Here's how to find boats, sausages, nature and art over Labor Day weekend in Door County
DOOR COUNTY - The long Labor Day weekend offers communities and businesses in Door County yet another chance to play host to festivals and special events you won't get in most other places.
To be sure, it's not the "end of summer" on the Peninsula as far as weekend fun is concerned. While some summer events do close for the season by the end of the holiday, the county offers community festivals, theater shows, live music, recreational activities, the popular pick-your-own apple season and more into late October.
So, to lead into that busy fall season, residents and visitors have the chance to check out and celebrate boats, sausages and beer, nature, art and live music in Door County's Labor Day weekend festivals. Here's what you need to know.
Marina Fest, Sister Bay
Boats, fireworks cruises, arts and crafts, kids pedaling tractors and more are part of the fun as Sister Bay Marina hosts its 28th annual Marina Fest, taking place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 2 to 3, over the Labor Day weekend.
This festival was created to pay tribute to the marina, which was rebuilt in 1993. The village had such a strong response to the event the first year that it was made into an annual event with food, fun, music and other activities that are similar to other Door County community festivals.
The Saturday of Marina Fest is the day that's chock-full of highlights. The traditional vintage boat show arguably is the headliner, with the vessels on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day.
Also for boating buffs, the Door County Maritime Museum will have the result of its annual wooden boat building class on hand, a 16-foot Abenaki cedar-strip canoe. The museum raffles off the newly built vessel and its trailer each year and will sell tickets at the festival both Saturday and Sunday ($20 each, three for $50, only 1,500 tickets available), with the winning number drawn Oct. 14 during Sister Bay Fall Fest.
Along with the show boats, there are plenty of activities for children. They can build their own toy boats from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., compete in a pedal tractor pull for ages 4 to 12 from noon to 1:30 p.m. or 4:30 to 6 p.m. (registration opens at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively) and play carnival games or in a bounce house from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Arts and literature lovers of all ages also have much to see and do Saturday. An arts and crafts fair combined with a farmers market runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Door County Library's Sister Bay-Liberty Grove branch holds its annual used book sale at Village Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plus, those who want a more active role can take part in a stained glass mosaic workshop, suitable for children and adults, any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Fireworks over the bay of Green Bay cap Saturday's activities at around dusk, and guests can watch them not only from shore but also from the decks of one of two fireworks cruises, aboard the double-decker boat Norra Dorr (call Door County Boats at 920-421-4444 or visit doorcountyboats.com for reservations) and the popular tall ship Edith M. Becker, a 23-passenger, 65-foot schooner (call Sail Door County at 920-495-7245 or visit saildoorcounty.com). Both are scheduled to depart at 7:45 p.m.
The festival also offers food, beverages and live music. The food part starts with the annual pancake breakfast held by the Sister Bay-Liberty Grove Fire Department from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday just north of Village Hall, and the food court in the pavilion at Marina Park is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday's music lineup features '70s-'90s cover rock band Mistrial from 1 to 4 p.m., Frank Maloney and His Big Country Unit from 4 to 7 p.m. and the R&B of Big Mouth and the Power Tool Horns from 7 to 10 p.m.
Sunday at Marina Fest brings back the arts and crafts fair/farmers market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and used book sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as the children's carnival games and bounce house from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The food court again will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and live music is provided by classic rockers Conscious Pilot from 1 to 4 p.m. and LynSkynyrd - yep, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band - from 5 to 8 p.m.
Sister Bay Marina is at 10733 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay. For more information, call 920-854-4457 or visit sisterbaymarina.com.
Sausagefest, Egg Harbor
Sausages, beer, music and fun are probably on tap for a few parties taking place over Labor Day weekend. But to have those things for two days with hundreds of people sharing the experience, family-friendly craft brewery One Barrel Brewing Co. brings back this fifth annual sausage-rific, end-of-summer celebration.
Pizza Bros at One Barrel, the brewery's in-house pizza maker, expands its menu for the festival to not only serve its unique wood-fired pizzas but also hot dogs, brats, kielbasa, chorizo and andouille, with people able to pick and choose their own toppings. And of course, One Barrel will have its menu of craft brews on tap, from stouts and porters to lagers, IPAs and hard ciders.
