Wisconsin Festivals

[pk]

This summer seems like there are so many choices of festivals to attend. Soooo, we decided to try some of the ones we never had time to go to before because we always seem to go to the same ones. lol

So I gave up the Chocolate Fest in Burlington (no great loss) and going to try to avoid some of the regular county fairs,and we are trying some of the different ones we only wondered about before.

So, last weekend we went to the Milwaukee's Polish Fest.

This was a really great festival. We had a very good time. We learned a ton of interesting information about 'old' Milwaukee and the Polish community.

We had a great time watching the different dancers and also the Polka Dance Contests! The singers were great to listen to and the food was awesome.

Being that it was on the lake front added a really nice atmosphere when you could eat your home made Polish food on a picnic table over looking the beautiful water.

I found the people working and walking around to be very friendly. The feeling as a 'whole' was a friendly, family oriented festvial.

The art and craft works was beautiful to view. We enjoyed looking at all the different books, bead work, etc.

To end off the evening a nice firework display over the Lake was great.

All and all we had a nice evening and would really like to go back again in the future.

(I have a few pics I will add later)

pk

[pk]

GREEK FEST IN RACINE:

Last night we decided to check out the GREEK FEST in Racine.
At first we weren't to sure about this one it seemed as if it was just a big carnival with a small festival on the side. But once we walked around we realized there was more than meets the eye.

We listened to the fun music and watched everyone having a great time dancing traditional dances. At 8:00 we were very delighted to watch a group that performed many wonderful dances in costumes.

The food lines were so incredibly long that we weren't able to get gyros. But they did have a shorter line that served Saganaki, a type of cheese they cooked and served on a plate with a few slices of bread. We shared a piece of this to see if we liked it. All I can say is, it was great!

We later made it into the section where they were also serving a lamb dinner or chicken dinner and a few other choices. My hubby bought the lamb that was served with a Greek Rice dish, Greek salad, and bread and I went with the Pastitsio, which is a Greek form of lasagna, and I also had Dolmades which is stuffed grape leaves with rice and ground beef.

There wasn't alot of arts and crafts and even less history to read or pictures out like at the Polish Fest but this festival was on a much smaller scale.

I did purchase some great 'worry' beads. Have no idea the history behind them but they felt great and was so pretty that I am going to research what the meaning behind them is all about.

We had lots of fun and hope to check out another one sometime. If a Greek fest or any festivals are coming to your town especially if you live close to the Milwaukee area let us know. We plan to attend several more festivals this summer.

[AJE]

Originally Posted by pk

I did purchase some great 'worry' beads. Have no idea the history behind them but they felt great and was so pretty that I am going to research what the meaning behind them is all about.

Yup Worry bead look like Rosemarry chain except they ding when you slap them around. The ones my co-worker brought back from Greece were hematite beads with several leather straps frails. Anyone who is worried about whatever in life has the beads wrapped loosely around the hands and then bounces the beads to and fro.



I still prefer our own worry stones they make less noise and still are good for a tight squeeze.

PK glad you enjoyed the Greek and Polishfest... :wink:

[AJE]

Cornish Festival
Mineral Point


In the 1830s, thousands of lead prospectors from Cornwall, England, responding to rumors of a "lead rush," made their way to Wisconsin. The Cornish Festival in Mineral Point celebrates this unique history by highlighting the traditions and culture of the Cornish people. Visitors to the festival can dance to traditional music and dine on fare inspired by early 19th-century Cornish culture. http://www.mineralpoint.com/

[AlumniClub]

Originally Posted by pk

So, last weekend we went to the Milwaukee's Polish Fest.

My husband and I were there on Saturday. The vodka and mead tasting room was a nice addition (and the samples were generous). We also liked the photo exhibit of Milwaukee's Polish community.

[pk]

My husband and I were there on Saturday. The vodka and mead tasting room was a nice addition (and the samples were generous). We also liked the photo exhibit of Milwaukee's Polish community.

I often think when I'm out somewhere how many times could someone be staning next to me that I talk to all the time on the interent forums and then don't even know it when they are live and in 'person'. lol You never know we may have been sitting next to each other somewhere there.

I have to say I did not even notice the vodka tasting room since that doesn't even interest me but the exhibit of Milwaukee's Polish community was really very interesting. I spent quite a while checking it all out. I now wish I took down some of the street names and places they talked about so we could go by someday and get pictures of the buildings. Things like that interest me.

I hope we can make it back to this festival next year. It was really very nice.

I heard there is an Irish and a German fest coming up as well as the Mexican Festival. I hope we can check out each of these also.

pk

[AJE]

Irish fest it was awesome. http://www.irishfest.com/


Left to Right of Gaelic Storm Milwaukee Irish Fest Last Year --> Elray, Peter, Ryan and Patrick


Milwaukee Irish Fest 2006 (Good luck finding Me I'm somewhere on the left side)


www.myspace.com/gaelicstorm
http://gaelicstorm.musiccitynetworks.com/


Milwaukee Irish Fest truly is a taste of Ireland featuring music, dance, song, sports, genealogy, poetry, and culture. But while the festival lasts only four days each year, the commitment to promote and preserve Irish culture throughout the year has earned Milwaukee Irish Fest national and worldwide acclaim.



