8 Can't-Miss, Quirky Wisconsin Festivals
What do trolls, cow chips, mustard, and satellites all have in common? Here in Wisconsin, we’re always up for celebrating — and these aren’t your ordinary celebrations. Take festival fun to a whole new level at these eight unique and quirky events!
National Mustard Day – Middleton
Visit Middleton in August to celebrate all things mustard on National Mustard Day. Participate in the Mustard Games, enjoy live music and entertainment and taste the annual new Culver’s Frozen Mustard Custard flavor! Bring the family to explore the National Mustard Museum, meet the Mustardmakers who make it all happen and, of course, sample plenty of tasty mustards at this one-of-a-kind event.
Lumberjack World Championships - Hayward
Head to Hayward for three days of thrilling competition at the Lumberjack World Championships. Watch competitors chop, saw, speed climb, axe throw, log throw and more while enjoying tasty food trucks, bands and a beer garden. Bring the whole family to try logrolling for yourself and watch impressive feats you won’t find anywhere else.
Burger Fest – Seymour
Visit Seymour, home of the hamburger, to celebrate the birth of the iconic food in 1885. Featuring a hamburger eating contest, the popular ketchup slide and the world’s largest hamburger parade, the day ends with colorful hot air balloons floating into the night sky. With funds going towards local community projects and scholarships, you can feel good about digging into this tasty fest (Update: this event will be back in 2025).
Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw & Festival – Prairie du Sac
It doesn’t get much quirkier than the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw, with more than 50,000 people visiting Prairie du Sac to watch contestants throw flattened cow chips (or dried cow patties) as far as they can. The current record is 248 feet! Stay for the fun run/walk, arts and crafts fair, and the hilarious Tournament of Chips Parade.
Sputnikfest – Manitowoc
One of Wisconsin’s most “out of this world” festivals celebrates the 1962 crash landing of a piece of the Sputnik IV satellite in Manitowoc. Compete in the Cosmic Costume Contest by creating a stellar costume at home or crafting one on-site using aluminum foil, or enter your pet in the Alien Pet Contest. Don’t miss the stellar Alien Drop where the Manitowoc Fire Department drops hundreds of alien erasers on the crash site.
Watermelon Fest – Pardeeville
Pardeeville is home of the U.S. Watermelon Speed-Eating and Seed-Spitting Championships and the annual Watermelon Fest. Other championship activities include the largest watermelon contest and watermelon carving contest, and families can enjoy all-you-can-eat watermelon, a hay dive and an arts and crafts fair. Stop by for delicious fun!
Thirsty Troll Brewfest – Mount Horeb
Calling all beer connoisseurs! Sample a variety of craft beers, microbrews, ciders, meads and wines from around the country at Thirsty Troll Brewfest in Mount Horeb. Show your strength in the Masskrugstemmen, a popular competition where participants compete to see who can hold a one-liter stein of beer the longest with their arm extended. No spilling allowed!
Bacon Bash – River Falls
Hungry for a good time? And bacon? The nation’s largest free bacon festival features bacon-inspired activities, pig-calling contests and much more. Get your fix of all things bacon with a stop at the food booths, and don't miss the "When Pigs Fly" event, where plush pigs soar down from the rooftops!
The fun doesn't stop once the festival's over! Check out these quirky roadside attractions worth pulling over for.
