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Engaging in Our Future!

WaunaFest 2024 is July 25-28

WaunaFest is located at Centennial Park (901 Holiday Drive) in Waunakee (map)

WaunaFest Parade 2023

Activities This Year at the ‘Fest!

(click an activity below for details)

Arts & Crafts Fair

Don’t miss out on one of the most exciting parts of the whole weekend on Saturday morning: The Arts and Crafts Fair!

Sponsored by the Lion’s Club, the Fair is an opportunity of exciting discovery and acquisition for all ages. Kids love running from booth to booth seeing what different treasures can be found, admiring the beautiful works of design put out by the crafters and picking out a souvenir to remember the summer. Adults can pick up gifts for friends and family–from portraits to porcelain–or simply walk the fair weather between the tents enjoying a break from the wildness of summer amongst some calming craftwork.

See what treasures you can find and support flourishing artists at the same time at the Arts and Crafts Fair, Saturday the 29th from 9 AM to 3 PM!

American Legion Carnival Advanced Wristband Sales

The deal of the season is fast approaching, and you won’t want to miss your chance at a discount on easy fun for the weekend!

The American Legion will be hosting an advanced sale on carnival wristbands in the Village Mall Parking Lot from Monday, July 24th to Thursday, July 27th, when the carnival excitement starts! Monday to Wednesday the sale will be open from 4-8 PM, and on Thursday it will be from Noon-4 PM. Wristbands are $20 in advance, good for four hours of rides on either Thursday (4-8 PM), Saturday (1-5 PM), or Sunday (1-5 PM). If you miss the sale, you haven’t missed your chance to get a wristband, but they’ll be $25 each at the door!

Remember that you’re supporting a community event with your purchase, along with gaining an opportunity to join in on all the fun and fuss that’s made Waunafest such a staple of Waunakee for all these years. Don’t miss out, and grab your wristbands for this year’s carnival from the
Legion at the Village Mall Parking Lot!

Beer Tents and Live Music

Waunafest wouldn’t be Waunafest without the Live Music and Beer Tents that make it a real festival.

Make sure to stop by to see local and traveling performers on the Legion’s big stage, or swing through the Chamber’s Beer Garden to get up close and personal with the musicians themselves. Waunafest has something for everyone, and everyone includes the adults too! Don’t miss your chance to socialize and enjoy yourself this summer with community friends old and new, and maybe find a new favorite performer to keep tabs on for the future!

If you’re curious who’s performing, where they are, and when they’ll be there, check out the American Legion Stage and Chamber Beer Garden pages!

Car Show

Sunday morning involves a long standing tradition at Waunafest, and if you watch the street running up to the park in the 8 AM sunshine you’ll see them coming from down the block: cars!

The Car Show is a proud achievement of Waunafest history, and it continues to grow in size and success each year. Collectors and admirers alike can share in the brilliance of dozens of cars, each one with its own unique style and story. Sponsored by the American Legion, the Car Show is a chance to chat with the owners of these cars and get to know them and their passion-pieces.

Old cars with long histories and new cars that you’d want to take pictures of if you passed them on the highway will all be parked side by side from 8 AM to 3 PM on Sunday the 30th. Don’t miss out!

Carnival

The Carnival and Waunafest are nearly synonymous when people think about the excitement of the summer in Waunakee!

From Thursday to Saturday during the last weekend of the month make your way out to Centennial Park and enjoy the rides and games of Wenzel Amazements Carnival and Midway! Exciting rides that rise into the sky and spin on the ground are waiting to get your adrenaline pumping and help you get all the silly summer photos that preserve your Waunafest memories for years to come.

If you want to get the best deal on the market, check out the American Legion Advanced Wristband sale at the Village Mall Parking Lot from 4-8 PM each day starting July 24th and running all the way up to a special last minute chance from noon to 4 PM on Thursday when the
Carnival begins! Wristbands are good for a four hour period on either Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday, and let you ride as many rides as it takes to tire you out- or as many rides as it takes to make you too dizzy to keep going!

The Carnival will be open from 4-8 PM on Thursday and Friday, 1-8 PM on Saturday, and Noon to 5 PM on Sunday. Celebrate one of Waunakee’s best traditions and create some summer memories for you and your family this year by making the trip out. You won’t want to miss the chance to throw your arms up as a rocket ship gives you a view of all of Waunakee!

Local Clubs

Remember that everything run at Waunafest is thanks to our great volunteers and community members!

If you get hungry or thirsty you can always stop by one of the food stands that’s put on by the local service clubs. The American Legion Auxiliary, Knights of Columbus, Lions, Rotary and Springfield Club are all going to be there, happy to help make this experience a great one for the whole family. All of the food stands earnings go towards the service clubs that run them, operated entirely by their own volunteers and raising money for each of their individually great causes.

Pirate Coin Dig

Waunafest is proud to present the Pirate Coin Dig this year! An entertaining opportunity for the kiddos, make your way out with your little ones and give them the opportunity to dig for treasure like a real pirate! It’s a chance for them to get their hands in the dirt, and discover the secrets that have been buried just for them!

The Dig will begin at 2 PM on Saturday the 29th, which means it fits nicely into a day trip to the Carnival which opens at 1 PM. You can even pick up a wrist band so that you can get on as many rides as you want before and after the dig! Take advantage of this afternoon of joy and free photo-op of pirates in training at Waunafest!

Parade

Waunafest is back yet again this year, and excitingly, the parade is back as well!

The parade will be on Sunday, July 30th, the final day of Waunafest, starting at 11 AM at the intersection of Main & Division. The route runs a total of 1.5 miles, ending at Centennial Park. We recommend you get out there early and find a great spot along the route to set up and watch as the floats and performances go on by, cheering as loudly as you can for your favorites! This is a great opportunity for families to get out and support a community event just by showing up and having a great time!

The Judges Stand has a new location this year in the parking lot at 124 W Main Street! The judges will be keeping a watchful eye on the parade, looking for the best performers and greatest efforts of community spirit! The theme this year is “Engaging in Our Future”, something sure to be exciting, and the parade itself is a great end piece for families to add to their schedule as something to look forward to even on the last day of Waunafest!

Sunday Church Service

Sunday morning is a chance to get out and celebrate in worship service as a community at Waunafest, with the Legion Stage proudly presenting live music and service from Christian Life Assembly yet again this year.

At 9 AM on Sunday, begin your final day of Waunafest festivities with a sermon from Pastor Allen, and take a moment to appreciate the Lord’s gift of yet another year of Waunafest! The church service lines up perfectly with the early morning pancake breakfast from Knights of Columbus at the park shelter from 8:30 to 10:30 AM, and the Car, Truck, & Motorcycle Show from the Legion on the hills right next to the parking lot.

You can get together with friends and family, attend service, grab breakfast, admire some beautiful stylized vehicles, and be done right as the Waunafest Parade begins at 11 AM!

Signature Sponsor

Everlight Solar logo

Platinum Sponsor

David's Certified Auto Repair logo

Gold Sponsors

American Legion Post 360
Greiber Heating and Sheet Metal logo
Dunkin' logo
Infinity Martial Arts logo
Endres Manufacturing Company logo
Summit Credit Union logo

The Following is an Official Statement from The WaunaFest Board:

In an effort to prioritize the safety and health of our community and festival attendees, WaunaFest is cancelling WaunaFest 2020.

We are excited to use this next year to plan an even bigger and better WaunaFest for 2021 when we celebrate 150 years of Waunakee at WaunaFest!

Mark your calendar to join us July 22 – July 25, 2021!