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The water in the HarborPark fountain, just west of the Kenosha Public Museum, is a lovely shade of blue this summer.
Don’t let the dog days of summer keep you from getting out and enjoying the last weekend of August.
It’s not too late in the season to grab a book and read in your hammock.
Wasn’t it just yesterday we were digging out flip flops and shorts and gearing up for a busy summer?
And now here we are, about to start the last weekend of August.
I don’t know if we’re officially in those fabled “dog days of summer,” but I can definitely hear them barking.
That means we have precious few days left to enjoy summer before autumn rears its back-to-school head.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before — perhaps coming out of your own mouth:
“I’m going to pack a picnic lunch and spend a sunny afternoon at the beach.”
“The hammock is up. Now I just have to grab a book and a pitcher of iced tea and escape for an afternoon.”
“That Biergarten in Petrifying Springs Park sounds fun. We’ll go there this week.”
“I’m finally going to head out to Twin Lakes and watch the Aquanuts perform.”
The good news is, there’s still time to do all those activities.
In fact, I’d argue that late August/early September is the perfect time to go to the beach (smaller crowds, cooler sand on your feet), curl up with a novel in your backyard (less humidity, fewer bugs) and visit the outdoor Biergarten (it’s almost Oktoberfest season!).
Maybe you didn’t cross off everything on your 2022 Summer To-Do List, but you still have time.
This weekend, there are two local and FREE festivals to get you outside.
On Saturday, “Picnic in the Park” (canceled last Saturday due to the threat of storms) starts at 4 p.m. in Petrifying Springs Park, on the south end, next to the Biergarten. There are two bands playing — the Brothers Quinn from 4 to 6 p.m. and the Ethan Keller Group from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. — plus food trucks, “bounce” houses and children’s games. Stick around for the big bang finale when fireworks start at dusk.
The new “BBQ in the Park” event is 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Pleasant Prairie’s Prairie Springs Park (Lake Andrea). The festival features live music, food (of course!), bingo, a “bags” tournament (or corn hole, if you prefer) and vendors booths.
As for the Aquanuts, the award-winning water-ski team has just three more free shows this summer: 6 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, and Wednesday. Aug. 31.
And your backyard reading plans? That’s always available. Head to one of our libraries to borrow something or visit one of our local Downtown bookstores: Studio Moonfall (celebrating its Kenosha Book Festival today through Sunday) or Blue House Books.
To keep up with area events each week, read our Get Out & About entertainment section every Thursday in the Kenosha News.
And then get out there. Because before you know it, I’ll be writing about haunted houses and Christmas lights … and you’ll be wondering if you ever put that hammock away.
One of the surest signs of summer each year is our own Lake Michigan, when it turns a mystical blue color that signals “the height of summer is here.”
Considering our local Great Lake spends most of its time looking rather gray, when it does its Caribbean Sea impression, it’s worth noting.
“This is what we wait for all year,” said a woman standing near me recently while we both looked out over the lakefront.
While the lake’s summertime hue is a sight not to be missed, I was surprised to see more bright blue water Downtown this week.
The water in the HarborPark fountain just west of the Kenosha Public Museum is a beautiful shade of turquoise.
I thought perhaps the fountain was being cleaned — I associate that blue with toilet bowl cleanser — but instead I was told the color was added to discourage folks from wading in the fountain. Another explanation? To discourage algae growth.
Whatever the reason for the Easter egg color, it’s a reminder to a) clean my bathroom and b) pick up some Blue Moon ice cream on the way home.
Readers may have noticed we had a story in our Sunday paper written by a Kenoshan who was visiting Ukraine.
The writer is Ronald Paul Larson, who has worked in documentary filming for television and has been to several conflict zones — including Iraq in 2003, Libya in 2011, Syria in 2013 and now Ukraine in 2022 — as a writer and photographer.
We also have another Kenoshan — Adam Larson — who wrote an article in April from Poland, where he was teaching English, about the “war next door.”
I mixed up my Larsons and attributed the Aug. 21 Ukraine feature to Adam, not Ron.
I have apologized to both writers and look forward to more dispatches. Until then, stay safe, guys.
Have a comment? Email Liz at esnyder@kenoshanews.com, or call her at 262-656-6271.
Don't miss the great deals at these yard and estate sales around Kenosha.
Rummage Sale, Memorial United Methodist Church, 2935 Sheridan Road, Zion, Thurs, 8/25 5- 8 PM, Fri 8/26 9 am - 6 pm, Sat 8/27 9 - 1 pm. $5 Bag
Multi Family Sale 5802 1st Place S.W. of KR and Hwy 31 Fri 8/26 & Sat 8/27 8-3pm nice home decor, Harley parts, fall & xmas stuff, go …
Rummage Sale 6818 - 53rd St. Indian Trails Fri. & Sat. 8/26 & 8/27 - 9am - 3pm MANY puzzles, MANY books, vinyl records, Owl Collection…
Have a comment? Email Liz at esnyder@kenoshanews.com, or call her at 262-656-6271.
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The water in the HarborPark fountain, just west of the Kenosha Public Museum, is a lovely shade of blue this summer.
Don’t let the dog days of summer keep you from getting out and enjoying the last weekend of August.
It’s not too late in the season to grab a book and read in your hammock.
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