Marching dogs, bird watching, horses, fine art: Here's a look at Door County's May festivals

DOOR COUNTY - May is on the horizon, and in Door County that means a plethora of festivals, art fairs, parades and special events in the last two weekends of the month to lead into the heart of the Peninsula's summer festival season.

Those weekends contain a community festival, horses in action, Scottish terriers, parades, art fairs and nature celebrations, bringing thousands of people to Door County. Here's what you need to know about these six special events happening between now and Memorial Day.

Washington Islands Birding Festival, May 17-19, Washington Island

Birders can spend three days keeping their eyes on the skies, and the trees and brush and shorelands and grasses, in the company of experienced guides and on their own during this birding bonanza sponsored by the Washington Island Art & Nature Center.

The Island has shown itself to be a home or a pit stop for a huge variety of bird species; 141 were observed during last year's festival and 132 the year before, according to its website. The festival takes place during a busy time for bird migration, with thousands of them passing through around that time of the year, and Washington Island is located in the Mississippi River Flyway, with some species from the Atlantic Flyway having migratory paths that come close to the Island.

Bird fest participants can take part in walks throughout the Island with birding guides to watch and record their sightings. There also are three “Big Sit” locations where participants can just stand or sit and relax at any time during the festival in locations where they're likely to see lots of birds, including Potato Dock, Jackson Harbor and the yard of one of the guides. Birding takes place rain or shine unless conditions are deemed too dangerous, such as in case of lightning.

The festival also offers a keynote presentation at 7 p.m. May 17 (the Friday of the fest) at Trinity Lutheran Church with Dr. Terry Foster giving a “TickTalk," a look at Lyme disease and other tick- and vector-borne diseases that are on the rise nationwide. This program is free and open to the public.

Other special events include a boat ride for Saturday morning birding on Rock Island and a fish boil Saturday evening at KK Fiske.

Preregistration is required by April 30 and the number of participants is limited to 50. The cost is $75, $25 for the optional fish boil. To register or for more information, call 920-535-0554 or visit the Art & Nature Center website, wianc.org/bird-fest. People also can register by mailing a check to Art & Nature Center, 1799 Main Road, Washington Island, WI 54246.

Also, because the Island is not accessible by car or bike and lodging can fill quickly, attendees should check the schedules for the Washington Island Ferry Line at wisferry.com and lodging places with the Washington Island Chamber of Commerce at washingtonisland.com.

Door County Scottie Rally Parade of Scots, May 18, Baileys Harbor

Begun in 2001 with nine dogs and 24 two-legged mammals, the annual weekend-long Door County Scottie Rally has become one of the largest Scottie rallies in the country, with Scottish terriers and their owners having come from 44 states and five countries over the years. This brings together Scottish terriers and their owners from across the country and around the world for training sessions and seminars about their unique breed of dogs, as well as the chance to mingle with other Scottie owners and exchange ideas and advice.

More importantly, the rally also is a major fundraiser to support national Scottish terrier health research and local and regional Scottie rescue programs across the country, generating about $530,000 over its 23 years, more than $35,000 in the past year alone. More than $300,000 of that has gone to the rescue programs and more than $180,000 toward health research, according to the rally organizers.

The rally seminars and gatherings, which run Friday and Saturday, require advance registration and are closed to the public, but members of the public still can enjoy the Scotties' presence in Baileys Harbor thanks to the Parade of Scots.

The ever-popular parade has the dogs and their owners, who are encouraged to dress for the event appropriately, often in their best tartans or costumes based on the annual theme of the rally, gather at Toen Hall at about 11:10 a.m. the Saturday of the rally and strut down County F/EE in Baileys Harbor. Leading out the canine crew is the Clan Donald Pipe and Drum Corps from the Fox Valley area. Incidentally, this year's rally theme is "Aloha Scots," so who knows what kinds of combinations of plaids, florals and fruits one might see.

