Octoberfest

Appleton's Octoberfest shuts down a mile of College Avenue through downtown for one enormous Saturday street festival, one of the largest single-day events in Wisconsin. The morning opens with a ceremonial Spaten beer toast on the Houdini Plaza stage, a nod to the Munich original, and five stages then carry local and regional bands all day. Non-profit food stands line the avenue with everything from brats and burgers to international dishes, alongside hundreds of artisan booths and kid-focused acts like jugglers, balloon artists and face painters. It is paired with the License to Cruise classic-car night the evening before.