by Jim Collar
Don’t let anyone tell you that Labor Day weekend is summer’s last hurrah. In the Fox Cities, September is summer’s bonus month.
Sure, the kids are back in school, but there’s still plenty of time for outdoor fun before temperatures slide into fall. September is packed with opportunities to put an exclamation mark on the warm-weather season, and our outdoor music stages save some of their best for last.
Get started at Fox Jazz Fest. Held Sept. 5-6, the free, two-day festival features both local talent and world‑class performers. The sights are as good as the sounds, with the stage set up near Lake Winnebago at Jefferson Park in Menasha. Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble headlines on Saturday evening, while New Jazz Underground closes the festival on Sunday.
Just down the road, the Calumet County Fair turns up the volume from Sept. 4-7 in Chilton. While carnival rides and agricultural exhibits bring many to the gates, its music lineup has grown into a legitimate draw. This year’s fair includes top regional acts such as Driftwood, Vic Ferrari, Spicy Tie Band, and Johnny Wad. Country star Kip Moore performs Sunday night.
Pairing craft beverages with live performances always makes for a great night out. Head back to Menasha’s Jefferson Park Sept. 10 for Brews on Bago. Enjoy music from Carbon Road, beverages from Stone Arch Brewpub, yard games, and food trucks from 5-8 p.m.
Then, Sept. 18-19, put on something green and get to Appleton’s Jones Park for Irish Fest Fox Cities. It’s a lively cultural celebration that’s built on a foundation of some incredible music.
Gaelic Storm returns as the Friday headlining act. Starting as a pub band, they gained a national following after appearing in the blockbuster film Titanic.
Skerryvore also returns to Irish Fest Fox Cities and is all the way from Scotland. A four-time winner of Scotland’s Live Act of the Year award, they seamlessly blend pop music with traditional Scottish sounds, including bagpipes, accordion, fiddles, and whistles. They’ll perform before Gaelic Storm on Friday and headline the Saturday lineup.
Finally, the month ends with one of Appleton’s biggest annual events. Put on your walking shoes and bring an appetite to Octoberfest Sept. 25-26. It starts Friday with License to Cruise. Come for the show cars and stay for a performance by Boogie and the Yo-Yo’z at Houdini Plaza from 6-9 p.m.
Saturday’s main event provides a who’s who of great Fox Valley bands across five stages. Highlights include The Glam Band at 3 p.m. at the west end of College Avenue and Kyle Megna & The Monsoons at 4 p.m. at Houdini Plaza. This year, Octoberfest added a country stage at the corner of College Avenue and Morrison Street, with Nashville Pipeline headlining at 4 p.m.
You could consider September as an encore to a great summer. In the Fox Cities, it’s more of a grand finale. Get out and soak up every last moment.
This article was originally published in the September 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
