The Sister Bay Bowl float was the star of the parade in 2021. Photo by Rachel Lukas.
If you can’t stand a crowd, it’s none of your business. If you don’t like music, it’s probably not for you. If you don’t like fun, this is definitely not for you.
It’s Fall Fest, Door County’s biggest party and Sister Bay’s annual farewell to the season. And yes, it is full of people. Thousands of people will pack the highway when the town closes the road Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. If you’re trying to go north or south of Sister Bay, you’ll need to detour through the village and add a few extra minutes to your commute.
But for that shortcoming, tens of thousands of dollars will pour into the accounts of area nonprofits and much more will go to area business records, helping them cover the inevitable shortfalls that are producing between November and April.
Sneezy returns to the Speedway stage at Fall Fest on Saturday. Photo by Myles Dannhausen Jr.
Hundreds of local and visiting children will spend hours on the bounce houses, on the Ferris wheel, chasing ping-pong balls and playing by the sea. Artists and craftsmen will have one of their best days of the year, and musicians from near and far will have a weekend full of entertaining concerts in the streets, beer gardens and under the tents.
More information about the Autumn Festival
Autumn Festival Derby
Schedule
Music schedule
Families will chase candy along the parade route after local veterans pave the way for marching bands and floats; the fish is boiled in the fire station; and the grills will fill the air with the smell of brats, cottage cheese and hamburgers.
On Sunday morning, the path will be cleared for 24 kids to hop into their derby cars to race up the hill in a renewed tradition that dates back to the early days of the festival.
For many, Fall Fest is a gathering of friends and family. Photo by Rachel Lukas.
And perhaps most importantly, the servers and cooks, housekeepers and hosts who keep the northern Door County economy going all season long will have a chance to let loose a little, catch up with friends and tour the community streets that help create.
It’s the Fall Festival, and if it’s not for you, that’s okay. Not everything can be for everyone, but this festival is for more than most. And during those gray November and March days when restaurants and shops are still open, remember that many can pay those winter bills because of this last fall hurray.
Congratulations to the Fall Festival and to all who make it possible!
