASKIPulaski Polka Days: One of thelargest annual Polish and polkafests in the Midwest. Art & craft

show, Polka Mass, parade, camp-ing, fireworks, firemen’s waterfights, food, fun, and dancing tosome of the best polka bands inthe world. 920/822-3869, pulaskipolkadays.com.

WISCONSIN RAPIDSWisconsin State Water Ski ShowTournament: The largest water skishow tournament in the worldheld on lovely Lake Wazeecha. Thewinning team qualifies for thenational tournament. 715/323-3875, aquaskiers.org.

JULY 25-31OSHKOSHEAA AirVenture: The world'slargest gathering for recreationalpilots and aviation enthusiastsfeatures more than 10,000 air-planes and 750,000 spectators,with 500 forums, seminars andworkshops, 700 productexhibitors, and concessions. Airshows daily at 3pm. EAAHeadquarters. 920/426-4818, airventure.org.

JULY 28-31WISCONSIN RAPIDSBetty Boop Festival: AnimatorGrim Natwick was a Rapids nativeson. Enjoy an animation exhibit,an animated film festival, visualart gallery, animation art collec-tors show, a dance, and Bettylook-alikes. 800/554-4484, bettyboopfestivalwi.com.

MILWAUKEEGerman Fest: North America’slargest annual German festival.Enjoy tasty German cuisine, watchcraftsmen demonstrate old-worldartistry, enjoy a colorful brassband, or stroll the Marketplace forunique gifts. 414/464-9444, germanfest.com.

JULY 29-30PRAIRIE DU CHIENPrairie Dog Blues Festival: Twobig days of legendary bluesbands. Camping, waterski shows,concessions and fun. Motel shut-tle and camping on site. 888/567-1567, prairiedogblues.com.

JULY 29-31HAYWARDLumberjack WorldChampionships: 21 events includ-ing men’s and women’s logrolling,sawing, chopping, pole climbing,and boom running. More than 100competitors vie for $50,000 inprize money. 715/634 2484, lum-berjackworldchampionships.com.

KENOSHATaste of Wisconsin: Fifty specialtyfood and beverage vendors, threestages of live music, culinary

demonstrations, nutrition semi-nars, special exhibits and funchildren’s activities. Free admis-sion. 800/654-7309,tasteofwi.com.

SYMCONational Antique Tractor Pull &Thresheree: Tractor pull, antiquetractor display, country musicconcert, food and fun. A big eventin a tiny town. ThreshereeGrounds. 920/596-2446.

JULY 30-31BARABOOBuffalo Bill’s Wild West Show:This wild & wooly re-enactmentfeatures cowboys doing trick rid-ing, roping and shooting, sharp-shooter Annie Oakley, a stage-coach hold-up and a territorialbank robbers. Circus WorldMuseum. 866/693-1500, circusworldmuseum.com.

BAYFIELDBayfield Festival of the Arts:More than 90 artists from ninestates gather for one ofWisconsin’s largest juried artshows. In addition to exhibitors inthe park, Bayfield artists will opentheir studios and galleries fortours. 715/779-3335, bayfield.org.

AugustAUG 4-6 SHEBOYGANBrat Days: The city’s top summerfestival offers the opportunity tosample brat tacos, brat pizza,brat gyros, NY-style brats, and thefestival’s kingpin – the doublebrat. Free entertainment on threestages, the Brat Trot run, and ahuge parade on Saturday morn-ing. 920/912-6172, bratdays.org.

ST. GERMAINPig in the Pines Rib Fest:Professional rib vendors cook ribsevery day; try a sampler or ameal. Live bands and lumberjackshows daily, midway thrills andplenty of fun. 800/727-7203,piginthepines.com.

AUG 4-7LA CROSSEGreat River Festival of Jazz:Continuous jazz all weekend fea-turing nationally known jazzartists, a Marti Gras parade, jazzliturgies, after hours jam sessionsand more. Oktoberfest Grounds.608/791-1190, lacrossejazz.com.

PARK FALLSFlambeau Rama: Live music, afood court, midway thrills, an arts& crafts fair (Sat & Sun), carshow, run/walk, parade, frogjumping contest, flea market andsidewalk sales. 877/762-2703,parkfalls.com.

SPOONERJack Pine Savage Days: Arts &crafts fair, food booths, car show,fun run, live music Thur-Satnights, outdoor sports show,pancake breakfast on Sun.Downtown. 800/367-3306, jackpinesavagedays.com.

Germanfest in Milwaukee PHOTO BY MARY LANGENFELD




AUG 4-14MILWAUKEE/WEST ALLISWisconsin State Fair: The state'slargest annual event blendsWisconsin agricultural traditionswith the excitement of a contem-porary, urban event. InternationalBazaar, midway thrills, blue rib-bon livestock, 30 stages of top-name entertainment, and world-famous cream puffs. 800/884-3247, wistatefair.com.