Live music is featured both days. The Saturday lineup has '90s party rockers Wet Possum playing from noon to 3 p.m., the polkas and dance music of Jerry Voelker & the Jolly Gents from 3 to 6 p.m. and Milwaukee pop-rockers Love Monkeys from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday offers another full day of music with popular alt-rock band Chocolateers from noon to 3 p.m., Americana band Gin Mill Hollow from 3 to 6 p.m. and Chicago funk-soul from Sneezy from 6 to 10 p.m.
And if you happen to miss out on the Saturday/Sunday festivities, One Barrel is offering live music Friday with jam band Jeremiah Jams from 5 to 8 p.m. and Monday with polka/oldies band Sugarbush Boys from noon to 4 p.m. No sausages, but the beers and pizzas will be available.
Sausagefest starts at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 2 and 3, at One Barrel Brewing Co., 4633 Market St., Egg Harbor. For more information, call 920-868-5262 or visit onebarrelbrewing.com or facebook.com/obbcdc.
Wilderness Day, Newport State Park
Members of the Newport Wilderness Society, the park’s official friends group, started this annual event in 1992 as a way to showcase the remote park near the tip of the Door Peninsula.
Two days of activities are scheduled. The first day, Saturday, Sept. 2, opens with "Coffee on the Beach" from local coffee and granola shop Kick Ash Door County at 8:30 a.m. at the picnic area by Lot 3 (shelter building in case of rain).
From there, participants can head out on a Mushroom Foray hike from Lot 3 at 10 a.m. with Charlotte Lukes, a renowned naturalist and expert on mushrooms. It's not an edible foraging hike but a chance to learn about fungi in general.
At 11 a.m., volunteers lead a "Forest Past and Present Tour," a moderate, 2-mile hike over varied terrain on the Upland loop through open meadows, a beech/maple hardwood forest and thick cedar. Stations along the trail will help with identification. Hikers can meet at Lot 1.
At 2 p.m., arborist Donna Danielson leads "The Story of Trees," a half-mile walk on the Sugarbush Trail where participants can learn how to identify several common trees in the park, learn their life cycles and their shared history with humans. Those interested should meet at Lot 4.
The second Wilderness Day of 2023 starts at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, with yoga and guided meditation on the beach. Participants should bring a yoga mat and blanket or beach towel and meet in Lot 3.
A sneak peek at the renovations on Fern Trail takes place at 10 a.m. with a guided behind-the-scenes tour along the trail. Wilderness Society board member Gene Kenny, considered the driving force behind the renovation, and master naturalist Helen Berch-Kenny lead the tour and share information about the trail. Participants should meet at Lot 3.
Then, Bill Scheckler, past president of the society, presents a history of the park, "Out of Wilderness into Wilderness," in the nature center at Lot 1 at 1 p.m. Scheckler will talk about the history of the area, from its days as a town in the 1880s to its current status as not only a state park but also a dark sky park.
Closing the Wilderness Day events is a kid-friendly chance to learn about sure-fire campfire building, even in the rain, followed by a demonstration of Dutch oven cooking, wilderness style, with samples available after the cooking is done. Participants should meet in the shelter building at Lot 3.
Newport State Park is at 475 County NP, Ellison Bay. A state park sticker required to enter the park for all activities. For more information, call 920-854-2500 or visit dnr.wisconsin.gov/events/location/newport.
Gills Rock ArtFest
This popular art festival and artist demonstration returns for a 23rd year at the tip of the Peninsula.
About 15 artists who work in many different media − pastel, collage, assemblage, watercolor, oil, jewelry, mosaics, encaustic painting and clay − will display their latest work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of Gills Rock Coffee. Some artists give demonstrations of how they create their work during the event.
Gills Rock ArtFest runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 2 and 3, outside Gills Rock Coffee, 12625 State 42. There is no charge to attend.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Labor Day festivals in Door County: Boats, sausages, nature and art
