Final 2026 Wisconsin summer season enjoyable information

WISCONSIN — There’s nothing fairly like a summer season in Wisconsin, with the scent of burgers on a far-off grill, inexperienced grass and a heat breeze.

And there are many occasions occurring across the Badger State to make the summer season much more particular.

Here’s your final Wisconsin summer season information.

Milwaukee Area

PrideFest

Dates: June 4-6
Times: Thursday: 4 p.m.-midnight; Friday: 3 p.m.-midnight; Saturday: noon-midnight
Location: Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee
Cost: $20-$30 for single-day ticket

Returning for an additional 12 months, Pridefest is Wisconsin’s largest LGBTQ+ pageant and options a wide range of totally different acts, corresponding to drag performances, dance teams, acrobatics and extra. Some of the performers throughout 5 levels embody Brody Ray, Jake Wesley Rogers, 76th Street, Shaun J Wright and extra.

(Courtesy of Milwaukee World Festival)

Summerfest

Dates: June 18-20, June 25-27, July 2-4
Times: Noon to midnight
Location: Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee
Cost: Tickets begin at $30

Celebrating its 58th 12 months in 2026, Summerfest will happen over three weekends this summer season. At the pageant, there are 12 levels for dwell music, however music isn’t the one factor guests can take pleasure in. Food, drink, markets, immersive experiences and extra are all part of the Big Gig.

You can learn in regards to the pageant lineup, right here.

Cedarburg Strawberry Festival

Dates: June 27-28
Times: Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Historic Downtown Cedarburg
Cost: Free

From plain previous strawberries to strawberry wine, the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival takes guests on a stroll alongside the historic principal road. The family-friendly pageant options artists, purchasing, youngsters’s actions, contests, pageant meals, dwell music and extra.

Deer District Farmers Market

Dates: June 7, 14, 21 & 28; July 5, 12 & 26; Aug. 2, 9 & 30; Sept. 6, 13, 20 & 27; Oct. 4, 11, 18 & 25
Times: Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Location: Deer District
Cost: Free

This new market within the coronary heart of downtown Milwaukee will host greater than 100 distributors every week, from farmers with recent produce to baked items, arts and crafts and leisure.

(Spectrum News)

Bristol Renaissance Faire

Dates: July 11-Sept. 7
Times: Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Location: 12550 one hundred and twentieth Avenue, Kenosha
Cost: $23-$48

A sprawling 30 acres of enjoyable, the Faire affords 16 totally different areas for performances. That contains an armored joust, the Queen and her Court, superb arts and crafts, nice spirits, meals, dances, parades and entertainers on the street. Many friends are available costume, although that’s not required.

Country Thunder

Dates: July 16-19
Times: Front Gate open Wednesday-Sunday 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Location: 2305 Richmond Road, Twin Lakes
Cost: Varies based mostly on ticket bundle

Held yearly in Twin Lakes, Wis., this nation music pageant is a weekend expertise. The Red Clay Strays, Nate Smith, Riley Green and Keith Urban are a few of this 12 months’s large headliners. The pageant has a number of distributors that present meals and beverage for friends.

(Spectrum News 1/Rachel Ryan)

Jazz in the Park

Dates: June 4-Sept. 10, aside from July 2, 9 and 16
Times: Thursdays from 5-9 p.m.
Location: Cathedral Square, 520 E. Wells St., Milwaukee
Cost: Free

This dwell music occasion has been round for over 30 years. It has attracted as much as 5,000 individuals per week. Those attending can come for Happy Hour, which is from 5 p.m. to six p.m. Music goes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. New this 12 months can be a market, which shall be on the park beginning at 3 p.m.

(Photo by Susan Malin)

Shakespeare in the Park

Dates: July 11-Aug. 16
Times: Saturdays and Sundays at 2 and 5 p.m.
Location: Various parks round Milwaukee; verify on-line schedule for extra particulars
Cost: Free; donations are inspired

This 12 months’s Shakespeare within the Park will characteristic “Richard III” and “The Merry Wives of Windor.” Before performances, you’ll be able to study slightly about every play. Make positive to seize a chair or blanket earlier than a present.

