Navigation

History and Culture Collide at Door County Festival of the Arts

It seemed fitting that art and Door County culture be celebrated jointly at the Festival of the Arts and Cultural Day held Saturday, August 9. Art has become such a part of the area culture through the years that Door County would not really be Door County without the artists, musicians, writers and actors who have found inspiration here.

The day dawned yet another beautiful Door County day, windier than usual, with just a hint of autumn chill in the air. Patrons wandered through the tents of the impressively large art fair as the smell of grilling sweet corn from the Lion’s Club stand on the corner pervaded the air with a smoky, mouth-watering aroma. Artists gave demonstrations and sold their wares, encompassing everything from wooden bowls to paintings, colorful fabric flags to silk scarves.

Musicians, authors, and actors shared their talents in the gazebo next to the fair, accompanied by the crash of waves kicked up by the wind. Jay Whitney played guitar and sang at noon, doing a variety of acoustic folk music with blues undertones. At 1 pm, Eric Lewis, Doc Heide and Lee Becker from American Folklore Theatre performed a selection of original songs, singing and playing guitar, bass, and mandolin. Other acts included the Birch Creek Ambassadors, Richard Whitney, Envie, Jean Kuhns and Lynn Gudmundsen, Norbert Blei and the Jay Whitney Trio.

Door County authors gave selected readings of their works in the Literary Tent. Barbara Larsen and Ralph Murre read poetry, which drew from Door County, history and personal anecdotes. Both poets managed to capture a sense of melancholy and humor that reflected the light and dark that is a part of life. Their work was accessible, leaning toward a confessional style of poetry.

Trolley tours between Ephraim and Sister Bay were held all day. Costumed docents from the Sister Bay Historical Society and Melissa Ripp, the Business and Marketing Director at the Ephraim Historical Society teamed up to share the history of the early settlers in Ephraim and Sister Bay and the historic buildings and churches that they built. Ephraim has a long Moravian tradition reflected in the beautiful Moravian church and parsonage that are still standing today and in the village’s somewhat unusual policy (at least in Wisconsin) of not serving alcohol. Sister Bay has its share of history, as well. Many of the current stores were originally houses and the Sister Bay farmers’ market, another stop on the trolley tour, takes place amidst several old farm houses that have been preserved each Saturday morning.

The festival and cultural celebration were put on by the Francis Hardy Center for the Arts, Ephraim Historical Foundation and Sister Bay Historical Society, and provided a snapshot of the history, arts, and culture at your fingertips every day in Door County.