The Northwoods spreads its weekend across the full footprint -- Tomahawk runs a Friday afternoon Wine Walk and the Chamber's annual Spring Swing, Eagle River's ukulele club takes over the Warehouse Community Arts Center, and Presque Isle Community Center opens its Denim & Dessert Spring Theatre. Saturday is the broad day: bluegrass at Campanile in Minocqua with John Jorgenson, the North Lakeland Discovery Center Bird and Wildlife Festival in Manitowish Waters, Old Time Plow Day in downtown Antigo, Sauna Fest at Unwind in Woodruff, and the Moms & Mimosas pre-Mother's-Day pop-up at J. Christy's. Sunday quiets down for Mother's Day -- Hanson's Garden Village in Rhinelander does its Mother's Day plant event, and most of the rest of the Northwoods follows the standard formula of brunch wherever the family decides to drive.
Friday
Chambers' Annual Spring Swing -- Echo Valley Road, Tomahawk, 12:00 PM CT
The Tomahawk Chamber's annual Spring Swing tees off Friday at noon at the Echo Valley course east of town. Standard scramble-format Chamber tournament -- registration through the Tomahawk Regional Chamber.
Northwoods Ukers -- The Warehouse Community Arts Center, 1:30 PM CT
Eagle River's ukulele club takes over The Warehouse Community Arts Center every other Friday afternoon. It's open-format, all-levels, and as Northwoods-specific as a Friday afternoon gets in May.
Main Street Wine Walk -- West Wisconsin Ave, Tomahawk, 4:00 PM CT
Downtown Tomahawk hosts its Main Street Wine Walk Friday afternoon -- merchants pour, downtown stays open late, and the walking-tour format makes it work in any weather. Tickets are typically capped, so registration ahead.
Denim & Dessert Spring Theatre -- Presque Isle Community Center, 5:00 PM CT
Presque Isle Community Center stages its Denim & Dessert Spring Theatre Friday evening (and again Saturday). Community theater plus a dessert spread, in a town that runs about 700 people year-round -- it's the kind of small-town theater night where the audience knows the cast.
Saturday
John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band -- Campanile Center for the Arts, Minocqua
John Jorgenson's bluegrass band plays Campanile Center in Minocqua -- the listening-room format the venue is built for, with a player whose résumé runs through the Hellecasters and Elton John's touring band. This one is the headline ticket of the Northwoods weekend.
North Lakeland Discovery Center Bird and Wildlife Festival -- North Lakeland Discovery Center, Manitowish Waters
The North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters runs its annual Bird and Wildlife Festival Saturday -- guided walks, naturalist programming, and the Discovery Center's signature trail network. Spring migration is in full swing in the Northwoods, which makes the timing on this exactly right.
Old Time Plow Day -- Downtown Antigo
Antigo runs its Old Time Plow Day Saturday in the downtown area -- antique tractor demonstrations, working-farm equipment, and the traditional Langlade County agricultural-heritage programming. Free and walkable.
Frost & Flame Sauna Fest -- Unwind, Woodruff
Unwind in Woodruff hosts the Frost & Flame Sauna Fest Saturday -- multiple sauna sessions, cold plunges, and the Northwoods-Nordic format that's been quietly catching on at this venue. Worth checking ticket availability ahead since sessions cap at small numbers.
Moms & Mimosas Party & Sale -- J. Christy's Boutique, Minocqua, 10:00 AM CT
J. Christy's Boutique in downtown Minocqua hosts a Moms & Mimosas pop-up Saturday morning -- shopping, small bites, and the kind of pre-Mother's-Day moment that runs naturally as a girls'-day setup. Get there in the morning if you want browsing room.
Tomahawk Farm & Flea Market -- Qualheim's True Value, Tomahawk, 8:00 AM CT
Qualheim's True Value parking lot in Tomahawk runs a Saturday-morning farm and flea market starting at 8 AM. It's the local-trade kind of event -- vendors, plants, vegetables coming up, garage-sale-meets-farmers-market rhythm.
Teddy Bear Hunt -- Lincoln County Sports Club, Merrill, 9:00 AM CT
Lincoln County Sports Club in Merrill hosts its Teddy Bear Hunt Saturday morning at 9 AM -- a kid-focused outdoor event where the bears are hidden along trails for kids to find. Designed for younger kids; volunteers run the route.
CWSB Student Showcase -- The Grand Theater, Wausau, 12:00 PM CT
The Central Wisconsin School of Ballet's spring student showcase runs Saturday afternoon at The Grand Theater in downtown Wausau. The Grand is the historic Wausau performance venue and a properly-scaled stage for what the kids have been working toward all spring.
Denim & Dessert Spring Theatre -- Presque Isle Community Center, 6:00 PM CT
Same Presque Isle production from Friday, with a Saturday-evening curtain at 6 PM. If the trip out to Presque Isle reads better as a Saturday outing than a Friday rush, this is the slot.
Sunday — Mother's Day
Mother's Day at Hanson's Garden Village -- Hanson's Garden Village, Rhinelander, 10:00 AM CT
Hanson's Garden Village in Rhinelander runs its Mother's Day program Sunday morning -- plant gifts, hanging baskets ready for May porches, and a garden-center format that doubles as a Mother's Day activity. It's the most reliable Mother's Day stop on the Rhinelander side of the Northwoods.
The Full Lineup
Find all 19+ events this weekend at northwoodslineup.com/events/.
Got a tip or event we should know about? Email [email protected]
