Bay Days features food, fun and family entertainment
Terrific hometown festival held on
beautiful Chequamegon Bay along
the south shore of Lake Superior
ASHLAND, Wis. – One of the northland’s most popular summer events, Ashland’s Bay Days Festival is a wonderful way to spend a Wisconsin weekend. Set for July 17-19, Bay Days offers great, old-fashioned family fun with exciting activities for all ages!
Held at Ashland’s Bayview Park along the shimmering shores of Lake Superior, Bay Days also features delicious food, arts & crafts, a strongman competition, live music and entertainment, a pie-eating contest, and much more! Kids will love the Baby Crawl, Toddler Run, Big Wheel and Cardboard Boat races, and Strongest Bam-Bam on the Bay contest, not to mention the face painting and free 4-H activities.
Back this year by popular demand is the Bay Area Battle of the Bands at 7 p.m. on Friday. Four awesome area bands – Dungeon Wench, Night Screamer, Mickey & The Monsters, and The Teds – will compete for their share of $4,000 in prize money.
On Saturday, July 18, the Bay Days 5K & 10K Fun Run will take runners along the city’s scenic waterfront trail to the Ashland Marina and back for the 5K and through a tunnel to the striking Pearson Plaza Park and back to the festival grounds for the 10K run.
Don’t miss the cute but competitive Amateur Dock Dog Jumping Contest at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, at Bayview Beach. Dogs will be judged on the distance or length of their leaps off of a dock into Chequamegon Bay. Two divisions of pooches will compete: Small - less than 17 inches long; and Adults - 6 months and older.
The third annual Little Minnow Kids’ Triathlon will be held rain or shine on Sunday, July 19, starting at 12:30 p.m. A fully supported kids’ triathlon with water stations on the course and finish line food, the Little Minnow is open to ages 5-11. The Little Minnow offers age-appropriate swim, bike and run courses, and all participants receive a cute swim cap, a medal and a shirt. Pre-registration is required.
Additional activities and attractions at Bay Days include the National Guard climbing wall and RE/MAX By the Bay hot air balloon rides (weather permitting) on Friday, plus the Strongest Man on the Bay competition and tae kwon do demonstration Saturday afternoon.
There will be plenty of great musical entertainment to keep your toes tapping and your fingers snapping. Acoustic Relapse takes the stage Friday afternoon and Badge is back to rock the night away on Saturday evening. Blue Water Big Band from Duluth, Minn., will bring their classic big band sound to town Saturday starting at 5:30 p.m.
Harmonious sounds will fill the air on Sunday with the Northland Lumberjack Choir and 4 His Majesty barbershop quartet both performing in the early afternoon, followed by the Chequamegon Bay Concert Band playing at the festival’s finale.
Bayview Park is located along U.S. Highway 2 on Ashland’s east side. Festival start times are Friday at 3 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. Don’t miss out on the memories of a lifetime! For more information and a complete schedule of events, go to www.ashlandbaydays.com or call 1-800-284-9484.