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Welcome to October
Inside: Oktoberfest, Applefest, Pet Parade, Lakefront Marathon + 5K
October is the best month of the year, and not just because it’s my birthday month (please, no gifts). As we head into peak fall, we have the Brewers in the playoffs, Oktoberfest, Ice Age Trail hiking, pumpkins and much more. Happy adventuring!
Know the North Shore: Fighting Floods
The floods of this summer probably had people using terms like detention pond and bioswale a lot more than normal—but what exactly are they, and what’s their place here in Whitefish Bay?
Right in the Village Parking Lot you’ll find a living example: the Village Parking Lot Bioswale, built in 2021. It’s not just landscaping—it’s nature’s plumbing. Instead of rushing stormwater straight into sewers and Lake Michigan, the bioswale uses soil, rocks, and native plants to filter, slow, and clean the water. Along the way, it helps keep pollutants like phosphorus out of the lake while also creating a mini-habitat for birds, butterflies, and pollinators.
For families, this little green strip is a discovery spot. Kids can check out the colorful native plants, spot pollinators busy at work, and see how smart design helps protect our lake. Next time, treat the bioswale like a mini field trip: a chance to see science and nature in action, right in the middle of the village.
Big Oktoberfest Weekend
Get ready for Milwaukee's biggest Oktoberfest celebration! This year marks a milestone as the festival moves to its new permanent home at Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds) on the lakefront, fulfilling former Mayor Henry Maier's 57-year-old vision of bringing authentic Oktoberfest festivities to Milwaukee's beautiful lakefront setting. Don’t miss the wiener dog beauty pageant - always a family favorite.
At Old Heidelberg Park at the Bavarian Bierhaus in Glendale, Milwaukee's longest-running German celebration wraps up its final seasonal weekend this Sunday. This authentic festival brings the essence of Munich to Wisconsin with house-brewed German beers, live polka music, and traditional Bavarian cuisine, all within a 4,000-guest outdoor venue. See our guide to Oktoberfest.
Thiensville-Mequon Applefest 2025
The Thiensville-Mequon Lions Club will host its 10th Annual Applefest on Sunday, October 5th, from 11 am to 5 pm at Thiensville Village Park. This free event celebrates the autumn harvest and Ozaukee County's apple heritage, offering a charming small-town atmosphere by the Milwaukee River. Attendees can enjoy live Polka music by The Squeezettes, fresh apples, apple cider, fall treats, and art and craft vendors. Family-friendly activities include hay rides, barrel train rides, a performance by the Milwaukee Flyers Tumbling Team, an apple pie baking contest, kids coloring contest, and face painting. Delicious apple brats, apple pies, and other food and beverages will also be available.
Brady Street Pet Parade
One of Milwaukee's most beloved East Side community traditions is returning for its 21st year. The Brady Street Pet Parade is set for Sunday, October 5 from 11 AM to 4 PM. Get your creative pet costumes ready and come up to watch the pet parade! See our guide.
Lakefront Marathon + 5K Weekend
Bring the whole family for Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Weekend, October 4-5! Saturday's Walk the Hoan is the perfect family activity—children under 5 walk completely FREE, everyone else just $5, as you cross Milwaukee's iconic 130-foot-high Hoan Bridge together (strollers and leashed dogs welcome!). Active kids can tackle the timed 5K Run with a "King and Queen of the Hoan" summit competition, while the FREE expo offers sign-making stations where children create personalized cheering signs.
Sunday features a bounce house at the finish line festival on the Summerfest grounds, plus food trucks and live entertainment. Families can participate together with the Own the Hoan Challenge (5K + half/full marathon), teaching kids about staying active while supporting the This Time Tomorrow Foundation helping cancer fighters. Download the free tracking app to follow your runners in real-time, and remember—kids under 5 walk the Hoan Bridge FREE! See our participant and spectator guide.
October Baseball!
It’s not every season that the Brewers set a franchise win record with the best record in baseball! Show your pride with official Brewers gear for the playoffs!
More Wisconsin Adventures
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North Shore History: Miriam Noel Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright and Miriam Noel Wright
Most people know Frank Lloyd Wright as one of America’s greatest architects—but fewer know the dramatic story of his second wife, Miriam Noel. A sculptor and Paris socialite, Noel became Wright’s companion and was later at the center of a national scandal when their passionate “love letters” were splashed across newspapers. Their brief marriage unraveled amid addiction, lawsuits and bitter jealousy. After years of turmoil, Noel’s life ended quietly here on the North Shore: she died at the Shorewood Sanitarium in 1930, and was laid to rest in Milwaukee’s Forest Home Cemetery.
See you out there,
North Shore Family Adventures
P.S. Forward this guide to anyone still saying, “What should we do this October??”
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