:arrow: Was a Good Performance! Irish Fest is well worth attending. We purchased several items including photography from Ireland and replica Celtic Crosses. The food was excellent, and the entertainment was very authentic.

[AJE]

Bienvendios a Mexican Fiesta 2007

Mexican Fiesta
Milwaukee


Sights and sounds from south of the border travel north each summer to Milwaukee's Summerfest grounds for Mexican Fiesta. Highlights include mariachi bands, dancing to Tex-Mex rhythms, yelling and dancing contests, a jalapeño pepper-eating contest and low-rider car hopping.

http://www.mexicanfiesta.org/


August 24-26th, 2007


Great food, cumbia, quebradita, merengue, polka, mariachi.

[AJE]

www.germanfest.com/

July 27-29th

Brassy oompha bands and other authentic German entertainment fuel German Fest, held along the shores of Lake Michigan. "Gemulichkeit," loosely translated from German as good cheer and comfort, surrounds visitors to the nation's largest German festival of its kind. Festival-goers of all nationalities immerse themselves in German culture with tuba-playing contests, polka extravaganzas, authentic German food, fireworks, and of course, good German beer. An extensive cultural area includes artisans as well as computerized genealogy assistance for those interested in tracing their family roots. http://www.germanfest.com/

Fun Facts
Food for Thought.
When it comes to food, visitors to German Fest are known for their culinary consumption achievements. Heck, in some cases its approaching gargantuan Guiness World Record Book proportions. And when the food tastes as good as it does, who can blame them. Take a look at just some of the amounts of food consumed over the three day festival:

10,000 pounds of potatos used in potato pancakes
8,000 pounds of onions
10,000 pounds of potato salad
5,000 pounds of coleslaw
10,000 pounds of sauerkraut
5,000 chickens
200 pigs for Spanferkel
20,000 bratwurst
20,000 roast port sandwiches
9,000 dumplings
15,000 pieces of strudel
20,000 pieces of torte and pastries

OK. So how much food is that? Well, let’s do the math. The 20,000 brats that are consumed are equal to eight Empire State Buildings. By that, we mean that if you stacked each of the brats eaten at German Fest end-to-end, they would stretch out 10,000 feet, or the combined height of eight Empire State Buildings.

Or, if you would prefer a sports analogy, that same amount of bratwurst is equal to the length of approximately 28 football fields.

Obviously. a lot of people think that eating at German Fest can be tons of fun – literally. Take the potato pancakes for example, German Fest attendees consume five tons of the delectable delights.But that’s not all, they also devour four tons of onions, five tons of potato salad and five tons of sauerkraut.

Finally, the 35,000 pieces of strudel, torte, and pastries consumed at German Fest are enough to serve to just about every person living in the cities of Beloit, Wausau or Manitowoc.

[AJE]

Asian Moon Festival

http://www.asianmoonfestival.com/

Hosted by the Wisconsin Organization for Asian Americans-Milwaukee, Asian Moon Festival offers a unique opportunity for visitors to experience in a single event the richness of the Asian Pacific Islander, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures.

[AJE]

Arab World Festival

http://www.arabworldfest.com/
August 10-12th, 2007
celebration of middle eastern culture

Arabian Festivals, Inc. is a non-political, non-religious, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a better understanding and appreciation of Arab people and their rich cultural heritage. Through networking, educational programs, festivals and other events, the American public will experience our culture, traditions, history and values, while a sense of community and cohesiveness is promoted among Arab Americans.

[AJE]

Festa Italiana
July 19, 20, 21, and 22, 2007.
www.festaitaliana.com

Welcome To Festa Italiana

We’re talking Italian food, Italian music, Italian fireworks, and lots of Italian family FUN – whether your family’s Italian or not. Festa is more than just an Italian Festival. It’s America’s premiere Italian cultural event. And it’s right here along the Lakefront in Milwaukee, WI. So gather up your family and friends, and join us for all the FUN at the 30th annual Festa Italiana, July 19, 20, 21, and 22, 2007.

[AJE]

Milwaukee African World Festival

Celebrate African-American culture with extraordinary music, dancing and dining. Visitors can take a trip to the gospel stage, where world-class singers celebrate the role of gospel and soul music in African-American culture. Meanwhile, popular blues and hip-hop acts rock the festival with danceable hits, while artisans display authentic African-inspired arts and crafts. Visitors to the African World Festival should be sure to bring their appetites: local chefs stir up such exceptional dishes as fried plantain, Jollof rice, Ashanti peanut stew and Mississippi mud pie. The festival is an excellent way to learn about and experience true African culture. http://www.africanworldfestival.com/

[AJE]

Indian Summer

www.indiansummer.org
September 7th-9th

Annual celebration of the music, dance, food and crafts of the diverse Native American cultures. This is a family favorite!

