What: Picnic in the Park
When: From 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, August 27
Where: At the south end of Petrifying Springs Park, 5555 Seventh St. in Somers, next to the Biergarten
From 4 to 8 p.m.: Local community member booths
From 4 to 8 p.m.: Children’s games and bounce houses
From 4 to 9 p.m.: Concessions — 2022 Food Truck Series
From 4 to 6 p.m.: Live music by the Quinn Brothers (folk, Americana)
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18:30 to 20:30: Live music by the group Ethan Keller (rock)
Note: Western Kenosha County Transit will provide shuttle service to visitors to the Biergarten and parking areas. Additional parking and shuttle services will be available at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Parking Lots B and C in the Rita Lot.
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A funny thing happened on the way to the “Picnic in the Park” celebration on August 20 at Petrifying Springs Park in Somers.
That morning, the weather forecast called for rain, including thunderstorms.
“We had to make a decision around 10 a.m., and it looked like a strong chance of thunderstorms,” Kenosha County Parks Director Matt Collins said. “The park doesn’t have many hosting options, and if there is something serious in the forecast, we have to take it very seriously.
“The storm threat was real and we had to cancel.”
Fortunately, the Parks Department has been able to reschedule the outdoor event for this Saturday, August 27.
(The forecast for the day? Partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the mid-70s, and a slight chance of rain.)
Much of the event schedule remains the same: live music, interactive children’s activities, food trucks and fireworks.
The big change comes with musical training.
“The Brothers Quinn band was already scheduled at the Biergarten for that day” — the Biergarten is adjacent to the event, at the south end of the park — “so we put them on the biggest stage in the ‘event, from 4 to 6 p.m.,” Collins said.
The band members describe their sound as “the kind of music we like to listen to, and our tastes are all over the map. You can count Irish, old country, hip-hop, modern acoustic rock, classic rock, swing western etc. blues… you get the idea.” They add that “listening to Beatles or Radiohead songs is not unusual”.
The four-piece group is fronted by award-winning fiddler Blaine McQuinn, along with his brother Timothy McQuinn on drums, keyboards and vocals, along with Kenny Jones on bass and Brian Lucas on harmonica, guitar and vocals.
At 6:30 p.m., the Ethan Keller Band — originally scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. — “moved to the main venue,” Collins said (replacing Failure to Launch, which has a scheduling conflict on August 27).
Keller, a singer-songwriter from Milwaukee, produces combinations of original music, folk, blues and rock, with funk, jazz and hip-hop.
He has been performing for over 20 years, has appeared in venues and music festivals in over 30 states and has sold over 10,000 albums.
Collins hopes people will come out to enjoy the music and other activities and stay for the fireworks show, which goes off at dusk.
“You can’t have an event like this without fireworks,” he said. “The show should start right after the band stops playing. We don’t want people to have to wait.
A week’s weather delay, he said, “can always happen with any outdoor event. We’ve been lucky for so many years, but people understand that we can’t control the weather. We’re happy to bring the event back this weekend.”
Upcoming Kenosha County Park Events:
The fall season will be busy at Kenosha County Parks, with several events scheduled:
Sunday, September 4: Southern Wisconsin All Airborne Chapter Car Show at Petrifying Springs Park. The car show moved from Simmons Island to “Pets” in 2021 “and was a huge success,” said Kenosha County Parks Director Matt Collins. “It’s a nice open space and it fits a lot of classic cars, over 450.”
Thursday-Saturday, September 8-11: USCA National Sieger Show (German Shepherd Dog Show) at Petrifying Springs Park.
Saturday, September 10: Oktoberfest at Old Settlers Park, Paddock Lake. “This event has been around for over a decade,” Collins said of the annual celebration, highlighted by the popular “Dachshund Dash” wiener dog race. “It is run by a dedicated group of local volunteers, with proceeds going to fund the construction of a permanent band shell in the park.” Construction of that band shell, he said, should begin later this fall.
Friday-Sunday, September 16-18: Petrifying Springs Biergarten Oktoberfest. “This is a huge event,” Collins said, “that draws a huge crowd.” As for why these “Oktoberfest” events take place in September and not October, he explained that the name “Oktoberfest” refers to the seasonal beers and not the month. Also, Wisconsin weather in September is generally more conducive to outdoor events, and “Septemberfest” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Saturday, September 17: Fall Fun Fest at Pringle Nature Center in Bristol Woods Park. “This is a traditional event with hay rides, animal demonstrations, crafts and children’s food,” Collins said. Even though it’s mid-September “it always seems like it’s scorching hot that day,” he said, adding that “we’ve planted a lot of trees there, so in about 20 years we’ll have more shade.”
Saturday, September 17: Cleanup of the Pike River at Petrifying Springs Park.
Saturday, September 24: Autumn wheel ride. This event starts at Kennedy Park, and cyclists head to Petrifying Springs Park, where they’ll find refreshments and bike-friendly activities.
Saturday, September 24: Tri-Fox Flex Disc Golf Tournament at Silver Lake Park.
Saturday, October 8: Flannel Fest at Petrifying Springs Park. This event, which was new for 2021, features the Jockey Undie Run and a lumberjack show.
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