Door County's Art Scene Adds to Vacation Value

Music Performances Abound at this Wisconsin Vacation Site

Jul 20, 2009

One thing that sets Door County apart from other lakeside vacation destinations is a thriving arts colony, always busy, creating and performing for visitors.

A visit to Door County, Wisconsin, provides a multifaceted Great Lakes vacation. There are plenty of opportunities to rough it in one of the five state parks, or to enjoy the water along the rugged shoreline, or simply relax in a little cottage or full service resort. But what sets this place apart is the presence of all kinds of artists at work.

There are galleries in restored barns and home studios all the way up the 40-plus mile bay shore route from Sturgeon Bay in the south to Gills Rock at the tip of the peninsula. And more on the way back along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

On Stage: Peninsula Players, American Folklore Theatre and Door Shakespeare

A night of theater might mean a Neil Simon comedy, or a Tony award winner like Doubt, at the Peninsula Players which bills itself as "theatre in a garden" and is intensely proud of its 74 years of experience, making it "America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theatre".

The American Folklore Theatre brings myths and legends alive by way of stories and songs outdoors every night (except Sunday) in the amphitheatre of Peninsula State Park. And 10-year old Door Shakespeare is presenting Merchant of Venice for three weeks this year under the tall pine trees at the Bjorklunden estate near Bailey's Harbor.

Music Offerings from Classical to Bluegrass Fill the Nights

And then there's the music. On any given night from mid-June until late August the visitor can find at least one performance of a symphony, chamber music, a percussion ensemble, or a jazz band; or rock, folk or, maybe blue grass.

Two traditions form the core of the "serious" music offerings. The Peninsula Music Festival has been drawing a crowd for 57 summers. When it began in 1953, the fulfillment of a vision shared by some local music lovers and Cincinnati Symphony Music Director Thor Johnson, the music festival could only afford a small chamber orchestra, and the concerts were performed in a local high school gymnasium. Johnson led the festival until his death in 1975.

After a decade of guest conductors, Victor Yampolsky was chosen to succeed Johnson in 1985. Maestro Yampolsky has presided over the expansion of the festival to include a 70-plus member orchestra of full time professional musicians - many return year after year to join him for the August festival. Since 1991 they have enjoyed the benefits of a new state of the art concert hall.

As in all seasons, 2009 will feature outstanding young guest artists. The roster this year includes:

Another Musical Tradition: The Birch Creek Experience

Birch Creek, located on a former farm property, is a music school for accomplished young musicians who are taught in two week sessions by nationally known performers and educators. The evening performances by the students and their teachers have become another Door County favorite. The two week sessions begin the last week in June and end mid-August. The 2009 sessions include:

The performances are every Wednesday through Saturday. Sometimes Birch Creek groups perform in free afternoon concerts in various Door County communities.

The Music Continues: Fishstock and Sunset Concerts in Door County

Sunday night often presents a tough choice: pick from the eclectic popular and jazz concerts at sunset at the outdoor Peg Egan Performing Arts Center, or enjoy folk or good old rock 'n' roll at the Fishstock concert series. While the outdoor ambiance of the Peg Egan series, overlooking the water in Egg Harbor, is incredibly inviting, Fishstock has a charming drawing card too – more concerts in a barn, and not be confused with Birch Creek! The 100-year-old former dairy barn has been renovated to accommodate 150 seats in a hayloft acoustic area, and 400 seats at the ground floor big stage.

Oh, and definitely worth mentioning: the second annual Door County Bluegrass Camp – wildly successful last year – will be held the first week of August. Bluegrass instructors will present their own conert on August 1, in Sturgeon Bay. Two public performances and a barn dance are also on the schedule.

The copyright of the article Door County's Art Scene Adds to Vacation Value in Wisconsin Travel is owned by Kathlin F. Sickel. Permission to republish Door County's Art Scene Adds to Vacation Value in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.