Make sure not to miss the performace of Brule/AIRO

Members of Brule: Paul LaRoche, Nicole LaRoche, Chad LaRoche and Drummer Moses of the Lakota Sioux.


A dear Kiowa friend of mine from upnort who is a Mens Fancy Dancer for Brule AIRO.

[pk]

POLISH FEST:

Here's a few pictures from Polish Fest 2007.

We still think so far this festival has been the best festival we went to this summer.

[pk]

another:

[pk]

SUMMERFEST 2007

On the afternoon of the 2nd day in the heat helping with a yard sale my husband announce he had summerfest tickets! So boxing up the left overs, taking a fast shower to clean the dirt and heat off me we ran to Milwaukee's huge summer festival with great music last night.

I think the heat (92 degrees) and the tons of people that made it quite difficult to get close to anything, and the fact that I was hungry and the food lines were extremely long made this to be the least liked festival we went to this year.

The band I wanted to hear (collective soul) did not start until 10:00 p.m. and by 8:00 and only 2 hours into the festival we were ready to call it quits. lol We walked and walked and listened to the bands that neither of us found one we wanted to stand in the heat to listen to. Watched the He Man contest where a guy would try to pick up around 600 pounds of a car and even though many could not do it there was a few that actually did it.
With eyes bulging, and legs shaking the one we saw do the most was 17 lifts. I found it interesting at first but watching these strong men do the impossilbe and then almost passing out and needing help until they could regain there senses was a huge turn off to me. Eyes rolling around in ones head with a ton of sweat wasn't cool. lol

Anyways, we did leave the bands, the crowd, the terrible heat, the long lines, the noises of the crowd and decided to go to one of our favorite places for pizza. Turns out we had the place to ourselves and it was great after all day long of being in the hot weather. Finally it was cool and peaceful and I was only with one person, my hubby. lol Couldn't be better.

It was the first time I've been to summer fest in a ton of years, and hopefully it will be that many years again before I go back. lol

pk

[pk]

For those interested:

2007 Summerfest Schedule

The following are the headlining bands at Summerfest.

found at the following website: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=605313

[CarolsCritterCare]

Originally Posted by AJE

Indian Summer

www.indiansummer.org
September 7th-9th

Annual celebration of the music, dance, food and crafts of the diverse Native American cultures. This is a family favorite!

This is a great festival. I have worked Security for this festival now for the past 12 years.
Carol

[pk]

The Indian Summer Festival is one of my favorite festivals in the Fall. We have been there several times with my kids classes on field trips. One year my husband and I and some friends went back at night. Alot different at night than during a child's fieldtrip but still a lot of fun.

Everyone that has a chance to go should do so, lots of fun and great food to be had.

Just thinking about it makes me want some fry bread! lol

pk

[pk]

This is a great festival. I have worked Security for this festival now for the past 12 years.
Carol

lol another time and place that bubbler members may have passed and not known it. Didn't we decide we were both at the Antique show in Milwaukee about the same time? And not long ago I remember someone mentioned they were at one other festival the same time we were there. lol


It's funny how much we talk to each other on here and yet could stand next to each other and not know it somewhere else....

[AJE]

Syttende Mai
Stoughton
Wisconsin plays host to several Syttende Mai festivals, and this particular festival is the longest-running Norwegian Independence Day festival held outside of Norway. Syttende Mai commemorates the May 17, 1814 signing of the Norwegian Constitution. The first Stoughton Syttende Mai observance was a Constitution Day Ball in 1868. Today, Stoughton honors its Norwegian roots with two festive parades, toe-tapping folk dancing, unique arts and crafts, traditional Norwegian costumes, impressive exhibitions of rosemaling and Norwegian paintings, a distinct quilt show and authentic Norwegian foods. http://www.stoughtonwi.com/

[AJE]

Syttende Mai
Westby
Westby is home to another popular Syttende Mai festival. Here, visitors can enjoy an auto show, arts-and-crafts tents, rosemaling, carving, weaving and ethnic food. Also, festival-goers can catch two parades honoring the city's Norwegian heritage. 1-866-4-WESTBY http://www.westbywi.com/

[AJE]

Scottish Fest
Milwaukee boasts a unique blend of ethnic festivals, and Scottish Fest adds to this delicious mix. The event brings the culture, food and fun of Scotland to visitors. Fair-goers can sample a taste of Scottish fair, tap their toes to authentic Scottish music or join in one of the many unique Scottish games and contests. No kilt is required for a good time.

[AJE]

Fyr Bal Festival

Bonfires light the shores of Ephraim for one magical evening every summer during the three-day Fyr-Bal Festival. The eleven bonfires commemorate the ancient Scandinavian Midsummer's Eve Celebration of Heritage. Visitors can take part in a sailing regatta, sample an authentic fish boil, enjoy a music festival, or peruse an arts-and-crafts fair featuring local artisans. Other activities include Norwegian folk dancing, a brat fry and corn roast, children's games and fireworks. http://www.ephraim-doorcounty.com/