Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MAJOR EVENTS AND FESTIVALS
In mid- to late January, in Eagle River's wild
World Championship Snowmobiling
Derby,
the world's best snowmobile drivers compete on a half-mile, iced oval track,
followed by February's awesome
Klondike Days
with a frontier winter rendezvous,
lumberjack demonstrations, chainsaw carving, sled dog rides, and more.
In late February, the largest cross-country ski race in North America, the
Birke-
beiner,
is held in Hayward and Cable. Six thousand competitors from around the
world race on the grueling 55-kilometer course. The four-day event features tons of
smaller races.
Late, late April to mid-May heralds the beginning of the festival season, which
runs through autumn. An amazing way to start it is with Door County's monthlong
Festival of Blossoms,
a riot of color rivaled perhaps only by Holland's tulips.
One apt nickname for Milwaukee is the “City of Festivals.” Milwaukee's
Polish
Fest
is one of the larger ethnic festivals in the country, but the city really gets into
high gear the last week of June, when it hosts the mammoth
Summerfest,
billed as
the largest music festival in the United States. In the 11-day extravaganza, more than
2,500 national acts perform everything from big band to heavy metal.
Wausau hosts the
National Kayak Racing Competition
to coincide with its
Lo-
gjam Festival
in late June.
July brings cars and parades. The largest automotive festival in the Midwest, the
Iola Old Car Show and Swap Meet,
takes place in the southeastern town of Iola.
Milwaukee's major ethnic festival of July is
German Fest.
Wisconsin's Lac Courte Oreilles Indians honor the Earth in late July with a
pow-
wow and homecoming celebration
ofceremonialdancing,drumming,food,games,
workshops, and speakers.
The most prestigious event outside of Summerfest is likely Oshkosh's
EAA In-
ternational Fly-In Convention
in July, the world's most significant aviation event.
As part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's yearly gathering, 15,000 experi-
mental and historic aircraft—including NASA-designed craft—descend on the city
and surrounding area for a week.