AUG 5-7BOSCOBELMuskets & Memories Civil WarWeekend: One of the largestreenactments in the upperMidwest with 1,000 participants.Enjoy guided tours of the camps,military drills, and battle reenact-ments. 608/872-2274, musket-sandmemories.net

AUG 6RIPONCookie Daze: CookieTown USAcomes alive with entertainment,food, prizes, the Cookie BlasterRocket Shop, the cookie Bake &

Taste competition, horse drawnwagon rides, and Cookie Drops.Barlow Park. 920/748-6764,ripon-wi.com.

AUG 7CHIPPEWA FALLSIndianhead Car Show and SwapMeet: Features more than 700collectible show cars, parts ven-dors, food and fun. Fairgrounds;gates open at 7am. 715/832-0552, indianheadcarshow.com.

AUG 12-13West Bend $1,000 Cache Ba$h:A free, family-oriented get-togeth-er for geocachers. More than 500caches within a 7-mile radius –and a $1,000 top prize. RegnerPark. 262/338-2666, wbacham-ber.org.

AUG 12-14ALGOMAShanty Days Celebration of theLake: Includes ethnic foods, aparade, fireworks, 5k walk/run,entertainment, arts & craft fair,street market, and more.800/298-4888, Algoma.org.

LA CROSSEIrishfest: Irish music and dance,Irish Market, cultural tent, weefolks area, tea garden, horse-drawn cart rides, plus food ven-dors with Irish stew, Irish pota-toes, corned beef and more.Southside Fest Grounds. 800/658-9424, irishfestlax.org.

MOSINEELittle Bull Falls LogJam Festival:Historical exhibits, a fur-traderendezvous, food, entertainment,logging competitions and demon-strations. River Park. 715/693-4336, logjamfestival.org.

AUG 13-14GREEN LAKEFine Arts Show: Beside the villagemill pond and dam, more than100 Midwestern artists exhibittheir original works. Live music,food and refreshments.Playground Park. 10am-5pm.920/294-6950, greenlakeartshow.com.

AUG 18-21MILWAUKEEIrish Fest: The nation's largestIrish festival celebrates Irishmusic, dance, culture, sports andcuisine. More than 300 entertain-ers on 17 stages, Celtic canines ,and Irish wares delight the Irishin everyone. Summerfest Grounds.414/476-3378, irishfest.com.

SUN PRAIRIESweet Corn Festival: Great stageshows, music, carnival thrills,games, a parade, craft show, pet-ting zoo, food and all the sweetcorn 100,000 hungry mouths caneat. Angell Park. 608/837-4547,sunprairiechamber.com.

AUG 19-20WAUSAUBig Bull Falls Blues Festival: Heldannually on Fern Island Park, anintimate and unique atmospherefor blues fans to enjoy nationaland local blues artists. Mingle inthe beer garden and enjoy festi-val-style foods. 715/843-0748,wausauareaevents.org.

AUG 19-21BARABOOBadger Steam and Gas EngineShow: Wisconsin's largest displayof early American steam-poweredand gas-powered equipment.Food, flea market, arts & crafts,and entertainment. 608/522-4905, badgersteamandgas.com.

HOLMENHolmen Kornfest: Fresh corn-on-the-cob, chicken BBQ, live music,carnival thrills, water fights, trac-tor pulls, Fri night fireworks, Satparade (11am), car show on Sun.Halfway Creek Park. 608/792-6728, discoveronalaska.com.

PORT WASHINGTONMaritime Heritage Tall ShipFestival: Annual celebration ofthe city’s rich Great Lakes’ mar-itime culture. Showcases 4-6 tallships with step-aboard tours, daysails, food, entertainment stages,artisans and family activities.262/305-4220, portmaritimefestival.com.

AUG 22-28ERINUS Men’s Amateur GolfChampionships: 300 of the sport’stop amateur players vie for thetitle in the 111th annual champi-onship tournament. Erin Hills GolfCourse. 262/670-8600,erinhills.com

AUG 21GREENBUSHWade House Arts & Crafts Fair:Browse 100 booths displayinghandmade wares and traditionalcraft creations ranging from dollsand baskets to woodcrafts andjewelry. Tour the Wade House foronly $3.50 (today only). 9am-5pm.920/526-3271, wadehouse.org.

AUG 25-28CUMBERLANDRutabaga Festival: Since 1932,Cumberland has celebrated thehumble rutabaga with theRutabaga Olympics, carnivalthrills, live music nightly, arun/walk, grand parade, craftshow and family fun. 715/822-3378, cumberland-wisconsin.com.

Holmen Kornfest PHOTO BY RJ & LINDA MILLER


Wisconsin State Fair PHOTO BY ROBB FISCHER

IOLAIola Vintage Military Show:Military vehicles & equipment,WWII and Vietnam battle reenact-ments with pyrotechnics, livinghistory encampments, swap meet,camping, USO-type shows andparades. 715/445-4005,iolavms.com.

