Throughout the spring and summer, festivals in Wisconsin are for everyone: from film buffs to classic car aficionados, and anyone who likes to eat delicious food.

As the ground begins to thaw, birds start to sing again, and the winter chill recedes from the wind, that can only mean one thing: It’s springtime in Wisconsin. There is no better time to head outdoors and enjoy what the state has to offer, and one of the main things that Wisconsin offers throughout the spring and summer is an abundance of festivals.

While there are festivals in the state all year long—as no Wisconsinite needs much of an excuse to celebrate, well, anything—the state’s spring and summer festivals bring together some of the best of Wisconsin.

With holiday-themed events, like the city of New London (or as they call themselves for a week each year, New Dublin’s Irish Fest) for St. Patrick’s Day, the world’s biggest music festival at Summerfest, cultural festivities, like Ephraim’s Scandinavian-inspired Fyr Bal, or just celebrations of food, like the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival, numerous festivals in Wisconsin bring fun throughout spring and summer.

1. New Dublin Parade and Irish Fest

When: Mar. 16-21

Where: Near 308 North Shawano St., New London

Cost: $5 to enter the Irish Fest

New Dublin Irish Fest attendees might be a little confused when visiting the annual festival, as there is no such place as New Dublin, Wisc. Where they actually are is New London, a city in Outagamie and Waupaca Counties that is so heavily invested in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, and the city’s Irish connections, that it temporarily changes its name to New Dublin for a week.

While the city’s main event is Irish Fest, held from 11 am until 6 pm on Mar. 21, it celebrates the holiday and Irish culture all week long, with other events including Leprechaun Day on Mar. 16, when the Irish folklore creatures can be found all around “New Dublin” visiting nursing homes, schools, and businesses. Or, celebrate by taking part in Irish caroling on Mar. 18, with sheet music for traditional Irish songs provided.

2. Beloit International Film Festival

When: Mar. 25-29

Where: Several locations throughout Beloit

Cost: For individual films, tickets cost $12 for adults, $7 for students with ID. Festival passes cost $220 and include access to all regular ticketed screenings.

For movie buffs, it may feel difficult and expensive to get early access to movies at a festival like the Venice Film Festival or Sundance Film Festival. Conveniently, there are a few film festivals in Wisconsin that make for a great viewing experience. Spanning five days, the Beloit International Film Festival celebrates independent filmmakers, giving attendees a chance to check out some flicks they might not be able to see at the multiplex.

The Beloit International Film Festival isn’t the only chance for Wisconsinites to check out some great cinema this spring and summer. The state is also home to the Wisconsin Film Festival, from Apr. 9 through Apr. 16, and the Milwaukee Film Festival, from Apr. 16 through Apr. 30.

3. Plymouth Maple Festival

When: Apr. 4

Where: City Park, 203 Suhrke Road, Plymouth

Cost: Free

Plymouth, Wisc., is renowned for its cheese production, and advertises itself as “The Cheese Capital of the World,” but that’s not the only food that the Sheboygan County-based city celebrates. The city is also home base, or close enough to being home, to several maple syrup producers, who showcase their crafts at the annual Plymouth Maple Festival. This year, the festival is taking place on Apr. 11 in Plymouth’s City Park and will feature insights into the tree-tapping and syrup-making processes, as well as offer plenty of opportunities to try maple-flavored foods, such as trail mix, popcorn, and, of course, syrup.

4. Bluegrass, Bourbon & Brews

When: Apr. 17-19

Where: Several locations in River Falls

Cost: $80 for general admission, $130 for VIP admission

With countless music festivals, Wisconsin is a great place for music lovers of all genres, including bluegrass. While the genre developed in the country’s Appalachian region, it’s appreciated in River Falls, a western Wisconsin city near Minneapolis, which hosts the Bluegrass, Bourbon & Brews festival at several venues across the city. Single-day passes to the festival are not available, so tickets are valid throughout the entire weekend. General admission tickets include entry to all of the festival’s venues, as well as access to the festival’s shuttle buses, while VIP tickets additionally allow attendees to attend beer and bourbon tastings and send them home with a T-shirt, a poster, a Glencairn tasting glass, and a sticker.

5. Hodag Heritage Festival

When: May 16

Where: Pioneer Park, Rhinelander

Cost: Free

Not many people outside of the Rhinelander area know what a hodag is, but to residents of the city and surrounding communities, the folklore creature is a big deal. So big, in fact, that there is a whole festival dedicated to celebrating it. The hodag is a fearsome creature, with bull horns and curved spines down its back, that has been a part of Wisconsin folklore since the late 19th century. Each year, the creature is honored during the Hodag Heritage Festival in Rhinelander’s Pioneer Park. Festival attendees can enjoy a pancake breakfast before spending a day learning all about the hodag at various presentations. They can even go on a city-wide bus tour for $5, which teaches about the hodag and Rhinelander’s history for approximately 40 minutes.

