With Labor Day 2026 in the rear-view mirror and the middle of September now here, fall festivals and special weekend events are beginning to pop up across Door County, leading up to some of the major festivals taking place in October.
Here's a look at what's happening with three festivals for the coming weekend.
It's the 26th year for Destination Sturgeon Bay's annual fall festival and auction of the sculptural works that make up the citywide summer street art project. The 2026 street art once again features artist interpretations of boat sails in recognition of the city's and county's maritime history.
The "Set Sail in Sturgeon Bay" art project features 28 artificial sails that were painted, decorated, enhanced and reimagined on both sides by local artists, then exhibited on city streets on the east and west sides of downtown throughout the summer. Past street art subjects have featured sturgeon, lighthouses, "Chair-ies" (Adirondack-style deck chairs), cherries and bass.
The artistic sails are available to the public through an online auction, with bidding closing at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 19. The auction is being conducted via the Handbid app, which provides notifications on bids; a link is available, and people can view photos of the sails, on the Harvest Fest page at the Destination Sturgeon Bay website.
To learn more about the participating artists and get a closer look at the sails, a new Harvest Fest event has a reception with the artists, including interviews with some of them, taking place from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at Door County Granary on the West Side waterfront of downtown (beer, wine and snacks available for purchase from the Granary Wharf Cafe) and the sails will go on display along the waterfront promenade. Free Ferris wheel rides also will be available on the waterfront from 5 to 8 p.m. that evening.
Another new event on the Friday evening of the festival is a Cruise-In Meet & Greet for the Old Bolts Car Club, leading into their 20th annual daylong Harvest Fest car show Saturday. This replaces the "Cruise By the Bay" Friday night drive Old Bolts members previously did through downtown the evening before the car show. The Cruise-In is at 5 p.m. Sept. 18 at The Lodge at Leathem Smith, 1640 Memorial Drive, with food and a bar on hand.
The Old Bolts car show, one of the major highlights of the weekend, is expected to bring more than 100 antique, classic and customized cars to go on display up and down South Third Avenue between Michigan and Quincy streets. The show runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a presentation of the American colors and a performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially opening it at 10 a.m. and awards presented at 3 p.m. Show car registration will be done on site at South Third Avenue and Nebraska Street from 8 a.m. to noon; entry fee is $15. For more information, go to the Old Bolts Car Club's Facebook page.
Another special event that's become a Harvest Fest tradition is the "Tapping of the Oktoberfest Firkin." A firkin of a special craft beer from Starboard Brewing will be tapped by Mayor David Ward in front of the North Third Avenue brewpub at noon, followed at 1 p.m. by a contest to hold a full stein of beer at arm's length (much harder than it sounds), a root beer holding contest for the kids at 2 p.m., and Beer Puppeteer, a contest to determine who can drink a cup of beer using a puppet-like rig with strings to control the cup, at 3 p.m.
This year's festival also features more Saturday activities on the West Side waterfront around the Door County Granary as part of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society's celebration of the 125th anniversary of the opening of the historic Teweles & Brandeis grain elevator, which now has become a museum and seasonal community gathering and events space.
Along with a food truck court open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Granary Wharf Cafe on site will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with Czech-inspired foods such as zelnacka (sauerkraut soup) in recognition of the Bohemian heritage of the two men whose names are on the grain elevator.
A short program at 2 p.m. will commemorate the 125th anniversary, and live music outside the Granary (weather permitting, bring chairs) is provided with 1980s rock from Bill Gironda from noon to 2 p.m. and polka music by Jerry Voelker & His Jolly Gents from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Ferris wheel will again give free rides from noon to 6 p.m.
Harvest Fest also features a craft show, food vendors, in-store specials and other activities all along North Third Avenue between Michigan and Jefferson streets from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 19. The usual farmers market is taking place until noon on Nebraska Street by the Door County Library.
Also new for 2026, the children's activity and entertainment area is set up in Martin Park (Michigan Street and Third Avenue), with face painting and other kids' things to do joined by deejay music; antique tractors, a fire engine and ambulance on display; and more vendors and food and beverage offerings.
