Wisconsin Weekend: A nice spring has sprung!
Spring is FINALLY here, and we’re betting this time it’s for good! Expect lots of sunshine this weekend, temperatures will be cool to mild – but much better than the previous weekend. While we have the Crazylegs Classic run and walk in Madison, Bon Jovi performing in Milwaukee, and hoops fans will cheer on the Bucks for Game 7 Saturday night (on TV, since the game is in Boston), if you like road tripping I have some fun ideas for you around the state, courtesy of our friends at StateTrunkTour.com. As they say, pick some roads and GO!
Racine & Kenosha: gET bEHIND the aRTS Studio Tour
Explore an entire weekend of creativity in Southeastern Wisconsin. You’ll get up close and personal with nearly 100 area artists at the 8th annual get beHIND the aRTS. This two-day open house takes you to 32 studios, galleries and artist work spaces in Racine and Kenosha Counties. The purchase of a $5 pin (available at any location) gets you admission to all the sites both days. Tour hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday for Racine County locations and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday for Kenosha County locations. Click here for the map and more event details on their site.
Dodgeville: Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championships
Mmmm… Grilled Cheese. Can it get any better?? Or more Wisconsin-y? Dodgeville is “Grilled Cheese Central” on Saturday as the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship takes place at the Leo Pavillion in Harris Park. Amateurs and professionals compete in 4 “heats” to determine the best grilled cheese sandwiches in Wisconsin and compete for fabulous prizes. Listen to live music, drink some beer and wine, sample outstanding grilled cheese sandwiches. Fun for all ages. Free admission. You can get to Dodgeville via U.S. 18 & 151 and Highway 23. Any trip is worth it for grilled cheese!
Jefferson: Spring Swap Meet & Car Show
Browse over 99 acres of Jefferson County Fair Park for classics, collectibles and parts to find that special piece for your collection, plus over 3,100 vendors. The Spring Jefferson Swap Meet & Car Show is the largest swap meet in the Midwest! The Swap Meet and Car Corral is all three days this weekend; the car show is Saturday and Sunday only. For the auto enthusiasts this swap meet boasts thousands of car parts and car accessory vendors making it a great place to buy or sell those hard to find car parts. For those looking to buy or sell cars, the Cars for Sale Corral is full of hundreds of cars of all makes and models for sale. U.S. 18 and Highways 26 and 89 bring you to Jefferson via I-94!
Prairie du Chien: Villa Louis Behind the Scenes
“Villa Louis Behind the Scenes” lets you check out the historic the Villa Louis National Historic Landmark, right on St. Feriole Island along the Mississippi River in Wisconsin’s second oldest city of Prairie du Chien, from top to bottom. Check out extended tours of the mansion, giving you a glimpse into the life of a historic house museum. Highlighting the care and upkeep of a unique object from the Dousman collection, tours include visits to the nooks and crannies of this historic and beautiful restored mansion. It’s always a fascinating look at history here. U.S. 18 and Highways 27, 35, and 60 all bring you there.
La Crosse: Between the Bluffs Beer Wine & Cheese Festival
Check out over 200 quality brews poured by distinguished breweries, over 45 types of wine from world-famous vintners, and a wide variety of delectable gourmet cheeses. There’s a party Friday night to kick it off, all afternoon Saturday is the beer, wine, and cheese enjoyment, and Sunday features a Bacon Bloody Brunch. I-90, U.S. 14/61, U.S. 53, and Highways 16, 33, and 35 all bring you to La Crosse, and they’re all beautiful drives as you head “Between the Bluffs”!
Chippewa Falls: Springfest
If you REALLY wanna get further up north, Chippewa Falls’ 9th Annual Springfest hits the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds the weekend of April 27-29, 2018. It’s a family friendly event with over 40 exhibitors showing and selling their Spring and Summer products and services. Check the Kubb Championship Saturday morning, the Chris Clark Bike Thrill Show Saturday afternoon, the ATV Big Air Tour Saturday & Sunday, a Classic Car Show, and plenty of family-friendly events and live music all weekend long. Springfest is happening on the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds along Highway 124; U.S. 53 and Highways 29 and 178 bring you to this fun event and beautiful city!
There are MANY more events to check out, including the Wisconsin Alpaca & Fiber Fest in West Bend, the Reedsburg Uncorked Downtown Wine Walk and Portage Wine Walk, both tonight (Friday) close together via Highway 33, and the Wisconsin Dells Polka Fest, oom-pah-pah’ing all weekend long at the Chula Vista Resort.
Whatever you do, bring us with you on your FM radio or the iHeartRadio app, we'll keep you happy with great tunes! Have a fun and safe last-weekend-of-April.