On tap this weekend, Kenosha YMCA is pulling out all the stops on the inaugural Fall Fest, and the live music and family events calendars are bursting, setting the bar high for October.
Best Bet
The YMCA jumps into autumn with Fall Fest 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. This free event features live music, food trucks, a bags tournament, beer tent, kids’ activities and more, as previously highlighted in Kenosha.com’s Fall Events coverage.
Morning activities provide inspiration as well as participation. Kicking off the festival at 10 a.m. is the Lap for LiveSTRONG, a one-mile run/walk. The LiveSTRONG program at the YMCA helps adult cancer survivors reclaim their health and well-being following their diagnosis. Registration is required for this event and includes a T-shirt.
Next up, the Miracle League Showcase game begins at 11 a.m. on Miracle Field. Kids of all abilities get a chance to play, thanks to the Miracle League’s mission to remove the barriers that keep children with mental and physical disabilities off the baseball field and let them experience the joy of baseball.
“The YMCA does all of our special events to support our community programs,” said Chris Finkel, Kenosha YMCA Development Director. “That’s the purpose. We want to bring the community together to support these programs.”
Big names on the music lineup include Vinyl Remix, 1:30-3 p.m., Ivy Ford 3-4:30 p.m., Boys & Toys 4:30-6:30 p.m. and Betsy Ade & the Well-Known Strangers, 7-9:30 p.m.
“It’s Kenosha’s best,” Finkel said. “We tried to get the best, most well-known bands from Kenosha. This is going to be really cool.”
A kids’ carnival from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. features painting faces, pumpkins and rocks for all ages. Wristbands will be available for purchase for a carnival area with bounce attractions.
In keeping with the festival’s all-in approach, the lineup of food trucks/concessions also has something for everyone. Participating vendors include Tastebuds (turkey legs, hot dogs, brats and burgers), AJ’s Crunch & Munch (chicken wraps, Greek Freak wrap, loaded fries, loaded nachos, onion rings, cheese sticks, chicken strip basket, soda and lemonade), De La Rosa (tacos), Pawlie’s Diner (ice cream novelties) and Blue Bear (BBQ sandwiches and sides).
“This is our inaugural Fall Fest and we’re pretty excited because we’ve never really had an event on our grounds before,” Finkel said. “There’s going to be a lot going on.”
Registration for LiveStrong (10:15 a.m.), CharityWERQ (noon) and the bags tournament (1 p.m.) is available on Saturday.
Parking is available at the YMCA, Indian Trail baseball parking lot and surrounding streets. An evening shuttle service will be available from the baseball parking lot.
Top Picks
After a five-year hiatus, The Ride of the Living Dead (aka “zombie bike ride”) returns to downtown Kenosha Saturday. The event debuted in 2007 as a bicycle pub crawl to a few of their favorite drinking establishments — a spin-off of the summer Handlebars and Bars event, but this one with makeup and costumes.
Over the years, the ride grew to involve hundreds of participants and added attractions such as live music, food vendors and games. The event is free and open to the public; the only requirements are a bicycle and some zombie makeup.
Here are the scheduled stops along Saturday’s Ride of the Living Dead route, spreading not only zombie parts but also great live music, food and beverages through the the city:
- Noon-1:30 p.m. — Cheers, 4619 8th Ave.
- 1:45-3 p.m. — Kenosha Yacht Club, 5139 4th Ave. Music by Little Couch Band.
- 3:15-4:30 p.m. — Coins, 1714 52nd St. Music by Revel in Rot.
- 4:45-6 p.m. — Hattrix, 2425 60th St. Music by Indonesian Junk.
- 6:15-7:45 p.m. — Flint’s Inn, 4708 22nd Ave. Music by Stickhouse.
- 8-10 p.m. — Union Park Tavern, 4520 8th St. Music by Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends.
- 10:15-? — After Party at The Port, 714 50th St. Music by Work Party.
