MANITOWOC – Aliens, UFOs and space debris are just some of the absurd delights awaiting visitors to the annual Sputnikfest event in downtown Manitowoc.
The annual event will be from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 6 on and around the grounds of the Rahr-West Art Museum, 610 N. Eighth St.
The festival commemorates the 1962 crash landing of a 20-pound piece of Sputnik IV in the middle of North Eighth Street in Manitowoc and has been named one of the “Top Five Funkiest Festivals” in the U.S. by Reader’s Digest.
This year’s event features a 5K Art Walk/Run, costume contests, live music by Bacchus Lotus and two skits by Masquer’s Inc. The first skit reenacts when police found the piece of Sputnik IV after it landed in Manitowoc’s street, and the second is titled “The Sputnik Story.”
The Rahr-West will be open so attendees can enjoy free access to all museum exhibits, including the 75th anniversary exhibits in the historic Vilas-Rahr Mansion.
What’s the lineup for Sputnikfest 2025?
The lineup for this year’s Sputnikfest is as follows:
Important details:
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Sputnikfest returns to Manitowoc’s Rahr-West Art Museum Sept. 6. Here’s all that’s planned.
Reporting by Alisa M. Schafer, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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