No need to spend a lot of money to celebrate Fall with your family this year. Here are 7 festivals with no admission fee!
1. Harvest Fair 2019
September 27-29th
Wisconsin State Fair
Fun activities for kids of all ages include a kiddie tractor maze, hay rides, camel and pony rides, cookie decorating, DIY backpacks, live music, zip line, inflatables, hand-print leaves, make your own caramel apple, a lumberjack show, pumpkin bowling, mini pumpkin decorating, a pumpkin patch, scarecrow making, and much more!
2. Harvest Day at Fondy Market
Saturday, September 14, 2019 at 12 PM – 4 PM
Walnut Way
Walnut Way is a community organization on Milwaukee’s Northside in the Lindsay Heights Neighborhood. Each year they wrap up the growing season by celebrating the abundant harvest from our urban farm with festivities at Harvest Day. What started out as a community block party, has now grown into one of Lindsay Heights’ largest gatherings.For our 19th Annual Festival, Fondy Farmers Market and Walnut Way will leverage a multi-year healthy food partnership by celebrating the end of the growing season, with Walnut Way’s Annual Harvest Day Festival at Fondy Park.This year’s theme is Art of Community which will be on display at Fondy Park with live music, youth gymnastics by the Milwaukee Flyers, local artists, food and retail vendors, and many activities for youth and families.
3. Sturgeon Fest
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Lakeshore State Park, Milwaukee
Enjoy family fun at Sturgeon Fest, one of the biggest annual conservation events and festivals in Wisconsin, returning a breeding population of Sturgeon to Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River! The festivities continue all day with games and activities for kids, kayak demonstrations, prairie tours, educational booths, delicious local food trucks, and more. Sturgeon Fest celebrates Riveredge’s 25 year partnership with the Wisconsin DNR to bring back Lake Sturgeon, a critically important species both environmentally and culturally, to the Milwaukee River, where they haven’t been seen in over 100 years.
4. New Berlin Applefest
Sunday, October 6th, 2019
1:00pm – 4:00pm
New Berlin Historical Park
Ride the orchard barrel train, check out the cider press, join square dancing in the barn, pick out a pumpkin, operate model trains in the museum, and more!
5. Fall Festival at Piala’s Nursery
September 28th and 29th, 2019
Piala’s Nursery & Garden Shop, Inc.(S39W27833 Genesee Rd., Waukesha, WI 53189)
All ages are welcome, and there is no charge for admission. Bring the family for a bouncy house, giant slide and games, live music, craft fair with many local artisans, hot food and beverages, animals & peacock palace, pumpkin, squash and gourd carving, raffles, Waukesha Fire Department ladder truck meet and greet, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department motorcycle meet and greet, and more!
6. Thiensville Applefest
Sunday, October 6th, 2019
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thiensville Village Park
Applefest is a celebration of the autumn harvest and Ozaukee County’s apple heritage. Enjoy the charming small town atmosphere in a beautiful park on the shores of the Milwaukee River.
Applefest will feature live music by the Squeezettes, fresh apples and apple cider, and other fall treats and crafts.
This family friendly event will also feature hay rides, a performance by Kohl’s Wild Theatre, an apple pie baking contest, coloring contest, polka contest, big wheel racing, and face painting. Applefest will feature delicious apple brats along with apple pies and other food and beverages.
7. Oktoberfest (Cedarburg)
October 5th and 6th, 2019
Historic downtown Cedarburg
A huge tent will be erected in the Community Center Parking Lot (W63 N641 Washington Avenue) to cover the authentic German music and dancers, wood floor for polka, and Glockenspiel Show (Cuckoo Clock). Enjoy german food and beverages including curry wurst, bratwurst and sausage platters. There will even by a Sauerkraut eating contest and german spelling bee! Enjoy the Volkswagon Club car display on Saturday!
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