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Do you have the cutest dog in Kenosha? Bring that pup to Captains & Canines, Captain Mike’s 2nd Annual Block Party, set for 3-10 p.m. outside the bar/restaurant, 5118 6th Ave.
In partnership with Safe Harbor Humane Society and Tito’s Vodka, the event is designed to raise money locally to benefit Safe Harbor.
The live music lineup features Would You Kindly?, The Rough Cut and The Dill Spears. The Galley and Cut Stone Foods will be on hand.
To enter the Cutest Dog Contest, use #kenoshascutestdog on Instagram and tag Captain Mike’s for a chance to win a gift basket from pet-friendly establishments in Kenosha. Winners will be announced Friday.
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Shop ‘til you drop takes on new meaning with the Fall Vintage Shop Hop, set for Friday and Saturday. While the overall event involves 400 boutiques in Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, Kenosha’s cozy corner of the market has its own mini-hop.
Participating downtown shops include: A Summers Garden Flowers and Gifts, Vintage Underground, To & From Gift Shop, Belissima’s Boutique, The Pine Blossom, Lulu Birds, Flat Iron Vintage, Authentique, Against the Grain Creative Concepts.
Shoppers can pick up a punch card at any participating stop, get it punched at each location, and turn it in by Saturday at 4 p.m. for a chance to win a prize basket of goodies and gift cards.
Day Tripper
The season finale of Food Truck Nights at the Franksville Craft Beer Garden is set for 5-9 p.m. Friday, in Caledonia/Mt. Pleasant Park, 9614 Northwestern Ave., Franksville. In addition to food trucks and 22 beers on tap, the event features live music, playgrounds, yard games and more. Free to attend (purchase prices for food and beverages vary).
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The 70th annual Wisconsin Antiques Dealers Association Show returns Friday and Saturday to the Waukesha County Expo Center’s Forum Complex, 1000 Northview Rd., Waukesha. The show is full with 55 antiques dealers from nine states.
Show hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $7, with a BOGO twist: one 25-or -under admitted free with one paid admission. Parking is free.
Proceeds from admissions fund scholarships as well as grants to Wisconsin historical preservation groups.
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The Lineup
FRIDAY, Oct. 1
Music
Grateful Dead Night at Public, 8-11 p.m., Public Craft Brewing Co., 628 58th St., Tickets $10.
Bass Inn-Fusion (EDM), 3-8 p.m., Fusion, 5014 7th Ave. Lineup: Jck Jck (trap, hybrid), Foolish (DubStep), Nexus 6 (HxC, techno), Carbonella (house).
2 Against Nature (guitarists/vocalists Rick Venn and Terry Peterson), 6-9 p.m., KYC Island Deck, 5130 4th Ave. Free.
Matt Meyer & Mikey G, 5pm-8pm Twisted Cuisine (outdoor).
Stu the Piano Guy, 8 p.m., part of Oktoberfest festivities at the Boat House Pub & Eatery, 4917 7th Ave.
Family
Friday Fun Day (for families with children), variety of games, crafts, building toys and tech, 1-3 p.m. Northside Library, 1500 27th Ave.
Geometric Mobile craft, 4-5 p.m. Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. Use colorful paper, geometric shapes, and beads to create a mobile worthy of being displayed in a museum (or your very own room)! Ages 9-12
Theater
Carthage College Theatre presents “Betrayal,” written by Harold Pinter and co-directed by Professor Herschel Kruger and Caitlin Preuss ’23, 7:30 p.m. Wartburg Theatre.
Lakeside Players present “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” 7:30 p.m. Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St.
Potpourri
Dr. Destruction’s Haunted Manor, 4-8 p.m., Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm, 7150 18th St., $10.
SATURDAY, Oct. 2
Music
Listening Party, 6-9 p.m. Petrifying Springs Biergarten, 5555 7th St.
