Fall is so beautiful in Wisconsin; the colors pop, making our city come alive! And guess what? Here in Milwaukee, we don’t let the cooler temps keep us from throwing a party or two, so the festivals don’t stop just because summer ends!
September
Taste of Mequon
Mequon – September 6
A fun family festival that’s full of music, games, and fun for the whole family. The annual TosaFest includes a village of local food vendors and a kids’ area with bounce houses, a petting farm, a climbing wall, and games! The festival also includes a music lineup of local bands for entertainment.
Glendale Oktoberfest
Glendale(Heidelberg Park): EVERY WEEKEND IN SEPTEMBER AND FIRST WEEKEND IN OCTOBER
The Bavarian Bierhaus proudly hosts Milwaukee’s Original Oktoberfest in Old Heidelberg Park, the city’s longest-running Oktoberfest celebration. With roots reaching back nearly a century, this beloved event brings the authentic spirit of Munich to Wisconsin through traditional German beer, food, music, and family-friendly festivities.
Guests can enjoy steins of German brews, classic sausages, and lively polka performances in the open-air charm of Old Heidelberg Park or inside the festive Festhall. It’s Oktoberfest as it was meant to be experienced—Prost!
Apple Harvest Festival
Waukesha (Retzer Nature Center): September 20
Come for apple pies, apple crisp, and caramel apples; stay for nature and the family memories. Add in arts and crafts, children’s activities, scarecrow lane with a scavenger hunt, passport expeditions on the Discovery Trail, a craft fair, planetarium shows, self-guided nature hikes, and you’ve got a real winner.
Bay View Bash
Bay View, (KK between Potter and Clement): September 20
A community festival of food, art, music, crafts, books, and community organizations. Striving to be a zero-waste festival!
Wine & Harvest Festival
Cedarburg (Festivals of Cedarburg): September 20-21
Spend a sweet, end-of-summer weekend in the country in Historic Cedarburg during the Annual Wine & Harvest Festival. Both the abundance of Wisconsin’s homegrown produce and artisan food products plus the award-winning wines of Cedar Creek Winery are what initiated this free, family-oriented arts and crafts event.
Harvest Fair
Milwaukee (Wisconsin State Fair Grounds): September 26-28
A bounty of fun for everyone. Fun activities for kids of all ages include pumpkin bowling, scarecrow making, decorate your own cookie, Great Lakes Timber Show, amusement rides, the famous State Fair giant slide, and more! Come hungry and ready to shop! Many of your favorite State Fair vendors are open during Harvest Fair. Grab your kiddos and pick out your family pumpkins at the Pumpkin Patch, and don’t forget your Elegant Farmer pies!
October
Oktoberfest
Cedarburg (Festivals of Cedarburg): October 4-5
A perfect weekend in October at Oktoberfest includes authentic German music, German cuisine, beer, polka dancing, glockenspiel shows, fun contests, art, and more!
November
Trainfest
November 1-2
Join the Fun at Trainfest, America’s largest operating model railroad show. Find the adventure this year when kids from 5 to 99 can run the trains at many of the railroads. There are so many opportunities for both kids and adults to be more hands-on than ever before!