Wisconsin State Fair

Dates: Aug. 6-16
Times: Sunday–Wednesday: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday: 10 a.m.–midnight.
Location: 640 S 84th St., West Allis
Cost: Free-$20

Wisconsin State Fair this 12 months will rejoice 175 years of custom. Guests can take pleasure in all the things from the signature Original Cream Puff, free leisure levels, agriculture displays, the enduring Giant Slide, rides in SpinCity, purchasing and extra.

(AP Photo)

Madison Area

Madison Farmers’ Market

Dates: April 1`-Nov. 14
Times: Saturdays: 6:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
Location: Capitol Square, 2 E Main St., Madison
Cost: Free

A practice within the metropolis, the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square options cheeses, flowers, meats and about 275 distributors all year long. More than 150 individuals attend each Saturday. It’s reported to be the biggest producer-only farmers’ market within the nation.

(File photograph)

Madison Jazz Festival

Dates: June 19-27
Times: Varies by live performance
Location: Greater Madison space
Cost: Varies by live performance

The 2026 Madison Jazz Festival kicks off on June 19, with practically 10 days of jazz throughout town. It wraps up with two days on the Memorial Union Terrace. Artists embody Endea Owens & The Cookout, Nate Smith, Ghost-Note and extra.

Concerts on the Square

Dates: June 24-July 29
Times: Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Location: Capitol Square, 2 E Main St., Madison
Cost: Free

This Wednesday evening custom has been round for over 40 years. This 12 months will characteristic Jeans ‘n Classics, Tim Kliphuis and extra. Note that live shows are usually not rain or shine, so be sure to tune into the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s Facebook web page for bulletins.

(Spectrum News 1/Rachel Ryan)

Art Fair on the Square

Dates: July 11-12
Times: Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Capitol Square, 2 E Main St., Madison
Cost: Free

Art Fair on the Square is without doubt one of the Midwest’s hottest outside celebration of the humanities. Going into its 68th 12 months, the occasion will characteristic music, leisure, outside eating and over 500 artists exhibiting their artwork. It attracts near 200,000 guests to Madison’s Capitol Square.

Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival

Dates: Aug. 19-23
Times: Aug. 19, 6 p.m.; Aug. 20, 6-10 p.m.; Aug. 21, 6-11 p.m.; Aug. 22, noon-10 p.m.; Aug. 23, noon-8 p.m.
Location: Angell Park, 200 Park St., Sun Prairie
Cost: Free

The pageant is held each third full weekend in August and options 80 tons of Wisconsin grown candy corn. Note that steamed corn is simply bought on Saturday and Sunday, whereas provides final. There are numerous family-friendly occasions, regional bands and extra.

Taste of Madison

Dates: Sept. 5-6
Times: Saturday: 2-9 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-7p.m.
Location: Capitol Square, 2 E Main St., Madison
Cost: Free

An annual Labor Day Weekend occasion, Taste of Madison is the biggest picnic on Capitol Square. It options over 80 meals distributors with greater than 200 menu objects, 27 beverage stands and three dwell music leisure levels. All meals is priced between $1 and $6. Close to 275,000 individuals come in the course of the weekend.

(File photograph)

The Biergarten at Oblrich Park

Dates: Spring-fall
Times: Monday-Thursday: 4-10 p.m.; Friday: 3-10 p.m.; Saturday/Sunday/holidays: noon-10 p.m.
Location: Oblrich Park, 3527 Atwood Ave., Monona
Cost: Free

This Biergarten opened in 2017 to deliver new actions and entice extra individuals to Oblrich Park. Within the park, it serves Wisconsin craft beers and ciders in addition to meals from native farmers, butchers and cheese-makers.

Fox Valley Area

Lifest

Dates: July 9-12
Times: Gates open at 8 a.m. every day
Location: Sunnyview Expo Center, 500 E. County Road Y, Oshkosh
Cost: Full occasion tickets for youth ages 8-15 are $56; for adults ages 16 and up it’s $104 while you buy on the occasion (value shall be cheaper if purchased upfront)

A “Party With a Purpose,” Lifest is without doubt one of the largest Christian music festivals within the nation. It options over 100 acts throughout seven levels. It’s a family-friendly occasion with actions for all ages. Leanna Crawford, Skillet, KB, Cain, Rend Collective and Josiah Queen are some headliners this 12 months.