And this year, the rally is trying something new for the parade. Founder and president Michele Geiger-Bronsky said parade watchers generally include a large number of Scotties and their owners who aren't registered rally participants, so several of them will be given free rally passes to come and see what the rally really is about for 90 minutes after the parade.

For more information, call 920-493-5664 or visit doorcountyscottierally.com or facebook.com/scottierally.

Spring Art Crawl, May 18-19, Ellison Bay

Fans of Door County art and artists can get a head start on the gallery season when members of the Ellison Bay Arts group hold their annual Spring Art Crawl.

Four art galleries and studios, a cider house, coffeehouse and adult folk school, all in or around Ellison Bay in northern Door County, welcome guests from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Saturday and Sunday of that weekend to see new art and demonstrations and sample refreshments.

The featured locations taking part in this year's crawl are Clay Bay Pottery, Turtle Ridge Gallery/Boutique, Gills Rock Pottery, Rob Williams Studio/Gallery, The Clearing Folk School, Island Orchard Cider House and Kick Ash Coffee/Door County Love Artisan Granola. Information and maps to the locations are available at each gallery.

Entering its 48th year, Clay Bay Pottery, 11650 State 42 and Old Stage Road, just south of Ellison Bay, features hand-thrown, functional and decorative pottery and tiles by gallery owners/operators Jeanne and David Aurelius, including Jeanne's whimsical lady figures, and work by other artists.

Turtle Ridge Gallery, 11737 Mink River Road, features mixed-media paintings, encaustics and etchings by owner Mary Ellen Sisulak in the gallery, while the boutique offers unique handmade leather bags and art to wear made on site along with artisan jewelry and designer clothing.

Gills Rock Pottery, Wisconsin 42 and Lakeview Road, features original hand-thrown pottery for home and garden by Thor and Judy Thoreson along with wooden utensils and table linens.

Rob Williams Studio/Gallery, 753 Isle View Road, will show Williams' latest colorful watercolor and oil Door County landscape paintings.

The Clearing, 12171 Garrett Bay Road, enters its 89th year of offering classes in the arts, humanities and natural sciences in a secluded setting. The 128-acre property will be open for hiking, and docents will give guided tours departing from the Jens Jensen Visitor Center at 1 p.m. both days. Its bookstore and gift shop will be open both days.

Island Orchard Cider House, 12040 Garrett Bay Road, specializes in Normandy-style and New World hard ciders made from apples grown in their orchards on Washington Island. Visitors can try a flight of samples in the tasting room or on the dog-friendly outdoor patio.

Kick Ash Coffee/Door County Love Artisan Granola, 12001 Mink River Road at State 42, is an artisan small-batch coffee roaster and granola maker also serving other treats from its gluten-free kitchen.

For more information, visit facebook.com/EllisonBayArts.

Door County Festival of Nature, May 23-26

The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, the state's first nature preserve, works with partner organizations across the Peninsula to coordinate this 22nd annual celebration of the natural beauty that draws so many visitors to Door County.

With a theme this year of "Community," the Door County Festival of Nature includes a chance to experience community with the natural world through a lineup of 77 field trips, lectures, special events and presentations at various locations throughout the county. There's also a keynote dinner and presentation and an art show and reception featuring scientific illustration.

The art reception opens the festival from 4 to 6 p.m. May 23 in the Ridges' Cook-Albert Fuller Nature Center, with artist presentations at 5 p.m. The exhibit, “Drawing on Science,” presents a deep dive into the world of scientific illustration and the important role it plays in science. The exhibit features work by three artists: "Seeing Nature: Why We Still Illustrate" by Daniel Meinhardt; "Birds and Branches of the Boreal Forest" by Jackie Rath; and "Connection & Community: Celebrating Boreal Forest Ecology" by Maggie Warren. The exhibit will be on display until Aug. 23.

The keynote presentation and festival dinner has Deneen Wiske talk about “The Power of Storytelling: Creating Community and Deepening Our Connection with the Natural World.” Wiske is executive director of Auricle Productions, a nonprofit environmental journalism organization that produces the Peabody Award-winning podcast and public radio show "Threshold." Keynote reservations are recommended by May 10.

