Get Your Motor Running in Kenosha, Wisconsin This Summer

Kenosha, WI  (April 28, 2011) – Kenosha, Wisconsin, located in the southern-most corner of the state, knows how to use the Lake Michigan shore to its advantage. The lakefront is a natural at playing host to a shindig, whether a car show, food festival, fireworks display, or jazz concert. As the sparkling water ripples, two lighthouses stand proud, boaters frolic on a hot summer’s day, and landlubbers get their motors running at entertaining, one-of-a-kind (and often free) festivals, fairs, and special events on Kenosha’s lakeshore. Here are just a few of our most popular summer events – staged at the lakeshore and further inland – to get you started!

CAR SHOWS  Kenosha knows a thing or two about cars, and this summer the town celebrates its rich auto-making history that dates back to the 1902 Rambler with two huge lakefront car shows. On July 23, Simmons Island Park is the site for the Nash Car Club of America 2011 Grand NASHional. This is a national NASH car show and swap meet. The following Saturday, July 30, the Kenosha Homecoming Car Show takes place at Kennedy Park featuring cars that originated in Kenosha - from Jeffery to Chrysler. Hosted by the Kenosha History Center, the show is anticipated to feature more than 500 cars, including Nash, AMC, Hudson, Renault, and Chrysler. The days leading up to the show include drive-in car shows and a Scoop the Loop Cruise Friday night in Downtown Kenosha. The summer also includes many more car shows, including the 8th Annual Kenosha Classic Cruise-In in Downtown Kenosha on September 3.  Admission to the car shows is free for spectators.

FAMILY FUN  Keep your eyes to the sky June 4 and 5 at the free Outta Sight Kite Flight. The sky over Kenosha's Lake Michigan shoreline will light up with fireworks on July 4 when Star Spangled Spectacular begins and ends with a bang. The free event features a patriotic concert by the Kenosha Pops Concert Band. Great bicycle races, food, and a kids' games area await you on July 22 at Food Folks & Spokes. See swine, goats, sheep, cattle, races, live music, midway attractions and more at the Kenosha County Fair August 17-21.  The list goes on and on because, really, nearly every event on the calendar is family-friendly!

FOR FOODIES  Discover Kenosha’s dairy side with a moo-tastic morning on the farm at the Kenosha County Dairy Breakfast on June 18. Taste of Wisconsin™ brings the tastes, flavors and cultures of Wisconsin together on Kenosha's breathtaking lakeshore July 29-31. Dozens of food and beverage vendors, along with demonstrations, live music, kids’ activities, art exhibits, and more can be experienced here. Admission is free! Enjoy a grilling contest featuring national grilling teams, live music, and more at Grill Games, a new lakefront event on August 27.

HISTORIC EVENTS  You needn't travel far to be part of Civil War Sesquicentennial festivities! Visit the Civil War Museum for its free Salute to Freedom June 11-12. There will be a reunion of the Park City Grays, Kenosha's Kenosha's first volunteer troops. The Kenosha Area has its own share of royal weddings … at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. The Faire opens for its nine-weekend run on July 9. It’s truly a grand affair when guests have an audience with Her Majesty, the Queen of England. Board Kenosha’s electric streetcar for the ticketed Museum Crawl on July 15: live music, microbrews and fun food await you after-hours at the Civil War Museum, Dinosaur Discovery Museum, and Kenosha Public Museum. Step back in time to visit Wisconsin's fur-trading era (1650-1850) during the free Pike River Rendezvous August 5-7. The same weekend, climb to the top of the Southport Lighthouse on August 6 during Triple Dipper: Ice Cream, Music & Fun. Celebrate 75 years of the Kenosha Public Museum with 75 hours of non-stop free programming at the Museum. Yes, you can visit the Mammoths at 2 in the morning! The 75Hour Museumathon happens August 19-22.

MUSICALLY-INCLINED  Join Rascal Flatts, Lady A, Zac Brown Band, Martina McBride, and many more country artists at Country Thunder USA July 21-24.  Enjoy Twilight Jazz, a free outdoor concert series on the lawn of the Anderson Arts Center. With Lake Michigan as the backdrop, great jazz can be enjoyed June 28, July 5, July 19, August 2, and August 30. A variety of music genres can be heard in July and August at the Peanut Butter and Jam Concert Series. 2011 marks the 10th anniversary for this free series, and an eclectic line-up is offered including reggae, gypsy, disco, blues, and accordion-fueled roots rock. Two concerts are held each Thursday: a lunchtime edition and an evening encore. Don't miss the cool jazz sounds of the Harbor Park Jazz & Blues Festival on August 20. This year’s line-up features Alex Bugnon with special guest Nelson Rangell.

SPORTING A MEDAL  More than 3,200 participants will compete in the Wisconsin Marathon along Kenosha’s lakefront on May 7. The Pleasant Prairie Junior Triathlon takes place three days this summer: June 25, July 9, and August 20. One is never too young to feel the adrenaline rush on race day! Race to the finish line at the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon June 26. Be inspired at the TREK Women's Triathlon on July 10. Race to beat your personal best on August 21 at the Danskin Women's Triathlon. This is the tenth year for both Danskin and the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon at Prairie Springs Park.

Visit the Kenosha Area this summer for a diverse line-up of events, with Lake Michigan never far away! For more information about the Kenosha Area, including event information and a 2011 Kenosha Area Visitors Guide, log on to www.KenoshaCVB.com or call the KACVB at (262) 654-7307 or (800) 654-7309. The Visitors Guide is also available by visiting a Kenosha Area Visitor Information Center. The I-94 location is at I-94 & Hwy. 165 East Exit 347, while the Downtown Kenosha location is at 812 - 56th St.

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