LAKE GENEVAArt in the Park: Outdoor, juried,fine art fair on beautiful GenevaLake. 100 artists exhibit pottery,fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, pho-tography, painting, sculpture andwood. Library Park. Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm. 800/345-1020, lakegenevawi.com.

AUG 14ELKHORNElkhorn Antique Flea Market:One of the largest antique andcollectible shows in the Midwestwith more than 500 dealers.Concessions, free parking, boothsinside and out. 414/525-0820,nlpromotionsllc.com.

AUG 17-21LAKE GENEVAVenetian Festival: Arts & craftfair (Sat 10am-6pm & Sun 10am-5pm), carnival rides, lighted boatparade, great food, live entertain-ment, and fireworks at dusk onSun. 262/248-4416, lakegenevajaycees.org.

16 visit travelwisconsin.com

FOR MORE GREAT WISCONSIN EVENTS VISIT... TRAVELWISCONSIN.COMOR CALL 1-800-432-8747 FOR HELPFUL TRAVEL INFORMATION.

SEP 2-3PRAIRIE DU SACWisconsin State Cow Chip Throw:This fun event features flying cowpies, music, art & craft fair (Sat),parade and food. Two stages ofentertainment on Sat. MarionPark. 608/643-5463, wiscowchip.com.

SEP 2-4ALLENTONBig Concertina JamboreeFestival: Continuous concertinajamming on three stages with allplayers welcome. Concertinas toplay, trade, or sell. Dancing,Friday fish fry, food and camping.Veterans’ Park. 888/974-8687,visitwashingtoncounty.com.

CRANDONBorg Warner WorldChampionship Off-Road Races:Off-road racing at its mostthrilling with 40,000 fans and topcompetitors. Televised on theESPN Speed channel. 888/611-6092, crandonoffroad.com.

SHEBOYGANDairyland Surf Classic: Thelargest freshwater surfing compe-tition in the world includes surf-ing and paddling competitions.Surfboard show. Saturday nightsurf party and much more. Free tothe public. Participation Fee.920/254-1050,visitsheboygan.com.

SEP 2-5EDGERTONRock River Thresheree: Trainrides, steam calliope, gas trac-tors, a large flea market, black-smith shop, vintage cars &trucks, big tractor parade eachday at 3pm. Thresherman’s park.608/868-2814, thresheree.org.

Cap off a summer of fun with thesegreat Labor Day weekend events...

PORTAGEWWSDA Sheep Dog Trial: Seemore than 100 talented bordercollies gather sheep at a 500-yarddistance, drive a ¼-mile triangu-lar course and pen them with onlythe aid of voice and whistle com-mands. Food on the grounds.Bring lawn chairs or blankets.McLeish Farm. 608/845-6996,wwsda.org.

SEP 3-4MADISONTaste of Madison: More than 65local restaurants, 20 beveragestands and four entertainmentstages draw an estimated150,000 attendees. Food itemsrange from $1 to $4. CapitolSquare. 608/226-4780, madisonfestivals.com.

NEW GLARUSWilhelm Tell Festival: Communityperformers present the “TellPageant” in English (Sat 2pm &Sun 1pm) and in German (Sat10am). Also enjoy Swiss music, ayodeling contest, art fair and kid’slantern parade (Fri 8pm).800/527-6838, wilhelmtell.org.

SEP 3-5BLACK RIVER FALLSHo-Chunk Nation Pow-wow: Thefall pow-wow is a celebration ofthanks to the Nation’s friends andneighbors. Enjoy drumming, color-ful competition dancing, and avariety of Native crafts. Grandentries Sat & Sun at 3pm, Mon at1pm. 715/284-9343, ho-chunknation.com.

AUG 26-27SUPERIORLake Superior Dragon BoatFestival: The largest dragon boatfestival in the country with morethan 100 international teamscompeting. Food and beveragevendors, arts and crafts fair, fire-works, and entertainment bothdays. 866/336-1107, lakesuperiordragons.com.

AUG 26-28GREEN BAYArtstreet: This fine arts festivalfeatures more than 200 juriedregional and national artists, per-forming arts on four stages, anedible arts area, kid's art area,demonstrations, literary arts area,and ethnic foods. 920/435-5220,artseventsinc.com/artstreet.

MILWAUKEEMexican Fiesta: Spice up your lifewith authentic Mexican food,rousing mariachi bands, the foot-stomping rhythms and colorfulswirl of traditional dancers, andthe handmade treasures of themarketplace. 414/383-7066, mexicanfiesta.org.

AUG 27-28EAGLE RIVERFestival of Flavors: Fifty boothsof Wisconsin products, includinglocal culinary offerings, Wisconsinwineries and cheese producers,foodie seminars & demos, cheesecarving, a bike tour and more.715/477-0645, eaglerivermainstreet.org.

WAUSAUIWA Snowmobile WatercrossRacing: Snowmobiles racing onwater; drag and oval racing withplenty of excitement and laughs.Held rain or shine - bring yourlawn chairs. 715/536-9490,iwausa.org.

2011SPRING/SUMMEREVENTGUIDE


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