Matt Meyer and the Smooth Riders and special guests Midnight Crow, 9 p.m.-1 p.m., Fusion, 5014 7th Ave. $10.
Jonny Tbird and the MPs, 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Union Park Tavern,
Sleepersound, 8-10 p.m., Public Craft Brewing, 628 58th St. Free.
Ronnie Nyles & Tina Dimmer, 3-6 p.m., Twisted Cuisine.
YMCA Fall Fest: Vinyl Remix, 1:30-3 p.m., Ivy Ford 3-4:30 p.m., Boys & Toys 4:30-6:30 p.m. and Betsy Ade & the Well-Known Strangers, 7-9:30 p.m.
“Ride of the Living Dead” bike ride music lineup: Little Couch Band, 1:45 – 3:00: Kenosha Yacht Club, 5139 4th Ave.; Revel in Rot, 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. Coins, 1714 52nd St.; Indonesian Junk, 4:45 – 6 p.m., Hattrix, 2425 60th St.; Stickhouse, 6:15 – 7:45 Flints Inn; Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends8 – 10 p.m. Union Park Tavern; Work Party, 10:15 – ? After Party at The Port.
Theater
Carthage College Theatre presents “Betrayal,” written by Harold Pinter and co-directed by Professor Herschel Kruger and Carthage student Caitlin Preuss. 7:30 p.m., Wartburg Theatre.
Lakeside Players present “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” 2 p.m. Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St.
Potpourri
Lost Songs of the Civil War, 1 p.m., Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave. From camp ditties to re-written versions of popular songs of the day, Civil War soldiers remade music to fit their own tastes and reflect the struggles and hardships they faced. Award-winning folk musician and folklorist Chris Vallillo takes us deep into the journals and letters of the Civil War troops bringing these rare and unheard gems back to life in a new program. Free.
Unplugged Day, Noon-5 p.m., Civil War Museum Resource Center, 5400 1st Ave. Learn about old-fashioned leisure activities and play with some of the “original” handheld games. Then experience some 19th century chores like churning butter, making ice cream and spinning yarn. Visitors may try on the costumes for the full experience and photo ops. Free.
“Keeping You Curious without the Pricetag,” Library of Things Open House, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Are you ready for flag football? Want to try an ergonomic keyboard? Interested in dabbling with graphic drawing? Join us as we explore a variety of entertaining, enriching and educational items from our “Library of Things.” No registration required, this is a walk-in, browsing event throughout the hour. Hosted by Rosa Herrera.
Dr. Destruction’s Haunted Manor, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm, 7150 18th St., $10.
Family
Tails N’ Tales: Read to a Dog! (Ages 5-12) 10-11 a.m. Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. Sign up for a 15-minute reading session with one of the certified reading education assistance dogs from Kenosha’s Dogs of Endearment. Registration required, call (262) 564-6150.
Preschool Storytime, 9:30-10 a.m. and 10:30-11 a.m., Southwest Library.
Kenosha HarborMarket, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 56th Street and 2nd Avenue.
Kenosha Public Market, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 625 52nd St.
SUNDAY, Oct. 3
Music
Sipos & Young, 3 p.m., part of Oktoberfest festivities at the Boat House Pub & Eatery, 4917 7th Ave.
Open Mic Sunday, 4-8 p.m. Fusion, 5014 7th Ave.
Theater
Carthage College Theatre presents “Betrayal,” written by Harold Pinter and co-directed by Professor Herschel Kruger and Caitlin Preuss ’23, 3 p.m. Wartburg Theatre
Brighton Beach Memoirs, 2 p.m. Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St.
Potpourri
Dr. Destruction’s Haunted Manor, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm, 7150 18th St., $10
Wilmot Flea Market Market, Kenosha County Fair Grounds, 30820 111th St. Admission: Adults: $2, seniors $1, kids 6-14 $1, 5 and under free.
Family
Sunday Story Time, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Blue House Books. 5915 6th Ave. A.
