Memorial Day Weekend in Door County Means Manifest in Jacksonport

Maifest is a celebration of spring!  Always held on Memorial Day weekend, this year celebrates the 47th celebration.

Jacksonport’s Manifest is sponsored by the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation and manned with a hundred volunteers over the two day event.  The JAC is a community service organization who through the years had donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Jacksonport community, Sevastopol School, and other worthwhile causes.

In the week ahead of Saturday you will see activity increasing every day with food and beverage stations being prepared, bounce houses being set, and the arts & craft fair vendors setting up tents.

The hallmark Maifest parade kicks off at about 10:00 a.m. at the corner of Cave Point Drive and Highway 57, and then travels north to just past the downtown.  Marching bands, business floats, service floats—you just never know what you’ll see!

After the parade enjoy the day in the park strolling through the arts & crafts fair, watching the kids activities and bounce houses, having a brat or hot dog, and listening to some great music with local favorite, Jerry Voelker.  Walk through town and visit Mike’s Port Pub, Island Fever or the Town Hall Bakery for more great food and beverage.  The Jacksonport Craft Shop will be open featuring Amish quilts and other locally crafted items.  If it’s a nice weekend stop in at one of the Kayak rental places, or rent a bike and head over to Whitefish Dunes.  If you plan dinner at home, stop in at Bley’s Grocery for an excellent selection of home-grown meats.

Saturday or Sunday be sure to stop at the Jacksonport Women’s Club booth to get your homemade Kolache, coffee, a funnel cake, or deep fried cheese curds.

If it is the Kolache you have a taste for get their in the morning before they’re gone.  What is a Kolache?  The Kolache is a light fluffy sweet dough, filled with Door County Cherry filling, and baked to a light golden brown.  Delicious.

At noon on Saturday the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation scholarship winners will be announced.  Sevastopol High School senior students who are residents of the town of Jacksonport are invited to apply for the scholarship.  A committee reviews the applications and on Saturday at noon the town’s high school seniors, ready to graduate, await the announcement of the winners.

Awards for the best parade float will be announced too, and then join in the Maypole Dance,

On both Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 to 4:00 the kids will love the bounce houses, face painting, kids games and music.

Sunday, from noon to 3:00 p.m. the Door County 4H Horse and Pony Project members will give pony rides to the kids.

The Jacksonport Women’s Club stand opens again on Sunday morning with another chance to get a delicious Kolache or funnel cake.  The food and beverage stands are open too.

At 9:00 a.m. the 37th annual 10K run and 2 mile fun run/walk take off from Lakeside Park.

The arts and crafts fair continues all day on Sunday, and the Modern Day Drifters will entertain you with tunes with a country-western flair.

At noon head over to the ball park on County V—next to the forestation— for the National Anthem, the Door County Horse & Pony Drill Team performance, and Chewy exhibiting his trick riding & roping.  At 1:00 p.m. the old-fashioned Frontier Farmers Horse Pull gets started.

What’s the weather forecast for Maifest Weekend?

The forecast for Jacksonport shows sunny and 66 degrees for Saturday and 56 on Sunday.  A nice couple of days.  Don’t forget the sun screen, and bring a jacket just in case.

Spend the day in Jacksonport at this community event and discover why there are few homes for sale in Jacksonport, and why so many are choosing to build their Door County home in Jacksonport.