Sister Bay Fall Fest 2025

Scenes from Sister Bay's 79th annual Fall Fest — the parade, the crowds, and the Door County tradition that draws thousands every fall.

I spent a beautiful fall day at Sister Bay’s 79th annual Fall Fest, Door County’s biggest end-of-season celebration. Thousands turn out for the parade, live music, a big arts and crafts show, and the Lions Club fish boil that’s been a local tradition for decades. Here are a few moments I caught along the parade route.

A man leads a line of alpacas down the Fall Fest parade route past a stop sign
American Legion Sister Bay color guard members carrying the flag and a rifle in the parade
Marching band trombone players in blue and gold uniforms with plumed hats
Women in green and gold glitter uniforms waving gold pom-poms in the parade
Two women wearing tiaras and Miss Wisconsin sashes waving from a parade car
Two women in tiaras and Miss Wisconsin sashes smiling and waving to the crowd
A young boy sits on his father's shoulders watching the parade go by
A man in suspenders plays a small brass instrument in the crowd
A woman in a blue sequined dress and crown waves from a car sunroof, her sash reading Miss Collegiate USA 2025
A high school football team rides a hay-bale float decorated with gold streamers and balloons
A dense crowd lines the Fall Fest parade route past vendor tents and flags at the Highway 57 junction