Autumn. That last splash of color before the grey blanket of winter is pulled over the landscape. The twirling, tumbling curtain of burnt umber, crimson, and amber leaves announces the last hurrah of summer and whispers of the deep, bone-numbing chill to come.
I think that’s why I embrace its arrival. It straddles the seasons with its sun-kissed days and crisp, cool evenings requiring jackets from the back of the closet.
It induces us to embrace those last carefree adventures before the wolf of winter howls at our door and I find myself packing the car and heading northwards towards Wisconsin to find a kaleidoscope of sights, tastes and fun times. Here are the experiences you should have during fall in Wisconsin.
New Glarus
Fun times are certain at the annual Oktoberfest festival in rural New Glarus, Wisconsin. Founded by Swiss immigrants in 1845, New Glarus embraces its heritage. The village is a haven of 1800s architecture, continuing the traditions brought over from its sister city.
Its downtown is a striking display of chalet-style buildings with sloping roofs, gingerbread-carved balconies, and old-world names decorating the colorful signboards hanging from the businesses.
This village of less than 2,500 is located in south-central Wisconsin. There is always a welcoming atmosphere that permeates its streets, but never more so than at Oktoberfest.
A Wisconsin Oktoberfest
We walked towards downtown from our motor inn, past a parade of fiberglass cows decorated in a kaleidoscope of varieties. The cows are a celebration of its dairy heritage.
Portions of 1st Street and 5th Avenue were blocked off. Huge tents were in place, vendors had set up their booths full of wares and delicious smells permeated the air from food trucks.
Fronting the event, high above on a hill, stood the Gothic-styled steeple of the Swiss United Church of Christ, as though blessing all who attend. There was a palpable sense of enthusiasm from the crowds.
Oktoberfest originated with the celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, a mouthful to say the least. Today it’s morphed into a celebration of the change of seasons with a merry mixture of song, drink, and dance.
The Band, the Beer and Local Businesses
At one end of the tent, the polka band played a lively, and slightly funky, beer-barrel polka, which was my cue to head to the tent’s bar with my recently purchased souvenir stein in hand.
The village is home to the famed New Glarus Brewery and their wares were well represented. Their traditional Staghorn Oktoberfest celebrates the season with a frothy, milder amber essence than most. The brewery also features beers from its main lineup, including its famed Spotted Cow, a farmhouse ale.
With beer in hand, we explored the shops surrounding the square. Unique and custom-made items dominated. The Chalet Cheese Haus with all things cheese made from milk supplied by local farms. A Well Worn Story is filled with handcrafted leather and canvas bags, belts, and wallets made by a husband and wife, Tim and Morgann. Or the New Glarus Bakery, baking since 1910, creating its Old World breads, pastries, cookies, and specialty desserts. Delicious.
Events are numerous and run throughout the entire weekend, but the live music playing all day in the festival tent was the evident favorite. In the late afternoon, they began with some traditional Oktoberfest tunes while dozens of couples in traditional lederhosen and Dirndl danced the evening away, only stopping to quaff a stein or two. The best-dressed attendees received prizes and recognition as king and queen.
Local Flavors
For dinner, we climb several steps high above the street to Kristi’s. Housed in a Victorian home, we enjoyed a non-traditional Oktoberfest meal of crab cakes and filets in the living room. For dinner, we climbed several steps high above the street to Kristi’s, then housed in a Victorian home, and enjoyed a non-traditional Oktoberfest meal of crab cakes and filets in the living room. That house is now home to Canter Inn, a fine dining restaurant, and Kristi’s has moved to 2nd Street, where it serves breakfast and lunch.
Afterward, we sat on the grassy grounds of the church and enjoyed the festivities well into the evening.
The following morning we breakfasted at the Fat Cat Coffee Works. Housed in an old feed mill that sits along the Sugar River State Trail, it’s a family-owned café that provides a warm embrace to the new day. A spinach and goat cheese quiche with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee, appropriate to the season, gave us a start to the day.
On our way out of town, we stopped at The New Glarus Brewery, tucked on a hill overlooking the rolling countryside.
We took a free walking tour of their brewing facility. It was quite the sight with the bottling machinery all in motion. Outside the beer garden was dotted with architecture reminiscent of Roman ruins, surrounded by forests tinted with the colors of fall.
The hilltop brewery has since closed to visitors, but tours, tastings and the gift shop have moved to the brewery’s new spot on Hoesly Drive in town.
Lake Geneva
Our first morning in Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva, I stepped out onto the balcony of our room at The Geneva Inn. The chilly air enhanced the warmth of my coffee cup as I held it in both hands. I was scanning the glacial lake framed in a wreath of Sugar Maple, Beech, Aspen, Oak, and Hickory trees parading out their fall wardrobe and it’s a spectacular feast for the eyes.
The Second Deepest Lake in Wisconsin
Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a rising ball of color through the trees. A hot air balloon was sailing across the lake, providing its early morning passengers with a sunrise vision of the lake. I raised my cup to the occupants as they sailed past.
