Hi there — fall arrived early this year, and the region's orchards, festivals, and farmers markets are already in full swing. Here's what's worth your Saturday, one parenting habit worth stealing, a quick note on why your kid's school cared so much about attendance last week, and a neighbor worth knowing — all before the next issue lands in two weeks.
On the Calendar
Waukesha Oktoberfest — Sept 25–26, Frame Park, Waukesha. Live music, food, beer, and classic Oktoberfest games like hammerschlagen and cornhole.
9th Annual Oktoberfest of Greater Racine — Sept 24–26. Traditional food, drink, and entertainment to kick off fall in Racine County.
Kenosha HarborMarket — Saturdays through Oct 31, downtown Kenosha. Farm stands, local vendors, and lake views on the harbor.
Cedarburg Oktoberfest — Oct 3–4, historic downtown Cedarburg. A hometown favorite in Ozaukee County, with the Wine & Harvest Festival's energy carrying into fall.
Wings and Wheels for a Cause — Sept 26, West Bend Municipal Airport. A drive-in/fly-in car show with live music, food, and kids' activities in Washington County.
Discovery World Animal Encounters & Design It! Lab — weekends through the window, Milwaukee's lakefront. Meet Great Lakes wildlife and build a take-home craft.
Heading to an orchard this fall? Barthel Fruit Farm in Mequon is open for apple picking and a corn maze on weekends through October — check their site for hours before you go.
Parent to Parent
The five-minute reset. Before the after-school scramble hits, try naming the plan out loud together — snack, homework, one outside break, dinner — before anyone's shoes come off. Kids handle transitions better when they know what's coming, and it saves you from repeating yourself four times before 6 p.m.
School Notes
If your child's school made a bigger-than-usual deal about attendance last week, here's why: Wisconsin public schools are required to count students for state funding purposes on the third Friday in September — this year, that was September 18. Districts use that count (plus a second one in January) to calculate state aid, so a student who was enrolled and attended at least one day before and after the count date still counts, even if they were absent that specific Friday. Nothing for you to do here — just useful to know if the school felt extra insistent about it.
Neighborhood Deals
This slot rotates to a different family-owned business in the coverage area each issue — a great first outreach could be one of the businesses already featured above, like Barthel Fruit Farm, for a subscriber discount or first dibs on a fall event.
See you every other Thursday. Got an event, a deal, or a tip other families should know about? Just reply — a real person reads every note.
— Cedar & Shore
