10 Wisconsin Festivals You Should Not Miss

By
Christina Minch
– August 23, 2011Posted in: Camp & Hike, Fish & Hunt, Travel

Scrumptious local treats, live entertainment, family-oriented games and contests, hand-crafted items; who doesn’t enjoy a good festival? When travelling, there is perhaps no better way to assimilate oneself into the culture of a region than to attend a local festival or fair. Every year, residents of thousands of small communities across the United States come together in their respective towns to celebrate a particular aspect of their heritage. Focusing on local foods, flowers, music, artistic works or religious events, these festivals can be a great time for visitors to come and immerse themselves in the local festivities; a chance to enjoy getting to know the unique characters who make up any given community. With some truly distinctive and wonderful festival events, Wisconsin is no exception. For visitors contemplating a trip to this great state, a visit to one of these great Wisconsin festivals is sure to create lasting memories:

1. The Lumberjack World Championship of Hayward, Wisconsin. Held in the Lumberjack Bowl annually in July, the Lumberjack World Championship allows men (and women!) to display their brawn and lumberjack technique. Competitions include log rolling, tree climbing and timed ax/saw contests. With food and souvenirs, this is an event not to be missed!

2. Great Taste of the Midwest. For beer lovers, the Great Taste of the Midwest may just be heaven on earth. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, on the second Saturday every August, the Great Taste of the Midwest features over one hundred of the finest microbreweries and brewpubs of the Midwest. Since 1987 this festival has delighted visiting and local beer drinkers with tasty treats and great beer to wash it down.

3. Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Featuring food, product displays and live entertainment, the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is a mountain bikers dream. With two races; the Chequamegan 40, a 40-mile race with 1,700 rider and the Short and Fat, a 16 mile race, and over 2,500 participants, the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is the largest mountain biking festival in the United States.

4. Wild West Days. In Viroqua, Wisconsin on the third full weekend of August, the annual Wild West Days is a great way to relive the thrill and excitement of the western frontier. Wild West Days features a horse parade, a rodeo, a colt raffle and, of course, what ‘wild west’ festival would be complete without hog wrassling?

5. Summerfest. Touted as the World’s Largest Music Festival, Summerfest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin features over 700 bands over an eleven day period. From huge pop stars to the latest indie sensations, Summerfest offers a wide array of artists, sure to please the most discriminating of music fans.

6. Mexican Fiesta. Yearning for the taste of something from South of the border? Mexican Fiesta is the answer. Also located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Mexican Fiesta offers some of the finest Mexican cuisine specialties, costumes, mariachi bands and entertainment found north of Texas.

7. Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival. Every year in mid to late summer, Madison, Wisconsin comes to life with the sounds of traditional music including folk, jazz, polka, swing and even children’s music for the younger crowd. With so much fine traditional music, dancing is a prominent part of the Sugar Maple Festival experience.

8. Bristol Renaissance Faire. Throughout the late summer weekends, Kenosha, Wisconsin comes to life with the sights and sounds of medieval times. Knights joust, regal queens survey their realm, the smell of turkey drumsticks waifs throughout the artisan booths. Fine hand-crafted jewelry and medieval items are available for sale throughout the festival. The Bristol Renaissance Faire will transport guests to a different time and place; a boisterous time full of life, entertainment, bravery and adventure.

9. Peninsula Music Festival. For classical music loving folks, the Peninsula Music Festival is an event not to be missed. Every year in the month of August, Door County features some of the finest symphony performances to be found in the northern Midwest. Visitors can sit back and absorb the notes of Bach, Shubert, Verdi, Mozart and Tchaikovsky. Professional musical groups from around the world including Lexington, Omaha, St. Louis, Dallas and Fort Worth congregate in Door County to provide an exceptionally high quality listening experience to the Peninsula Music Festival patrons.

10. Musky Festival of Hayward, Wisconsin. Every year, the weekend after Father’s Day, thousands of people congregate in Hayward, Wisconsin to celebrate the musky. Complete with the crowning of the Musky Festival Queen, an arts and crafts show, a Musky Run, food and games, and the essential fishing contest, the Musky Festival is a great way to experience the rustic, welcoming charm of the Wisconsin Northwoods all while taking in some of the finest lakes and scenery this great state has to offer.


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About Christina Minch

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Christina Minch is a graduate of the University of Dayton and the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. While she enjoys working as an advocate, her true passions are writing and spending time with her two children and her wonderful husband of ten years. In her spare time, Christina especially enjoys hiking, reading, gardening, cooking and, of course, traveling with her family. She currently resides in southwest Ohio.