You'll find no lack of Wisconsin events to attend when you're visiting the state, whether you're visiting on business or for pleasure. One of the most important and exciting of these is Summerfest, the largest of all summer festivals in Wisconsin as well as in the entire Midwest. It bills itself as the World's Largest Music festival, but has much more to offer. Summerfest is held in Milwaukee during the last week of June and into the first week of July over eleven days. There are fireworks and concerts with headliners like George Strait, Tim McGraw, Alicia Keys, and the Jonas Brothers—everything from reggae and bluegrass to rock and country—performed on thirteen stages. Booths offer a plethora of regional food and dining; there are rock climbing walls and fireworks, golfing and gambling, and even a traveling wildlife show. You can even plan your vacations to other parts of the country, as this is the only of the events in Wisconsin that has booths and exhibits sponsored by the tourism boards of other states. If you're in the state during the summer, this is a Wisconsin festival you shouldn't miss.

Other major music festivals in Wisconsin include the Madison weekly outdoor summer Concerts on the Square, held on the lovely grounds of the state capitol with performances by the Madison Chamber Orchestra and the Great River Jazz Fest in La Crosse in August in a riverside park along the Mississippi River. Some of the best jazz artists in the country perform in this New Orleans-style jazz fest that even features a kind of Mardi Gras parade. Attending either of these events in Wisconsin will provide you with a great overview of the kind of musical heritage available in the state.

You can also attend a winter Wisconsin festival in this northern state that actively celebrates its longest season. The Polar Dash in Madison lets children participate in pulling polar bears (plush stuffed ones) across the snow in sleds. The state's official snow and ice sculpture contest occurs in Wisconsin Dells at the Flake Out Festival. More ice sculptures, Eskimo Games, and beer barrel racing occur at another Wisconsin festival—the Winterfest on Broadway in Green Bay. The state is a winter wonderland, and you will find festivals in Wisconsin that celebrate this season wherever you're visiting in the state

Wisconsin Map

There are scores of Wisconsin fairs, especially county fairs, held throughout July and August and into the first half of September. Like county fairs across the country, these often showcase the agricultural heritage and history of the state, and chief among these are fruits from the orchards and, of course, dairy products including the state's famous cheese. The biggest of Wisconsin fairs is the State Fair held in Milwaukee during July. Most of the county fairs begin when the corn approaches knee height in the first week of July, and run until the end of September when the corn is ready for harvest. These are wonderful Wisconsin events for visitors to experience, as Wisconsin fairs give you a truly authentic experience of the state, its history, and its people.

If you like golfing, there are events in Wisconsin centered around this sport. Maybe you'll qualify for the state Amateur Championship in July or watch the kick off of the qualifying for the U.S. open at Strawberry Creek in Kenosha. And if football is your game, you can attend the Green Bay Packers training camp pre-season practices during the summer. There are even Wisconsin events for those who like fishing—ice fishing tournaments in the winter and other fishing the rest of the year.