One more new thing for 2026 – free trolley rides will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with stops at Sawyer Park and Door County Granary on the West Side and Graham Park, and the parking garage across from Stone Harbor Resort on the East Side.
For more information, go to Destination Sturgeon Bay, 36 S. Third Ave.; call 920-743-6246; or visit sturgeonbay.net or facebook.com/sturgeonbay.
A different kind of harvest fest annually takes place at Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery, the international award-winning winery just north of Sturgeon Bay celebrating the upcoming grape harvest in its 6-acre vineyard.
Wine connoisseurs and just plain ol' wine lovers can buy flights, glasses or bottles of Parallel 44's cold-climate white, red and sparkling wines made from grapes grown on site and in Wisconsin. For those who want to get a look at how the grapes are grown and then crushed into wines, Parallel 44 co-owner and winemaker Steve Johnson will lead tours at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.
A returning event at this year's festival is a grape stomp contest, which was part of the festival since its beginning at Parallel 44's original vineyard and winery in Kewaunee. With the winery's vineyard and operations now all at its Door County location, the grape stomp is debuting there. It takes place at 3 p.m. Adults must enter their names into a lottery to take part.
Food for the festival is provided by the My 3 Favorite Things food truck from Sturgeon Bay (varieties of burgers, mac & cheese, funnel cakes and sides), and rock band Farewell Friday provides the music from noon to 5 p.m.
Harvest Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Parallel 44, 5464 County P, just east of State 42, Sturgeon Bay. For more information, call 920-388-4400 or visit 44wineries.com.
This 10th annual festival is meant to gather performing artists and inspire them to collaborate, develop projects, present work and exchange ideas as they develop new work, while also giving the public a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process through film screenings, staged readings, workshops and performed works in progress.
Among the events highlighting Door County-based artists for the 2026 edition are a reading of "The Northeast Corner," a musical under development by singer/songwriter and playwright Katie Dahl in association with Milwaukee Repertory Theater (2 and 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Egg Harbor).
Also, internationally renowned glass artist Jeremy Popelka gives a demonstration of his creative process at 2 p.m. Sept. 25 at Popelka Trenchard Glass in Sturgeon Bay, with a panel discussion featuring him and other Door County-based artists as part of the program.
Two programs feature former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran: a roundtable discussion on journalism at 2 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor; and a staged reading of his new play "The Baghdad Gentlemen's Club," based on his work reporting from the Iraqi capital, at 2 p.m. Sept. 23 in The Cramer Exchange at Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek.
The Emmy Award-winning performance group and video production team Manual Cinema, known for using overhead projectors, shadow puppetry, multiple screens, live actors and original music in its work, brings those elements to a performance of "The Daemon" at 8 p.m. Sept. 24 at Bjorklunden in Baileys Harbor, then gives a workshop the next day.
Chicago-based dancer Sophie Minouche Allen gives two performances, "When Life Gives You Lemons" on Sept. 22 and "This is Not a Life Saving Device" Sept. 24, both at 7 p.m. at Bjorklunden. Chicago-based playwright/actor Jennifer Mosters performs "Songs Without Words," her award-winning solo play about sibling classical music composers Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at Bjorklunden.
Also, the Sept. 26 performance of "The Call List," the Brian Polak play making its world premiere run at Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay, is being presented in conjunction with the arts festival.
There also are curated cocktails, with James Beard Award–nominated cocktail expert and writer Robert Simonson joining forces with Chef Ryan Ibsen of the Cupola Café for a cocktail pairing session Sept. 24 at Cupola House in Egg Harbor, then pairing cocktails with music as he joins famed Door County rocker pat mAcdonald for a Sept. 25 event at The Tambourine Lounge in Sturgeon Bay.
Films are shown at various times throughout the week at Bjorklunden, including a student film festival and student-curated film festival Sept. 26.
All events require admission passes; single-day and all-festival passes are available through the festival website. For passes or more information, visit doorkinetic.com.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Here's a look at 3 Door County fall festivals for the harvest and arts