Wisconsin cranberry festival guide

Best Cranberry Festivals in Wisconsin for 2026

Wisconsin cranberry festivals follow the crop from June blossom season into September and October harvest. The official growers association calendar makes it possible to plan without guessing.

Start here

Cranberry season is more than one famous weekend

Warrens is the largest and best-known festival in this list, but smaller Northwoods events can be easier to pair with a regional trip. Wisconsin Rapids covers blossom season, Manitowish Waters offers a one-day September event, and Lake Nokomis, Stone Lake, and Eagle River cluster in early October.

Festival programming is separate from commercial marsh tours. If a tour matters, confirm the operator, schedule, cost, and accessibility directly.

Quick comparison

Official 2026 Wisconsin cranberry festival calendar

All six dates appear on the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association calendar.

Festival or event Published date Destination Best for
Cranberry Blossom Festival June 18-21, 2026; 2027 date pending Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Early-season cranberry heritage
Manitowish Waters Cranberry Harvest Festival September 19, 2026 Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin A one-day Northwoods harvest event
Warrens Cranberry Festival September 25-27, 2026 Warrens, Wisconsin A large cranberry harvest celebration
Lake Nokomis Cranberry Festival October 1-4, 2026 Tomahawk area, Wisconsin Northwoods cranberry events across several days
Stone Lake Cranberry Festival October 3, 2026 Stone Lake, Wisconsin A compact one-day cranberry celebration
Eagle River Cranberry Fest October 2-4, 2026 Eagle River, Wisconsin A Northwoods weekend with cranberry food and vendors
Choose your trip

Choose scale, season, and region

Largest harvest event: Warrens. Blossom-season learning: Wisconsin Rapids. One-day Northwoods trip: Manitowish Waters or Stone Lake. Multi-day early October: Lake Nokomis or Eagle River.

The early October events can overlap, but they are not necessarily practical to combine. Choose one primary destination and check distance before adding another.

Festival profiles

Six Wisconsin cranberry festivals from blossom to harvest

Use each official source for last-minute changes.

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

Cranberry Blossom Festival

Date: June 18-21, 2026; 2027 date pendingBest for: Early-season cranberry heritage

This June community celebration focuses on the cranberry-growing region during blossom season rather than harvest. It provides a useful counterpoint to the better-known September and October cranberry weekends.

Plan it well: The 2026 event has passed and the 2027 date is not yet published. Use the growers association calendar and local organizer information before planning a future trip.

Check the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association →

Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

Manitowish Waters Cranberry Harvest Festival

Date: September 19, 2026Best for: A one-day Northwoods harvest event

This one-day Northwoods festival celebrates the cranberry harvest in a smaller community setting. It is a practical choice for travelers who prefer a focused Saturday event over a multi-day crowd.

Plan it well: Because the festival is one day, weather and arrival timing matter. Confirm the daily schedule and any marsh-tour or transportation details before making the drive.

Check the Wisconsin cranberry growers calendar →

Warrens, Wisconsin

Warrens Cranberry Festival

Date: September 25-27, 2026Best for: A large cranberry harvest celebration

Warrens centers its long-running festival on Wisconsin cranberry culture, with extensive arts, crafts, flea-market shopping, food, contests, and community programming. Its scale rewards visitors who study the layout before arriving.

Plan it well: Use the official map and parking guidance, wear comfortable shoes, and decide which areas matter most. Tours, vendors, and activities can have separate times or charges.

Check the Warrens Cranberry Festival →

Tomahawk area, Wisconsin

Lake Nokomis Cranberry Festival

Date: October 1-4, 2026Best for: Northwoods cranberry events across several days

Lake Nokomis extends its cranberry celebration across several days, giving visitors more flexibility than a one-day market. The event connects harvest-season activities with a Northwoods fall trip.

Plan it well: Daily programming varies, so select a day from the organizer schedule rather than assuming every feature runs throughout the full date range.

Check the Wisconsin cranberry growers calendar →

Stone Lake, Wisconsin

Stone Lake Cranberry Festival

Date: October 3, 2026Best for: A compact one-day cranberry celebration

Stone Lake hosts a one-day harvest festival with community activities, vendors, food, and cranberry-focused traditions. Its concise schedule makes pre-trip planning particularly important.

Plan it well: Review the official schedule, arrive early, and note that road access and parking in a small town may be managed differently during the event.

Check the Stone Lake organizer →

Eagle River, Wisconsin

Eagle River Cranberry Fest

Date: October 2-4, 2026Best for: A Northwoods weekend with cranberry food and vendors

Eagle River’s cranberry weekend combines harvest food, shopping, and community events in a well-known Northwoods destination. It can anchor a broader fall-colors weekend if visitors keep the festival schedule central.

Plan it well: Use the association calendar to confirm dates and follow the destination’s event page for parking, shuttle, and activity updates.

Check the Wisconsin cranberry growers calendar →

Practical planning

Know what a cranberry festival can and cannot promise

Harvest activity depends on agricultural timing and individual growers. A festival date does not guarantee that every nearby marsh is harvesting or open to the public.

Wear weather-ready shoes, use official parking, and carry both card and cash options. Cranberry food, crafts, demonstrations, and tours may have separate vendors or charges.

Editorial standards

How to use this guide

This page is an independent planning resource. Festival Finder USA reviewed the linked official sources on August 16, 2026. Dates, admission, weather policies, and programs can change after publication, so the organizer’s page remains the final source of truth.

We include a date only when a current official source supports it. When the next date is not available, the table says date pending rather than projecting last year’s calendar. If you organize one of these events and spot an error, please contact the editorial team with an official source.