Tour Door County: Sister Bay
If you find yourself looking for the bustling epicenter of Northern Door County, you should focus on Sister Bay. Home to many restaurants & shops, it has activities for everyone. It has three marinas on it’s beautiful waterfront, two of which offers slips to transient boats.
This historic village offers concerts in the park from June thru August. Located at the waterfront park in the heart of downtown, you can listen to great music while watching your kids play in the waves or jump off the pier that has become the heart of activity for so many generations.
Spend the day perusing in all the little shops that line the highway. Make sure you stop and see the goats on the roof at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant. This is not to be missed! Yes, they are real goats, so if it’s too hot, they may be taken down for their safety.
The downtown Marina is home to many water sports options. Sail Door County and Shoreline Charters provide daily sail boat or power boat cruises. This summer has brought some new additions including Sister Bay Boat Rental & Bay Shore Outdoors. Sister Bay Boat Rental will offer rental of pontoons boats, runabouts, wave runners & guided chartered yacht services.
Not big into power boats? Bay Shore Outdoors will be setting up shop at the south end of the new Waterfront Park near the quiet watercraft launch area. They will be offering kayak lessons and rentals.
Be sure to plan your trip around one of the many festivals, especially Fall Fest, the “grand daddy” of all festivals in Door County. This will be the 63rd year for this block party we all know and love. It is the end of the season bash that has evolved from a simple local’s only party to one that has been mentioned on National TV as one of the parties of the year.
This year it is Oct. 15-17 and not a weekend to miss! Imagine the last block party you went to, now imagine instead of a small street, we close down a mile long section of a major state highway and cram as many people into it as possible. Activities include a 10,000 ping pong ball drop out of a helicopter circling over the crowd. Lucky enough to get one of the balls, you win a prize from the local business that “sponsored” that ball. Never a dull moment and definitely a must see in Door County.
Other festivals include Marina fest which is planned for Sept. 5 this year. Festivities for all ages are provided including boat building for the kids, water ski show and to end the night a beautiful fireworks show over Sister Bay Harbor.
If you are looking for a place to stay in Sister Bay, you are in luck. It seems to be the lodging mecca in Door County.
