What are some of the major festivals in Wisconsin and where are they located and when do they take place?
Especially when living in a particular state, things can get pretty monotonous over time. One great way of breaking up the monotony of your home state is to take part in one or several of the festivals that take place throughout the year. Wisconsin is no different than any other state and offers a wide variety of festivals in many different locations.
Denmark, Wisconsin is home to the Danish Festival. This festival is run by the Denmark Community Business Association (DCBA) and takes place the first Saturday in May. One of the biggest parts of the festival is the rummage sale which generally has about 116 families participating. There are also non-profit organizations that sell food and drinks during the festival. The DCBA also sponsors other events throughout the year as well.
A Country Jam takes place each year in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on the west side of the state. The event takes place on a weekend near the end of July and features several big names in country music. Names like Tim McGraw, Tracy Byrd, and Restless Heart have taken part. For those who wish to stay right in the action, camping is available on the grounds, but fills up quickly, so early reservations are recommended.
Each year, Bayfield in northern Wisconsin holds an Apple Festival. This festival takes place from mid-May through mid-June during the season where the apple trees are in blossom. There are many beautiful spring flowers to enjoy as well. One of the bigger events during the festival is the Bayfield Apple Blossom Run. There are also numerous walking tours to enjoy including a Ghost Walk. Visitors can also enjoy the shopping which includes sidewalk sales and arts and crafts sales.
Prairie Du Chien, which is located on the western edge of the state, holds an annual Prairie Dog Blues Festival. This event takes place at the end of July. This festival is one of the most laid back of its kind attracting people to return each year. There is camping right on site and local motels offer free shuttles to and from the festival for their patrons. Patrons enjoy blues music for 2 full days.
Also on the western edge of Wisconsin is La Crosse. This city features an annual Great River Jazz Festival for those who enjoy jazz music. This festival takes place every August. This festival has 4 days filled with jazz music and other small events. Participants are also invited to take a dinner cruise or other type of cruise out on the Mississippi River while they are in the area.
For those who prefer rock music, Cadott, in central Wisconsin, offers Rock Fest in mid-July. This event is held rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable. Big names play on each of the 5 days of the festival. Megadeth, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and ZZ Top are among some of the groups that have performed.
The biggest festival in Wisconsin takes place in Milwaukee along the shores of Lake Michigan. Summerfest is a week and a half long and features a wide variety of types of music for all tastes. This festival features a lot of different types of foods and drinks, a wide genre of music both on the main stage and on the smaller stages located throughout the grounds, and even a few rides and shows for people to enjoy. Kenny Chesney, Santana, Brittney Spears, and Christina Aguilera are among artists who have performed at Summerfest. This festival takes place starting around the end of June and lasting into the beginning of July.
The Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee are also busy throughout the summer. Almost every weekend of the summer that Summerfest is not taking place, there is an ethnic festival to attend. Asian Moon, German Fest, Polish Fest, and Pride Fest are among a few of the festivals available. Almost every group of people has a festival to call their own making the Summerfest grounds one of the most diverse places to be.
So no matter what you are in the mood for, you are almost guaranteed to find a festival in Wisconsin to meet your interests. These festivals range from ethnic festivals to music festivals. Most of them have things for the whole family to enjoy and others are geared more towards the older crowds.
