WISCONSIN RAPIDS − The Wisconsin Rapids area will be filled with all things cranberries this weekend.
The Cranberry Blossom Festival will run June 19-22 throughout the area, featuring Lunch by the River, Cinema Under the Stars, live music, a carnival and more entertainment for the weekend.
Here’s the lineup for the four-day festival.
Thursday, June 19
The Wisconsin Rapids Municipal Zoo will host Dive Into the World of Whales – An Ocean Adventure from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the zoo at 1911 Gaynor Ave. The event is free and invites guests to step inside a 65-foot life-size inflatable whale and learn more about whales.
The Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce will host Lunch by the River from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Memorial Park on the east side of the river between the Grand Avenue and Jackson Street bridges. Vendors will offer a variety of lunch options to purchase, and entertainment will be provided by the Wisconsin Rapids Youth Community Theatre.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Wisconsin Rapids Area will host Chalk It Up! from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the club at 501 W. Grand Ave. Participants of all ages can register anytime during the event and pick up their small chalk kit provided by event organizers. People can also bring their own supplies to use. This year’s theme includes food, agriculture and cars. Those competing must be present to win prizes.
Sunrise Rotary will host Cinema Under the Stars – 20th Anniversary! Starting at 6 p.m. Thursday on the west side of the river, along First Avenue between West Grand Avenue and Goggins Street. Guests can enjoy “The Wizard of Oz” for free, and popcorn and other snacks will be available for purchase. People should bring lawn chairs or blankets.
The Wisconsin Rapids Aqua Skiers will host an Aqua Skiers Water Ski Show, with the pre-show starting at 6 p.m. at Lake Wazeecha’s Red Sands Beach, 6411 South Park Road in Grand Rapids. The free show’s theme will be “Talladega Nights,” and will include music, dancing, barefoot skiing, jumping, pyramids and ballet and swivel skiing.
McMillan Memorial Library will host the McMillan Concert Series – Daddio Jazz Band starting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the library at 490 E. Grand Ave. Daddio Jazz Band will play contemporary improvised jazz music.
Friday, June 20
The Grand Rapids Lions Club will host its Dairy Berry Pancake Breakfast from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday at Lincoln High School’s cafeteria at 1801 16th St. S. in Wisconsin Rapids. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, cheese curds, coffee and more. The breakfast will be $10 for adults, $7 for children between the ages of 5 and 12, and free for children 4 years old and younger. Event organizers will only accept cash for this event, and they ask guests to park in the student parking lot between the Performing Arts Center and the football field.
Current Young Professionals will host the eighth annual Downtown on Tap from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Veterans Memorial Park. The free event will include face painting until about 7 p.m., as well as food trucks and beverages available for purchase. Guests are encouraged to bring in sealed, purchased beverages from downtown businesses and chairs or blankets to enjoy live music by Barefoot Americans. No carry-ins will be permitted.
Saturday, June 21
The Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce will host the Cranberry Blossom Festival Arts & Crafts Vendor Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. along West Grand Avenue between the Grand Avenue Bridge and Third Avenue South. The free, family-friendly outdoor event will be held rain or shine and will feature more than 80 vendors from all over Wisconsin. Food vendors will also be on site, offering a variety of options.
The Grand Rapids Lions Club will host Kids Learn to Fish from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Rapids Lions Club. Children will learn to fish and tie fishing knots at the free catch-and-release event. Children of all ages and experience levels are welcome, and while participants can bring their own equipment, gear will also be provided at the event.
The South Wood County Historical Museum will host an Ice Cream Social from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the museum at 540 Third St. S. Vanilla ice cream will be served with cranberry topping, and museum tours will be open to visitors.
The Grand Rapids Lions Club will host the Grand Rapids Lions Club Concert from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Rapids Lions Club. Blue Monday Group will perform from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with Back 40 Band performing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the event. Food and beverages will be available at this event, as well. Parking will be $10 per vehicle starting at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 22
The Wisconsin Rapids Professional Police Association will host a Kids Fishing Contest from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday along the east Wisconsin River riverbank south of East Grand Avenue. The free contest will be for children 17 years old and younger, and snacks, drinks and prizes will be available for participants.
The Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce will host the Cranberry Blossom Festival Parade “Blast from the Past” from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday along East Grand Avenue. Floats, live music and candy will start at the South Wood County YMCA and travel east along East Grand Avenue, ending at Ninth Street South.
The Wisconsin Rapids Firefighters Charitable Foundation will host the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department Duck Derby following the parade, at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters will drop ducks off the Jackson Street Bridge, and they will race to the finish line just beyond the Grand Avenue Bridge. Guests can purchase a raffle ticket to “adopt” a rubber duck for a chance to win prizes. Ducks can be adopted at either fire station. Winners do not need to be present.
Ongoing festivities
The Wisconsin Rapids Lionesses are hosting a Berry Fest Raffle throughout the festival at various events. Lioness members will be wearing purple vests and will be selling $5 tickets for a chance to win up to $500. Winners will be drawn at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, and raffle players do not have to be present to win.
The Cranberry Blossom Festival Carnival will be set up all four days. It runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Grand Rapids Lions Club, 2411 36th St. S. in Grand Rapids. Admission to the carnival is free, but parking is $5 per vehicle, and event organizers ask attendees to pay in cash. Unlimited ride wristbands will be for sale and will be good for a four-hour time slot on any day throughout the weekend. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Boy Scouts.
The Material Girls Quilt Club will host its Material Girls Quilt Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Assumption High School at 445 Chestnut St. This event includes quilt and basket raffles, vendors, food and special quilt displays, including a Quilted Car. A group from the Historic Point Basse will be quilting by hand, and a “Quilt of Honor” presentation will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday.
For more information, visit blossomfest.com or find Cranberry Blossom Festival on Facebook.
Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Your guide to the 2025 Cranberry Blossom Festival in Wisconsin Rapids
Reporting by Caitlin Shuda, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune / Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
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