Advance registration is required for field trips; some already are sold out and others have limited availability remaining. To register or for more information, visit doorcountyfestivalofnature.org.

Maifest, May 25-26, Jacksonport

Among the things for which Door County summers are noted are its multitude of weekend-long community-wide festivals that draw thousands of residents and visitors, and the first big one of the season takes place for the 51st time over the Memorial Day weekend when the Jacksonport Area Business Association sponsors their annual family-fun Maifest.

Maifest is headquartered at Lakeside Park, on the Lake Michigan shoreline off State 57, and most events take place there, with some happening at or near the Ball Park on County V, a block west of 57.

The festival features a juried art fair with more than 50 artists, opening at 9 a.m. both days, and a Maifest Family Midway from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days with inflatable games and music by the Sevastopol, Music, Theatre & Art Guild.

The Saturday of the festival, May 25, is highlighted by the annual parade that draws floats and marchers from across Door County. It starts at 10:30 a.m. from Cave Point Road on the south end of Jacksonport and follows State 57 north through the town. Immediately following the parade, at about noon, is a presentation of the flag by VFW Post 3088, a maypole dance at Lakeside Park, and announcements of scholarship and parade winners.

Activities on festival Sunday, May 26, open with the 40th annual Maifest Lake to Lake 10K and 2-mile fun run/walk at 9 a.m., part of the Run the Door series of running events. The route heads through the woods from the start-finish line at the park; advance registration is recommended.

That Sunday afternoon features some of Maifest's biggest traditional events taking place at the Ball Park. Starting at noon is a show by the 4-H Horse and Pony Drill Team, followed by trick roping led by nationally renowned horse handler Jesus "Chewy" Jauregui.

Then comes the Frontier Farmers Horse Pull, where teams of two draft horses from across the Midwest compete in dragging a weighted sled, starting at 2,000 pounds and increasing by 500 pounds at a time after successful pulls. In case you're wondering, the Maifest pull record is 10,000 pounds, set in 1972.

For food and drink, the concession stand opens at 9 a.m. both days with brats, hot dogs, roasted corn, snacks and beverages. The Women's Club stand also opens at 9 to offer fresh cheese curds and baked goods, as well as used books.

Live music also is part of the festival, all in the performance tent at Lakeside Park. It starts with polkas and other dance band music from Jerry Voelker and His Jolly Gents at noon May 25, then with a range of sounds from polkas to pop with the Tally Ho Brass Band at 2 p.m. The Sunday of the festival features country music by Modern Day Drifters from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Funds raised at Maifest have been used over the years for improvements at Lakeside Park, the ballpark and Jacksonport Town Hall; equipment purchases for the local fire department and First Responders; extracurricular activities at Sevastopol School, such as Destination Imagination, the Senior Graduation Party, Reading is Fun, the Music, Art and Theatre Guild and sports programs; college scholarships awarded by the business association; and the community's 4-H program, Little League and community Christmas party.

For more information, visit jacksonport.net/maifest.

Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair, May 25-26

This popular Memorial Day weekend juried art fair celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, but the 2024 version of the Sturgeon Bay Fine Art Fair, taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 25 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 26 at Martin Park, also is set to mark a milestone.

That's because a record number of vendors – 86, according to the sponsoring Destination Sturgeon Bay – from across the Midwest will be on hand to showcase and sell their original works of art to the several thousand visitors who flock to Martin Park for the vent. Artistic media that will be shown includes sculpture, glass, painting, jewelry, fiber, print, metal, photography, wood and ceramics.

Besides competing just to get into the juried fair, artists also will compete for cash prizes and ribbons for first through third places for in two-dimensional and three-dimensional work, along with Best of Show and honorable mention recognition in each category. Winners will be announced Saturday afternoon.

A variety of foods from six vendors, beverages, live entertainment and children's activities will be available all weekend.

For more information, call 920-743-6246 or visit sturgeonbay.net.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County's May festivals feature birds, horses, art and a dog parade