Vintage cars. Vintage camping. Vintage music. Vintage – well, lots of vintage, and it’s happening at the second annual Vintage Revival Weekend, the only festival of its kind in Door County.
The three-day festival is one of two vintage celebrations in northeastern Wisconsin organized by the husband-and-wife promoting team of Chad and Alex Walker. The Walkers have held the Northern Roundup, a vintage revival weekend in the Antigo area, over the last full weekend of June for 12 years, drawing thousands of people from across the Midwest and as far away as Colorado, Washington and Canada.
The Door County vintage weekend takes place in Valmy on the grounds of the Northeastern Wisconsin Antique Power Association, which sponsors the annual Valmy Thresheree & Antique Machinery Show of vintage farm machines and power equipment each mid-August and asked the Walkers in 2025 to organize a Door County vintage event to make more use of the grounds.
There is a car show, but one of the highlights that makes the Vintage Revival Weekend stand out from other events with vintage cars is banger racing, 300-foot drag races for hot rods created from pre-World War II cars and powered by 4-cylinder flathead engines. Those take place on the dirt track used by the Thresheree for its tractor pulls.
Banger races during the day are from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 21 and and 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 22, the Friday and Saturday of the festival, plus there’s “Rally at Fire Road” races at 9 p.m. Aug. 21 with firelight lighting the track. The bangers also will be on display during the weekend.
The track also plays host to minibike races in four classes, including a “run what ya brung” open class and a youth class for ages 11 to 14. The minibikes are on track from noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 20 and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 21. There also is the Pinup Princess Showdown, minibike drag races for women and girls in pinup attire (must wear helmet and closed-toe shoes, no high heels), at 2 p.m. Aug. 22, the day of the festival’s pinup contest.
Speaking of which, the pinup contest for women dressed in 1940s-’50s-style wear takes place at 1 p.m. Aug. 22, with photo ops and winners announced at 3 p.m.
Other activities include a drive-in outdoor movie the night of Aug. 20 and a true Door County vintage tradition, a fish boil, with servings at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21 ($25, tickets required and available through the event website).
Live music takes on the vintage theme with rockabilly and old-school rock bands. Scheduled to play are Dick White and the Goonies at 5 p.m. Aug. 20; Union Avenue at 5:30 p.m. and Steering Ships With Empty Bottles at 8 p.m. Aug. 21; and Mid Century Meltdown at 4 p.m., Dirty Martinis at 6 p.m., Liam Ford Band at 8 p.m. and Robert Alan Piehl at 10 p.m. Aug. 22.
Camping is available throughout the grounds for a fee of $50 to $75, with a special area for those with vintage campers and quiet hours from 1 to 7 a.m.
The Vintage Revival Weekend takes place Aug. 20 to 22 at the Northeastern Wisconsin Antique Power Association grounds, 5005 Country View Road, Valmy (north of Institute). Gates open at noon Aug. 20, 8 a.m. Aug. 21 and 22. Admissions are $5 Aug. 20, $10 Aug. 21, $15 Aug. 22 or $30 for all three days; campers must also get the weekend pass. Preregistration for camping, admission and events is closed but all will be available to purchase at the gate.
For camping reservations, admissions or more information, call Chad Walker at 715-203-6142; visit northernroundup.com or the “Vintage Revival Weekend” Facebook page; or email vintagerevivalweekend@yahoo.com.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County vintage festival has old-school hot rods, music, camping, more
Reporting by Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
