Door County festivals offer great opportunities to sample food from the area’s amazing restaurants, find beautiful arts and crafts, pick up fine artwork from more than 100 galleries, or just enjoy a day strolling with friends in the sun.
Door County Festival of Nature
Countywide
May 24 – 26
Learn about the flora and fauna of the Door with several days of tours, paddles, hikes, lectures, and educational sessions from local and regional experts. Visit some of the peninsula’s most revered landscapes. More info>>
Jacksonport Maifest
May 25-26, 2019
The first of the summer Door County festivals includes a parade Saturday morning with Flag Ceremony honoring our servicemen and women to follow, plus children’s activities, live music, horsepull, 10K and 2 mile fun run, a variety of food and beverages, and of course, the art fair.
Roping with Chewy at the Jacksonport Maifest.
Blessing of the Fleet Festival
June 1, 2019
Celebrate the Blessing of the Fleet on two days packed with activities in Baileys Harbor. Tour the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, enjoy an arts and crafts fair, stock up at the farmer’s market, and enjoy the annual Scottie Dog Rally through town.
The blessing of the fleet ceremony takes place at the marina at noon, followed by music and food throughout the afternoon! Learn about the fisheries with presentations from longtime fishermen Dennis Hickey and Charlie Henriksen, plus author Trygvie Jensen.
Door County Lighthouse Festival
June 7-9, 2019
Boat excursions and guided land-based tours to all 11 historic Door County lighthouses giving visitors access to lighthouses that aren’t typically open to the public, including Chambers Island, Plum Island and Sherwood Point lighthouses.
Goat Fest
June 8, 2019
Live music outside by Cardinal Harbor, fun kids games, Swedish pancake eating contest, goat drop contest, food and beverages available.
Photo by Justin Anderson.
Fyr Bal Festival
June 15, 2019
Artists, food, musical entertainment and family activities along the picturesque shoreline of Eagle Harbor welcome the arrival of summer. Hop on the trolley or stroll through the village and visit Ephraim’s iconic landmarks, shops, galleries and restaurants.
Photo by Len Villano.
Door County Beer Festival
June 15, 2019
A celebration of craft beer, culinary artisans, and live music on the shores of Baileys Harbor. Meet Wisconsin’s leading brewers, Door County’s top chefs, and expand your ale horizons. Sample from more than 150 beers from dozens of Door County, Wisconsin, Michigan and Midwest breweries, enjoy food from some of the best restaurants on the peninsula, and enjoy live music. Cyclists can join the fun in the morning at the 31st annual Peninsula Century Spring Classic ride that takes place in conjunction with the festival.
Beer Fest. Photo by Len Villano.
Uncork Summer
June 22, 2019
Celebrate the county’s great selection of food, wine, beer, cider and music at the fourth annual Uncork Summer, taking place at the Wickman House in Ellison Bay.
Door County Wine Fest
June 22, 2019
Enjoy unlimited tasting of award-winning Door County wines from eight local wineries and live music. This year’s event will be held at Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay. For more information visit doorcountywinefest.com.
Egg Harbor 4th of July Parade and Celebration
July 3-4, 2019
Annual parade, fireworks, food and beverages on the bay at Harbor View Park. Visit eggharbordorcounty.org for details.
The Main Street Market crew performs “death-defying” stunts at the 2017 Egg Harbor 4th of July parade. Photo by Len Villano.
Baileys Harbor 4th of July Celebration
July 4, 2019
Kick off the fourth in Baileys Harbor with the 4th of July parade, live music, great food, arts, and crafts.
The 4th of July Parade in Baileys Harbor draws thousands. Photo by Myles Dannhausen Jr.
Belgian Days
July 13-14, 2019
Excitement and fun for all ages. Big Dogs baseball tournament, coed volleyball tournament, Cooyah Card tournament, live music, parade, food & beverages, and 1, 2, and 4 mile walk/run. $2 raffle ticket to enter grounds. All profits go to charitable causes.
Door County Plein Air Festival
July 21-27, 2019
Free events throughout the week at various Door County locations provide attendees the opportunity to meet featured artists at their easels; this includes the Featured Artists’ Quick Paint, followed by a live auction at noon of the festival artists’ freshly created work. Among ticketed events are the Collector’s Preview and Gala Auction.
Carlsville Day
July 27, 2019
Parade, craft fair, music, food, pie eating contest, doggie contest, cherry stomp, free waterslides, pet psychic readings and more fun for the whole family.
Door County Fair
July 31 – August 4, 2019
John Miles County Park, Sturgeon Bay
Old-school, small-town fun at the fair. Carnival rides, food stands, 4-H animal barns, grandstand events, kids and family tents.
Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week
August 3 – 11, 2019
Sturgeon Bay
The City of Sturgeon Bay will once again honor its rich maritime heritage with a diverse collection of entertaining and fun-filled events.
August 9-11, Algoma
Featuring a parade, car cruise and show, 150+ arts and crafts & street fair vendors, 5k walk/run as part of the Bellin Title Town Series, food, beach volleyball tourney, fireworks, kid’s area, fishing contest, book sale and entertainment for the entire family.
Sister Bay Marina Fest
Aug. 31 – Sept. 1, 2019
Live entertainment and music at the Sister Bay stage next to the beach, food & drinks, wooden boat show, kid’s carnival, and fireworks over the bay (Saturday).
Egg Harbor Ale Fest
September 14, 2019
Egg Harbor
A beer lover’s escape in Egg Harbor! Enjoy unlimited sampling of more than 40 brewers and 120 different craft beers, live music, with free trolley shuttle service.
Sturgeon Bay Harvest Fest
September 21, 2019
Sturgeon Bay
Usher in the spirit of autumn with a bountiful day on Third Avenue. Features include a classic car show, craft show, food booths, in-store specials, children’s activities, and live entertainment. Preview unique street art and attend the live auction at 5:30pm.
Fall Harvest Fest
September 21, Fish Creek
Orchard Country Winery and Market, Fish Creek
A great combo with Inside Outside Sales! Enjoy complimentary wine and specialty food tasting, pick-your-own apples, free guided tours, wagon rides, live music, kid’s activities, and more! The fun also includes: Apple Donut Eating Contest and Apple Pie Eating Contest. Free admission.
Bailey’s Harbor AutumnFest
September 28, Baileys Harbor
Baileys Harbor celebrates the fall with live music, food and drinks, arts and crafts, a Classic Auto and Motorcycle Show, plus the Hey Hey 5k Run at Door County Brewing Co. on Saturday morning. Check out the farm market on Sunday from 9am-1pm.
AutumnFest’s car show. Photo courtesy of the Baileys Harbor Community Association.
Egg Harbor Pumpkin Patch Festival
October 12-13, Egg Harbor
Egg Harbor celebrates fall with one of the year’s largest festivals. Fall food favorites, carnival rides, arts and crafts vendors, silent auction, live music, scarecrow and pumpkin displays, food, refreshments and more.
Fall Fun Fest and Cider Pressing Party
October 12-13, Washington Island
Bring your own apples or buy a bucket to press into a gallon of cider. Live entertainment, wagon rides, dip your own caramel apples on the spot, brats, chili, hot and cold fresh pressed cider. Kids old fashioned games on Saturday at 1pm. Hosted by the Washington Island Farm Museum.
Townline Art Fair
October 11-12, Ephraim
Enjoy the display and sale of visual arts and fine crafts featuring over 80 professional juried artists from across the Midwest at Fine Line Designs Gallery in Ephraim.
Seaquist Orchards Apple Festival
October 5, Sister Bay
Apple launching, pumpkin painting, indoor and outdoor mazes, make your own caramel apples, live band, brats, soup and fun at the home of Door County’s largest orchards.
Autumn Lighthouse Festival
Oct. 12-13, 2019
The Door County Maritime Museum is offering a couple of its most popular tours Columbus Day weekend.
Sister Bay Fall Festival
October 18-20, Sister Bay
Sister Bay’s annual end-of-season bash features live music all over the village, a huge arts and crafts fair, games and activities for kids, amazing street food and beverages.
2016 Sister Bay Fall Festival. Photo by Len Villano.
Jack O’Lantern Days
October 25-27, 2019
Both visitors and locals look forward to Fish Creek’s annual Jack O’Lantern Days every year. Enjoy family mask-making, live owls, a costume contest and parade, and trick-or-treating.
Thrills on Third
October 26, 2019
Watch out for the spooky characters you may come across at the 6th annual Thrills on Third event happening throughout historic Third Avenue in Sturgeon Bay on Oct. 28. Enjoy family-friendly activities like pumpkin painting, slime making, the Boys & Girls Club haunted house, and the famous costume parade.
Sturgeon Bay Christmas by the Bay
November 22-24, 2019
Join Sturgeon Bay as they usher in the holiday season during the annual Christmas by the Bay Celebration! This holiday celebration includes a tree lighting ceremony on historic Third Avenue, horse drawn wagon rides, a festive holiday parade and breakfast with Santa.