6. PrideFest

When: Jun. 4-6

Where: Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 North Harbor Drive, Milwaukee

Cost: $20-30 daily, $65 for a weekend pass in 2025

There are few better ways to kick off Pride Month in Wisconsin than attending the state’s largest Pride festival, PrideFest, which is held each year at Milwaukee’s Henry Maier Festival Park. The event features live music, drag performances, shopping opportunities, and plenty of food to snack on. While ticket prices for 2026 are not yet listed, in 2025, tickets cost $20 for a single-day ticket on Thursday and $30 for a single-day ticket on both Friday and Saturday. A weekend pass, which covered all three days, cost $65.

7. Summerfest

When: Jun. 18-20, 25-27, and Jul. 2-4

Where: Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 North Harbor Drive, Milwaukee

Cost: General admission ranges from $25 to $33, depending on when purchased; three-day general admission pass is $63, nine-day general admission pass is $130

Summer is a great time to be in Milwaukee: The weather is great, there are several beaches to lounge at, and there is always live music playing at Summerfest. Well, at least for three straight weekends. The massive music festival runs every weekend from Jun. 18 until it closes on Jul. 4, drawing in several big-name headliners from all types of genres, as well as smaller indie acts to be discovered at more than a dozen stages. Tickets for Summerfest range in price, depending on when they’re purchased, as the price increases the closer it is to the festival dates. General admission passes for three days, as well as all nine days, are available as well. Tickets to performances at American Family Insurance Amphitheater can be purchased separately.

8. Door County Beer Festival

When: Jun. 20

Where: About Thyme Farm, 8425 County F, Baileys Harbor

Cost: $55 for general admission, $15 for designated drivers

With more than 150 craft beers to choose from, the Door County Beer Festival is a brew-lover’s paradise. Tickets to the festival cost $55 for general admission, which includes a souvenir beer glass and unlimited three-ounce tastings all day. If you’re not planning on drinking at the festival, and instead are just going for vibes or to drive your friends and family home, purchase a designated driver ticket for $15, a $40 discount off of general admission that still includes a souvenir glass and two non-alcoholic beverages. To sop up some of the liquid in attendees’ stomachs, there will be food trucks on site, complemented by live music and free shuttles to and from the festival.

9. Fyr Bal Festival

When: Jun. 20

Where: Ephraim Village Hall, 9996 Water St., Ephraim

Cost: Free

For more than 60 years, the Village of Ephraim, in Door County, has celebrated the transition of spring into summer with the Fyr Bal Festival. The celebration, which culminates with a massive bonfire at Eagle Harbor, pays tribute to Ephraim’s Scandinavian roots. The goal of Fyr Bal is to drive out the wicked winter witch. The festival also celebrates other Scandinavian-inspired activities, like making floral crowns and throwing axes. The night ends with a fireworks display, commemorating the start of summer.

10. Cedarburg Strawberry Festival

When: Jun. 27-28

Where: Cedar Creek Park, Cedarburg

Cost: Free

Strawberry lovers can put their passion for their favorite fruit on display at the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival, an annual festival in Cedarburg’s Cedar Creek Park that celebrates all things strawberry. Chow down on foods like strawberry shortcake, or sample some beverages like strawberry wine, while taking in the city’s historic downtown area. While strawberries are the star of the show at the festival, they’re not the only attraction—the festival also features live music, shopping opportunities, and plenty of fun and games for kids.

11. Wisconsin Sand Sculpting Festival

When: Jul. 18-19

Where: 1931 South 9th St., Manitowoc

Cost: Free

Anyone can head out to the beach and make a sandcastle, but it takes a special kind of artisan to make massive dragons, huge sleeping bears, or lounging elephants, all made out of sand. But impressive works like that can be seen at the Wisconsin Sand Sculpting Festival in Manitowoc. The festival allows amateurs and semi-professionals the opportunity to show off their best work in the sand, and results in numerous impressive creations each year, with awards given out to the most astonishing sculptures at the end of the two-day festival. The annual celebration also features food trucks, live music, and vendors selling everything from uniquely-crafted jewelry to toys.

12. Mural Fest and Classic Car Show

When: Sept. 5

Where: Main St., Ashland

Cost: Free

For more than 20 years, Ashland, a city that sits on Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin, has been known as the Historic Mural Capital of Wisconsin, and for good reason: Ashland has 23 historic, large-scale murals. The city celebrates these murals each year at the end of summer as part of Mural Fest, where attendees can take mural tours to learn about the history of the artwork, as well as enjoy live music and even take part in a cornhole tournament.

If you want even more history in your day, stop by Ashland’s Classic Car Show, which is running at the same time as Mural Fest. During the Classic Car Show, participants can judge the automobiles in two different categories: People’s Choice and Best in Show.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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