Shop, Eat, Celebrate And Learn About Wisconsin's Fishing History At Musky Fest
By Ben Jones|Published June 13, 2023
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
One of the largest and most celebrated fish in Northern Wisconsin gets a whopper of a party in late June. Every year the Hayward community, the self-proclaimed “Musky Capital of the World” celebrates Musky, Fest and it’s the place to be if you love a good time in the Northwoods. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s Musky Fest, an awesome local Wisconsin festival.
Hayward is ground zero when it comes to the musky. It has a huge abundance of lakes that provide excellent musky fishing opportunities; and generations of anglers have flocked here to try their luck.
Musky Fest takes place the weekend after Father’s Day in the heart of downtown Hayward. It’s a big weekend of fun, even if you’re not an angler. But if you are, there’s a fishing contest that runs all weekend.
The event has fun activities for all ages. Kids won’t want to miss the carnival or chalk art. Older attendees will want to stick around for the live music. It’s right downtown, and it's free! There’s also a big parade that you wont want to miss – it’s a classic Wisconsin parade, complete with some great floats and marching bands.
The event features some great food vendors, including a beer and brat stand. There’s also a farmers market and a big arts and crafts fair. About 20,000 people attend the event each year, so the town can get packed!
You might want to start Sunday by hustling through the streets of Hayward. The Musky Run features a 5k run, a 5k walk, and a 10k run. It’s a fun little race, and it’s a great way to burn off some of the weekend’s calories.
Learn more about this awesome festival on the Musky Fest website. Maybe I’ll see you there! Wisconsin has a lot of great local festivals – here’s where to find some of the best.
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