Sister Bay Capture the Spirit Festival
November 29-30, 2019
Warm up your holiday spirit, tune up your caroling voice, bundle up the kids and join the festivities at the Sister Bay Capture the Spirit event! The downtown will glow with luminaries as you and your family enjoy the Village Christmas tree lighting, storytelling and crafts with Santa, holiday cookie decorating and a holiday arts and crafts show.
Egg Harbor Holly Days
November 29-30, 2019
An exciting old-fashioned winter weekend including Breakfast with Santa, an elf hunt for children, Mistle Dough shopping contest, tree lighting & caroling, horse-drawn wagon rides, and more.
Ephraim Christmas in the Village
December 7, 2019
Featuring fun family crafts, soup and chili, and a meet-and-greet with Santa and his sled dogs.
Harbor Holiday in Baileys Harbor
December 7, 2019
Join us for a great community event including a Christmas parade, arts & crafts and a tree lighting ceremony!
Sister Bay New Year’s Eve Celebration
Dec. 31, 2019
Ring in the New Year with Door County’s only fireworks show, an evening skate at the ice rink, and the Cherry Drop.
Egg Harbor New Year’s Day Celebration
Jan. 1, 2020
Enjoy the fantastically goofy New Year’s Day Parade down Main Street and warm up with a beverage and great food to kick off the new year.
Celebrating Winter on Washington Island
2020
Take part in a week long celebration of ice and snow with food, fun, adventure and entertainment at the biggest of the winter Door County festivals. Sample chili entries for $5 at the annual Chili Cook Off, enter a photo contest, or register with the Lions Club to participate in the Fishing Derby and more! Don’t forget the local food specials, bake sales, live music, Island Players performances, and a “surprize” event!
Sturgeon Bay Fire & Ice Festival
2020
Stroll around town or climb aboard the Door County Trolley for a complimentary tour of the community. Witness novice, intermediate, advanced and professional carvers transform blocks of snow and ice into works of art. On Saturday evening, join us for the annual Fire & Ice Dinner, Dance and Auction at Stone Harbor Resort with live music.
Sturgeon Bay Shipyard Tours
May 4, 2019
Your one chance every year to tour Bay Shipbuilding and CenterPointe Yacht Services with guided and semi-guided walking tours. See the massive lakers up close in one of the most active shipyards on the Great Lakes.
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This Weekend in Door County: Folk Festival, Sea Kayak Symposium and More
The festivities in Door County don’t stop after the Fourth of July weekend! In fact, we are in the midst of the most happenin’ time of the summer here on the peninsula. Check out this weekend’s highlights below. Festivals and Celebrations Door County Folk Festival Stop by Baileys Harbor this weekend (July 10-14) to participate […]
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Midsummer’s Music’s Prescient Youth Series Astounds
Midsummer’s Music will present the Prescient Youth series of concerts July 10-17, featuring breathtaking works by young composers and child prodigies, including Felix Mendelssohn, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Jacob Beranek, who came to the attention of Midsummer’s Music when he attended a performance in 2015. His enthusiasm for composition was so infectious that he became the […]
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Optimize Your Fourth of July Celebrations
The Fourth of July is just around the corner, and as always, there are plenty of activities to attend. But which ones should you go to? Hey, here’s an idea: Why not hit all of them? During a recent Peninsula Pulse meeting when the team was discussing Independence Day content, we tossed around an idea […]
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2019 Independence Day Celebrations
JULY 3 Kewaunee, Lakehaven Hall 12-9 pm: Muskrat City Sportsmen will serve hamburgers, brats and hot dogs. Fried cod, walleye, perch and combo plates will be available at 4 pm. Beverages will also be available. All proceeds will go to scholarship funds and educational programs. 3-6 pm: Performance by The Notables 3-9 pm: Kids’ games, […]
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Put your red, white, and blue on because Sturgeon Bay is ready to roll out a spectacular Independence Day celebration in Sunset Park on July 4, 5 pm. Kick off the patriotic evening with an old-fashioned ice cream social or the many other food and drink offerings. The Reggae band Unity will begin at 6 […]
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A Very Full June Weekend: Bikes, Beer and Fyr Bal
Stollenwerk Named 55th Fyr Bal Chieftain Jim Stollenwerk was named Fyr Bal chieftain June 15 at Ephraim’s 55th Fyr Bal festival – an event that features the burning of the winter witch and the welcoming of summer to Door County. Stollenwerk was honored for his contributions to the village of Ephraim, which includes serving on […]
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2019 Open Door Pride Music Preview
Coming into its third season, Open Door Pride Festival is offering a whole line-up of music. The featured artists complement the goal of the festival: to affirm and openly support the LGBTQIA+ community and the diverse community of Door County. Music Lineup Saint Sauter Saint Saunter, or Sarah Sakawa, is a DJ and event organizer […]
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Last Weekend in Door: The Greatest of All Time?
