Oconto Copperfest organizer says event's family atmosphere always boosts turnout

OCONTO - Copperfest returns for another installment of family-friendly activities this weekend.

The festival, which runs Friday through Sunday, will include music, kids' activities, pony rides, racing pigs and ducks, a cornhole tournament, food trucks, face painting and caricature artists, and more.

Gary Zahn, the coordinator of Copperfest, said it's the family atmosphere that draws around 3,000 people to the event every year.

"The parents can go and let the kids go because everything is fenced in and they can see their kids from a distance," he said. "They can … listen to music or watch something else and they know their kids are going to be in that area and they can still see them."

The 42st installment of the festival runs from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Copperfest/American Legion Post 74 Park, 709 Madison St.

An expanded craft vendor lineup will be selling their products. Zahn said the offerings are "about twice as many this year" – rising from around 30 last year to more than 50.

Additional events during the weekend are the Wisconsin Upper Michigan Pulling Association (WUMPA) truck pulls at 7 p.m. Friday at the City Docks, a car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Holy Trinity Church parking lot, a pie and ice cream social from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Beyer Home & Carriage Museum, 917 Park Ave., and Under The Lights wrestling at 2:15 p.m. Sunday.

Miss Copperfest will be crowned during the kickoff banquet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Oconto Elks Club. This is a change from past years when it was done during a Friday morning breakfast.

Music lineup

Country singer Jordan Blanchard, a Coleman graduate, will kick off the music lineup from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday.

"He’s a local guy who goes to Nashville quite a bit, but he’s a local guy who wants to perform in this area," Zahn said. "We met him last year (when he sang the national anthem for UTL Wrestling event) and we thought he’d be a really good show."

Saturday's lineup features Silver Cream Band playing rock 'n' roll favorites from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Jet Pack Stereo, a classic rock cover band, on stage from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Bad Habitz performing hits from the 1970s and '80s from 7:30 to 11 p.m.

Aaron Socha & Livewire fuses polkas with country rock and oldies on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Wrestling

UTL Pro Wrestling will offer an afternoon of body slams and clotheslines from 2:15 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The event is free, but requires a $2 admission to the Copperfest grounds.

"The kids really love that," Zahn said. "It’s unbelievable how much the kids get into that. Those guys are very good entertainers; they don’t swear, they are not like on WWE."

UTL World Champion Lennox Leone and Lights Out Champion Ruff Ryder Rashaan are two of the performers scheduled to appear.

Parade

A parade will start at 10 a.m. Saturday with the theme of the '80s.

Dee Donlevy, a longtime volunteer and member of the Oconto City Council, will honored as the grand marshal.

The parade will run from Chicago Street to Main Street to Park Avenue. Participants can enter the parade until Saturday morning.

"You’re getting to see the different organizations and businesses that really take it to heart and get into the atmosphere of the theme," Zahn said.

Oconto Truck Pull

While not part of Copperfest, Oconto will also host a Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Pullers Association event at 6 p.m. Friday at the City Docks.

The classes are 5500 competition stock, 6000 competition stock, 6500 competition stock EFI, 6200 open stock, 6200 super stock, 8200 hot street diesel, 6500 street open, 8200 2.6 diesel, 8200 street diesel and 6200 modified.

Prices

The admission cost to Copperfest is $4 on Friday, $6 on Saturday and $2 on Sunday. Those ages 6-17 and 60 and older can get in everyday for $2 while kids age 5 and younger along with veterans and active military personnel can enter for free.

Advance wristbands are $5 for kids ages 6-17, $10 for adults, and a family package for two adults and three kids is available for $25 (additional kids can be added for $5 each). A family price for Saturday only is $20.

Wristbands can be purchase at N.E.W. Credit Union (Oconto branch). Stephenson National Bank (Oconto branch) and Oconto City Hall. They will be available until early afternoon Friday.

Copperfest weather forecast

The National Weather Service says the weather should be mostly dry for the festival.

Friday night's forecast is partly cloudy with temperatures around 68 degrees at 5 p.m. and dipping to around 58 degrees at 10 p.m.

Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with the best chance of rain between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. The NWS predicts about 0.3 inches of rain will fall during that timeframe. The high will be around 68.

Sunday is projected to be mostly sunny with clouds increasing through the day, and a high near 71.

Schedule of events

Thursday, June 6

6:30 p.m.: Kickoff banquet at Elk's Club

Friday, June 7

Grounds open at 5 p.m.

5 to 10 p.m.: Vendors Alley

5 to 8 p.m.: Face painting, caricatures and other drawings

5 to 9 p.m.: Oconto Kiwanis Kid's Area, Casady's Critters and Pony Rides

5:15, 6:45 and 8 p.m.: Racing pigs and ducks

Music stage

7 to 10:45 p.m.: Jordan Blanchard

Saturday, June 8

Grounds open at 10:30 a.m.

8 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Vendors Alley

10 a.m.: Parade, Chicago Street to Main Street to Park Avenue

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Car show, Holy Trinity parking lot

10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Trout Pond

10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Face painting, caricatures and other drawings

11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.: Oconto Kiwanis Kid's Area and Casady's Critters and Pony Rides

Noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m.: Racing pigs and ducks

1 p.m.: Cornhole Tournament

Entertainment stage

1:30 and 3:30 p.m.: Mad Dog & Merrill

12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.: Brad Weston (comedy juggling show)

Music stage

11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Silver Cream Band

3:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Jet Pack Stereo

7:30 to 11 p.m.: Bad Habitz

Sunday, June 9

Grounds open at 10 a.m.

9 a.m.: Church service at the park

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Vendor's Alley

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Trout Pond

11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.: Oconto Kiwanis Kid's Area

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Face painting, caricatures and other drawings

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Casady's Critters and Pony Rides

Noon to 3 p.m.: Pie & Ice Cream Social at Beyer Home

2 and 4 p.m.: Racing pigs and ducks

2:15 to 4:30 p.m.: UTL Wrestling

Entertainment stage

Noon and 2 p.m.: Brad Weston (comedy juggling show)

Music under the tent

11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Aaron Socha Livewire

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oconto Copperfest 2024 returns this weekend for parade, music, food