EAA AirVenture

Dates: July 20-26
Times: Gates open every day at 7 a.m.
Location: EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Road, Oshkosh
Cost: $53-$74 for every day tickets (early-bird costs, that are cheaper, can be found till June 15)

For seven days, Oshkosh is dwelling to the sound of roaring jets and planes. At EAA AirVenture, friends can expertise aerobatic reveals, informative packages, hands-on workshops and a lot extra. Many fly in for the aviation celebration and even camp on the grounds.

(Mile of Music)

Mile of Music

Dates: July 30-Aug. 2
Times: Varies, however roughly 11 a.m.-midnight
Location: Downtown Appleton
Cost: Free

Taking place on a one-mile stretch of Downtown Appleton, Mile of Music options greater than 200 up-and-coming artists. The reveals are free to attend. Now in its thirteenth 12 months in 2026, the music pageant will host artists corresponding to Cece Coakley, Adam Bohanan, Creature Comfort, Descartes A Kant and extra.

Downtown Appleton Farm Market

Dates: June 6-Oct. 17
Times: Saturdays: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Downtown Appleton, College Avenue
Cost: Free

More than 100 native distributors promote alongside a four-block stretch of College Avenue (Appleton Street to Drew Street) in the course of the Saturday markets. Products embody produce, handcrafted objects, baked items, flowers and extra.

Oshkosh Farmers Markets

Dates: May 30-Oct. 31
Times: Saturdays: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: 400 & 500 Blocks of N. Main St. and 100 Block of Church Avenue, Oshkosh
Cost: Free

This market options round 120 distributors every week that promote all the things from maple syrup to good previous Wisconsin cheese. It additionally features a style of dwell music. The market has been round for greater than 20 years.

Waterfest

Dates: June 18; July 9, 16 & 30; Aug. 13 & 20
Times: Varies by live performance
Location: Leach Amphitheatre, 303 Ceape Ave., Oshkosh
Cost: Free for youth 12 and below and for U.S. veterans; ticket costs range by artist

Taking place on the shores of the historic Fox River in Downtown Oshkosh, Waterfest celebrates the “quality of life” within the Fox Valley Area, in keeping with the occasion web site. Music ranges from Jazz, Pop, Rock, R&B, Blues and Roots.

Other Areas

Hodag Country Festival

Dates: July 9-12
Times: Varies by efficiency
Location: 4270 River Road, Rhinelander
Cost: Starting at $100

Since its inception, this pageant has hosted a few of the greatest nation music artists within the nation. This 12 months, it’ll host Nate Smith, Brothers Osborne, Russell Dickerson, Old Dominion and extra.

(Freeimages.com)

Elkhorn Ribfest

Dates: July 15-19
Times: Wednesday: 3-11 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Location: Walworth County Fairgrounds, 411 E. Court St., Elkhorn
Cost: Free

This annual occasion has ribs from skilled BBQ champions and again yard grillers. Not solely does it have mouthwatering barbecue, but in addition options leisure, flat observe racing, an artisan village and extra. Buck Em BBQ, Carolina Rib BBQ, Salt Creek BBQ, Mr. Greens and others are part of this 12 months’s BBQ lineup.

Country Jam USA

Dates: July 16-18
Times: Gates open at 1 p.m. every day
Location: 5775 twentieth Ave., Eau Claire
Cost: $135 and up

Koe Wetzel, Riley Green and Jordan Davis are this 12 months’s large headliners for Country Jam USA. Now in its thirty fifth 12 months, the occasion contains over 1,000 onsite campsites close to the pageant.

Pulaski Polka Days

Dates: July 16-19
Times: Thursday: gates open at 4 p.m.; Friday: gates open at 1 p.m.; Saturday: gates open at 11 a.m.; Sunday: gates open at 8 a.m.
Location: Pulaski
Cost: $5-$20, relying on day

This annual polka pageant final 4 days and brings hundreds of tourists annually from all around the world. From Maroszek Brothers to the Polka Family, there are numerous bands to take pleasure in whereas attending the pageant.

(Courtesy of Pulaski Polka Days by way of Facebook)

Venetian Festival

Dates: Aug. 19-23
Times: Varies by occasion/location
Location: Lake Geneva
Cost: Varies based mostly on desired actions

The sixty fourth Lake Geneva Jaycees’ Venetian Festival is a five-day occasion that incorporates a carnival, leisure pavilion, a water ski present, a ship parade and fireworks, an arts and crafts honest and extra.