Roofing of the Goats Parade grows, food pantry benefits Thirty minutes before the seventh annual Roofing of the Goats Parade, parking became scarce in Sister Bay. Pedestrians streamed down the hill from the south, and from the marina and Bay Shore Drive area from the north, to join a three-block-long crowd of spectators. They crowded […]
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Register to Exhibit at Door County Fair
The 2019 Door County Fair is scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 4 at John Miles County Park in Sturgeon Bay. Community residents are encouraged to exhibit in the many categories of the Junior Fair (for youth entries and school projects) and Open Class (open – new for 2019 – to all Door and Kewaunee county residents). […]
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Fragrant Isle is celebrating summer with the return of All Things Lavender. All events will take place at Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm & Shop, 1350 Airport Road on Washington Island. Guests can enjoy massages, tours of the lavender fields, wine tastings, small-plate dinners and yoga in the lavender fields. Reservations are required. All features are […]
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There’s no shortage of happenings in Door County this Saturday, June 15. Here’s a preview! Peninsula Century Spring Classic Avid and casual cyclists alike will enjoy this scenic ride, beginning in Baileys Harbor, which offers 25-, 50-, 62- and 100-mile (“century”) courses with aid stations along the way. Watch for riders on roads throughout the […]
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This Weekend in Door County: Bikes, Beer and Fyr Bal
Festivals Peninsula Century Spring Classic Avid and casual cyclists alike will enjoy this scenic ride on June 15, beginning in Baileys Harbor at 7 am, which offers 25-, 50-, 62- and 100-mile (“century”) courses with aid stations along the way. Celebrate with a post-ride meal back in Baileys Harbor. Riders can register on-site Friday, June […]
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Castelez Wins DKAF’s Second Annual Cocktail Competition
For the second year in a row, the Door Kinetic Arts Festival (DKAF) kicked off its festivities with a cocktail competition that was hosted by Hatch Distillery and featured local spirits. The challenge issued to the six competing bartenders was this: create a cocktail that is evocative of Door County. The contestants all used one […]
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Q&A with Door Kinetic Arts Festival Founder Eric Simonson
June 9 marks the start of the fourth annual Door Kinetic Arts Festival (DKAF): a collaborative, interactive, multimedia arts experience. Attendees may enroll in acting and dance workshops with esteemed performers, take in 17 films by international filmmakers, watch several live performances and even sample craft cocktails made especially for the festival. In anticipation of […]
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Steel Bridge Songfest Music Preview
by Maddy Schierl, [email protected] Although a bridge might seem to be an unlikely inspiration for an annual music festival, the Steel Bridge Songfest considers Sturgeon Bay’s historic Michigan Street Bridge to be a “great symbol of strength and joining together.” In fact, the bridge has inspired collaboration and creativity since the 1990s, when a grassroots group […]
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Door Kinetic Arts Festival 2019 Schedule
Sunday, June 9 3 pm Second annual DKAF cocktail competition at Hatch Distillery Monday, June 107 pm Two short films by guest artist Harold Green 7:30 pm Cocktails with Robert Simonson of the New York Times8 pm Future Tense: narrative film block Tuesday, June 111 pm Lucky Plush dance master class at Dancin’ on the […]
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New Events Coming to Goat Fest Saturday
Look for new events at this year’s Roofing of the Goats celebration in Sister Bay. The day will start with the Roofing of the Goats Parade through Sister Bay at 10:30 am, after which the goats will climb to their perch on the sod roof of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant and Butik. The parade will […]
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Door County Beer Fest: Food Highlights
The Door County Beer Fest isn’t just about the suds. Food is featured, too, and not just your average hot-dog-stand fare. You’ll find delicious eats from some of Door County’s esteemed chefs, including Jesse Johnson of Door County Creamery, Mike Holmes of Wickman House, Brit Unkefer of Wild Tomato, and Karl Bradley and Tonda Gagliardo […]
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Celebrate Ephraim’s Scandinavian heritage and the transition of spring into summer at the 55th annual Fyr Bal festival – a day-long event that will take place along the shore of Eagle Harbor on June 15. 7:30-10:30 am: Pancake breakfast hosted by the Ephraim Yacht Club at the Ephraim Village Hall 7:30-8:30 am: Sunrise yoga hosted […]
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Baileys Harbor Range Lights’ 150th Anniversary The Ridges Sanctuary will celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights on June 7, 3-6 pm, with a range of tours, tales, tunes and a tent full of treats. Festivities kick off at 3 pm with live music by Last Man Standing and hors d’oeuvres by Thyme […]