Geneva Lake is one of Wisconsin’s largest and deepest inland lakes and is renowned for its gorgeous aquamarine hue.
One of Geneva Lake’s attractions is the public walking path. The path is said to have originated as a trail leading from one Potawatomi village to the next, but despite European settlements around the lake, the path has remained.
Lake Shore Path and Million Dollar Homes
What makes the Lake Shore Path so wonderful is what it allows you to see and experience. The path encircles the entire lake and is nearly 22 miles around, so most people, like us, walk just a portion of it at a time.
As we strolled along the lake through well-groomed backyards, we saw historic turn-of-the-century estates up close, occasionally interspersed with modern new homes. As long as we remained on the trail, we were invited through lakefront yards of opulent homes owned or once owned by the people behind the likes of Wrigley, Maytag, Schwinn, Morton Salt and Tito’s Vodka.
Some of the estates are valued at well over $30 million.
There is no requirement on the type of path to be maintained. Some portions are quite inviting, with smooth pavers and elaborate landscaping, while other portions are merely a dirt path.
Read More: Why You Should Visit Door County, Wisconsin This Winter
Boat Tours Give a Unique View of the Homes
If walking the path is not an option for you, Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers boat tours of varying lengths that is full of Geneva Lake history, lessons in architecture, stories behind the lake’s lavish homes and fun facts about the prominent business owners and celebrities.
One experience you can only reach by water is Black Point Estate, the 1888 Queen Anne summer home of Chicago beer baron Conrad Seipp. His descendants gave it to the state, and it’s now a Wisconsin Historical Society site. Tours are booked through Lake Geneva Cruise Line and pair a narrated cruise with a guided walk through the mansion and gardens. The season wraps up at the start of November.
Fish Creek
A vulture sailed past our heads, easily maneuvering upon the thermals with an enviable effortlessness. He briefly eyed us as if to question our presence in the rarefied air of his domain. Or he was simply eyeing us as a potential meal.
We were standing atop a 60’ wooden tower, over 250’ above the bay below. All around us were stunning panoramas of old-growth forests and the waters of Green Bay. I found myself spinning around, trying to take it all in as my jaw hung slack from my face.
A Quaint Downtown
Fish Creek is located on Highway 42 in Door County, past one of ten Door County wineries, Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market. Its main street lies at the bottom of a steep hill and is lined with the charming, white-washed Victorian storefronts that house a variety of shops and restaurants that on any given weekend can be filled with curious shoppers.
However, the crown jewel of this village of less than 900 is the Peninsula State Park. This 3,776-acre treasure is home to a century and a half old lighthouse, a sandy beach, towering bluffs, and eight miles of scenic shoreline. And, of course, it includes our towering perch from which we enjoyed the mesmerizing views.
Peninsula State Park
The Eagle Tower opened in 2021 and is the 3rd one in this spot. The 60-foot structure places you 253 feet above the lake, with 100 steps to the top. However, the alternative winding, 850-foot ramp allows you to rise above the forest’s floor through the colorful canopy and exit above the treetops to a truly magnificent view.
Colorful Woodlands
Leaving the tower, we drove onto Skyline Road, a 3-mile-long route that takes visitors over the highest points throughout the park, providing excellent, prominent views of the colorful woodlands and surrounding waters. Near Sven’s Bluff, we traipsed along Sky Line Trail, a 3-mile loop trail where the only other traffic we found was chattering squirrels who seemed perturbed by our presence.
Read More: Countdown The Top 10 in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Fish Boils: A Door County Culinary Experience
Afterward, we headed to Fish Creek for dinner. If you are so inclined, I would recommend one of the county’s famous fish boils, which are as much a theatrical spectacle as a culinary experience.
Patrons stand around a simmering caldron full of local white fish and related accoutrements, including potatoes and corn, over a wood-burning fire outside. The finale involves the boil master throwing fuel on the fire to create a giant fireball and boil-over. A unique and colorful dining experience.
Fall Festivals, striking azure lakes and breathtaking foliage all beckon you to experience fall in Wisconsin.
If You Go
Getting Around
These three towns stretch from the state’s southern edge to the tip of the Door Peninsula, so a car is the easiest way to see them all. Discover Cars lets you compare rates from the major rental companies in one search.
Where to Stay
The Geneva Inn sits right on the shore of Geneva Lake, with lake view rooms, balconies and its own restaurant, Oak & Oar.
Things to Do
- This small-group Segway tour takes about two hours to cover Peninsula State Park’s roads, with photo stops along the bluffs. No experience is needed.
- Lake Geneva Cruise Line runs narrated tours past the lakefront estates from the Riviera Docks, May through October.
- Black Point Estate is reached by boat, and tours are booked through Lake Geneva Cruise Line. The season ends in early November.
- New Glarus Brewing offers tours, tastings and a gift shop at 218 Hoesly Dr., Tuesday through Saturday.
Visitor Information
- New Glarus, including dates for next year’s Oktoberfest
- Lake Geneva
- Fish Creek
- Peninsula State Park
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