America turns 250 years old this Fourth of July, and we can’t think of a better place to celebrate it than right here on the peninsula. Fireworks over Green Bay, a boat regatta in Gills Rock, parades up and down the county — Door County does Independence Day proud. And if you’re staying with us in Sister Bay, there’s a bonus this year: Freedom Fest, our own hometown fireworks celebration, lands on July 11 — giving you one more reason to extend your stay.
It doesn’t stop there. Cherry season opens mid-July. Northern Sky Theater is staging world premieres under the stars at Peninsula State Park. Free live music fills the parks practically every night of the week. The Plein Air Festival brings master painters to Fish Creek. The summer calendar is as full as we’ve seen it — and our rooms won’t stay open forever. Book your stay at Open Hearth Lodge today.
Fireworks From One End of the Peninsula to the Other
Door County does Independence Day right. Nearly every community puts on its own celebration, and taken together they make for one of the best Fourth of July weekends in the Midwest. Fish Creek runs the Hairpin 5K at 8 a.m. before the harbor lights up at dusk. Egg Harbor hosts a full weekend of waterfront music and fireworks over the marina. Baileys Harbor starts with a pancake breakfast and parade in the morning, then ends the day at the waterfront with live music and fireworks. Gills Rock runs a boat regatta before firing up the sky at dusk. Sturgeon Bay’s Sunset Park brings food, live music, and fireworks together over the water.
Independence Day Events
Sister Bay’s own Freedom Fest is on Saturday, July 11 this year — a full day of food, kids’ activities, and games at Marina Park, capped off with fireworks over the bay at dusk. It’s the perfect reason to stretch a long holiday weekend into a full week’s stay.
The Sweetest Time of Year
Ask any Door County regular what defines summer on the peninsula, and they’ll say: cherries. Pick-your-own season typically runs from mid-July through mid-August, with sweet cherries ripening first in early-to-mid July, followed by the county’s famous Montmorency tart cherries. This year’s crop looks strong — growers are coming off back-to-back seasons each topping 12 to 14 million pounds, and the 2026 growing season looks optimistic.
Door County Cherries
Theater Under the Stars
If you haven’t made it to Northern Sky Theater yet, this is the summer to fix that. Set in the forest of Peninsula State Park, with the pines overhead and the stars above, Northern Sky has been lifting spirits and surprising audiences all summer long. The Chicago Tribune once called it “as much a Door County tradition as cherry preserves” — and after a few decades, that reputation is well earned.
The 2026 season features the world premiere of The Thing with Feathers, a new show about birds and the people who love them, as well as Something in the Water and When Butter Churns to Gold. Popular shows sell out well in advance, so book your tickets before you arrive. And for those bringing a dog: leashed pups are always welcome at the outdoor Peninsula Park Amphitheater.
Music, Practically Every Night of the Week
One of the best things about a summer week in Door County is how much free live music is happening outdoors, on any given evening, all season long. Door County’s Concerts in the Park tradition runs community by community up and down the peninsula — and this summer the schedule covers nearly every night of the week.
Sister Bay hosts concerts at the Performance Pavilion every Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. through August 12, plus outdoor movies at dusk on Sunday evenings in July and August. Fish Creek runs the Fish Fri Concert Series at The Beach Park on Friday afternoons through August 28, along with Concerts at Noble Square on Tuesday evenings all summer. Ephraim has free music Monday evenings, Egg Harbor on Thursday evenings, and Baileys Harbor closes out each month with a Friday evening concert. For something a little more curated, the ticketed Fishstock Concert Series runs Sunday evenings in Fish Creek throughout the summer, featuring a rotating lineup of regional and national performers.
Complete Guide to Door County Concerts in the Park
One More Thing: Art in the Open Air
Every July, Door County becomes an outdoor gallery. The Door County Plein Air Festival — July 19-25 this year — is an annual event that brings together top plein air artists from across the country to create works inspired by the beauty of the peninsula. Driving through the county during festival week, you’ll spot painters peppered along the landscape with their easels, paints, and canvas — capturing how the summer light frames the fields, coastlines, and quiet corners of the peninsula. The highlight is the Quick Paint competition, where invited artists complete a full painting from start to finish in record time on the streets and shoreline of Fish Creek — and works are available to purchase throughout the week.
Door County Plein Air Festival