10 Best Harvest Festivals Around Milwaukee (2023)

1. Harvest Fair (State Fair Park)

Sept. 29-October 1, 2023
Wisconsin State Fair Park, 640 S. 84th St., West Allis, WI 53214
Admission: FREE (parking is $10 per vehicle – CREDIT CARD ONLY)
wistatefair.com

Enjoy free live entertainment on several stages, including local artists, Amphitheater headliners, lumberjack shows, pumping bowling, make-your-own scarecrow, a Farmer’s Market, and food galore!

2. Apple & Sunflower Fest (Basse’s Taste of Country)

September 2-4, 7-10, 2023
3190 County Line Q, Colgate, WI 53017
Admission: $14.95 per person (ages 1 and under are FREE)
bassesfarms.com

Walk or ride the Grain Train out to the fields, where you can enjoy picking your own apples from the orchard (Honeycrisp and several other varieties are available), and spend some time wandering through the beautiful zinnias and 5-acre sunflower maze.

Don’t forget to have your camera ready for many breathtaking photo ops!

NOTE: Admission includes a 1/4 peck bag of U-pick apples, but U-pick sunflowers and zinnias cost extra. Basse’s is cashless.

3. Cider Sunday at Wehr Nature Center

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Celebrate fall during this family-friendly event for all ages. This year’s theme is “An Apple a Day” with a focus on the nutritional benefits of apples as well as the physical and mental health benefits of getting outside in nature. 

There will be live music from The Sweet Sheiks and The Bluegrass Allstars, tasty apple treats, pumpkin bowling, children’s crafts, and Apple-themed Story Stroll along Wehr’s trails to enjoy the autumn colors, and more.

4. Autumn Harvest Fest at The Elegant Farmer

Sept. 9-Oct. 22, 2023 (Saturdays and Sundays only)
1545 Main St., Mukwonago, WI 53149
Admission: FREE (fees apply for activities, apples and pumpkins)
elegantfarmer.com

Whether you’re continuing a family tradition or starting a new one this fall, The Elegant Farmer offers an old-fashioned, on-farm experience.

This fun family event features apple picking (find current varieties on their website and Facebook page), corn maze, laser tag, pumpkin patch, tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, the Smilin’ Barn Café and more.

Pro Tip: The East Troy Railroad also stops here, so you can make a train ride part of your day as well. Open Saturdays and Sundays only; admission and parking are free.

Pro Tip: The early birds get the apples! To avoid the crowds, arrive earlier in the morning or after 3 p.m. You can grab coffee and donuts in the market when it opens at 9 a.m., then cross the street to the orchard when it opens at 10 a.m.

5. Friends of Retzer Nature Center’s Apple Harvest Festival

Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Retzer Nature Center, S14 W28167 Madison Street, Waukesha
Admission: $10/carload (cash only at parking entrance)
waukeshacounty.gov

Come enjoy the Apple Market with sweet treats and cider.

Fun children’s activities include a Passport Expedition on the accessible Discovery Trail, a self-guided story hike, a scavenger hunt on Scarecrow Lane, and planetarium shows.

Parents will love shopping arts and crafts vendors, bidding at the silent auction, relaxing at the beer garden (try the Retzer Apple Ale) and listening to live music by JC Ayer.

6. Wine & Harvest Festival in Cedarburg

Sept. 16-17, 2023
N70 W6340 Bridge Road, Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012
cedarcreekwinery.com

Kick off this beautiful season with a sweet and savory weekend at the 50th Annual Wine & Harvest Festival in historic downtown Cedarburg.

There will be live music, grape stomping, pumpkin weigh-ins, a hilarious giant pumpkin regatta (Sunday, 2 p.m.), a classic car show, a Kids Korner with petting zoo, bouncers and barrel train, wine tasting and more!

7. The Hollow at Phantom Lake

Sept. 30-Oct. 23, 2022 (select dates)
S110W30240 YMCA Camp Road, Mukwonago, WI 53149
Admission: $15 ($18 on Fridays and Saturdays)
thehollowwi.com

Take a stroll and enter a world of enchantment, filled with 3000 hand-carved illuminated jack-o’-lanterns. This outdoor, family-friendly evening under the stars is sure to become a yearly tradition.

8. Annual Harvest Festival at Milwaukee Public Market

Saturday, October 14, 2023

This annual festival is a celebration of the public market’s anniversary. It is a free event that is fun for the whole family with food, music, and autumn inspired activities.

Taste hand cranked apple cider, build your own scarecrow, go pumpkin bowling, get your face painted, and more.

Attendees 21 years of age or older can take part in a fan-favorite tradition of sampling Lakefront Brewery Pumpkin Lager tapped from the market’s giant pumpkin.

The festival is located at the Riverwalk Commons space, located across the street from the Milwaukee Public Market along the river.

9. Fall Fest at Basse’s Taste of Country

190 County Line Q, Colgate, WI 53017
Admission: Weekdays $13.49; September Weekends $15.99; October Weekends $18.99 (taxes not included; some activities incur an extra cost)
bassesfarms.com

Start your family traditions and come explore Happy Jack’s Pumpkin Land at Basse’s for the ever-improving Pumpkin Festival just 25 minutes northwest of Milwaukee.

Pick your own perfect pumpkin from the patch, challenge yourself in the 8-acre corn maze, and enjoy 65+ fun activities for the whole family, including jumping pillows, train, ropes course, duck races, arcade games and so much more! They add new activities every year.

There’s also pig races, dog shows, lumberjack shows, cowboy stunts, a dance party, and a candy cannon. Purchase corn stalks, straw bales, pumpkins of all sizes, squash, gourds, and more from the market.

10. Cedarburg Oktoberfest

Oct. 1-2, 2022
W63 N641 Washington Ave., Cedarburg, WI 53012
Admission: FREE
cedarburgfestival.org

Here you will find authentic German food, beers, wines, desserts, and live German music, as well as a wooden dance floor for polka fans. Silly contests with prize awards include Saturday’s Best Lederhosen/Dirndl Judging Contest, the Sauerkraut Eating Contest and the German Spelling Bee from Ault to Zither (A-Z). Don’t miss the live glockenspiel (cuckoo clock) show, a delightful, goofy event that will make you laugh every two hours.

11. Sturgeon Fest

Okay, okay, this isn’t quite a “Harvest Festival”.

But Sturgeon Fest happens every year in the Fall, and it’s definitely worth your time!

It’s hosted by Riveredge Nature Center and held in Milwaukee’s beautiful Harbor District.

Sturgeon are the oldest and largest species of fish in the Great Lakes. But in less than 200 years, human influence caused the sturgeon population in Lake Michigan to plummet.

At this festival, you can sponsor a young sturgeon and hand release them into Lake Michigan. Plus, there’s live music and plenty of activities for the whole family.