Late August in Door County has a feeling that is hard to describe to someone who has not experienced it.

The cherries are done.

The orchards are turning their attention to apples.

The crowds thin just enough that the county starts feeling a little more manageable.

This is the sweet spot. Enjoy it while it lasts.

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In today’s edition:

A few things worth knowing about this week.

Should Institute become Sevastopol? The Town of Sevastopol is floating an idea that has gotten people talking. Town chairman Dan Woelfel raised the possibility of renaming the hamlet of Institute to Sevastopol.

The town hall, school district, and park are all already named Sevastopol. The hamlet is not. Supporters say the change would reduce confusion, align the community's identity, and improve visibility in tourism materials and on maps.

Not everyone agrees.

Some longtime residents are attached to the name Institute and the history behind it. No decision has been made. But it is an interesting question for a community with 150-plus years of history to wrestle with.

What do you think. Vote in today’s poll.

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Door County gets a New York Times shoutout. La Sirena in Ephraim just earned a spot on the New York Times list of the greatest Mexican restaurants in the country, and the short writeup is worth reading in full.

Chef Carlos Salgado and his wife Emilie Coulson Salgado opened La Sirena last year. The couple previously ran Taco María, their groundbreaking restaurant in Orange County, California. La Sirena is located on Pioneer Lane in Ephraim - Emilie’s home town - just a short walk from Eagle Harbor.

It is open year round.

If you have been on the fence about making a reservation, consider this your sign.

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Pickleball is coming to Egg Harbor. The Door County Pickleball Club has announced a collaboration with the Village of Egg Harbor to build six brand new pickleball courts adjacent to the Harbor Hounds Dog Park Complex on Church Street.

It will be the largest dedicated pickleball facility in Door County.

No opening date has been announced yet but this is one worth watching for anyone who plays.

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Southern Door schools get a high-tech upgrade. Through a generous community donation, the Southern Door School District is receiving robotic mowers to maintain their grounds.

A small story that says something nice about a community that takes care of its own - and its lawn.

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Door County Baseball League. Sister Bay captured the regular season championship, beating Egg Harbor to close out the year.

A playoff game for the fourth-place position will take place Saturday between Baileys Harbor and Maplewood.

Post-season play begins the following Saturday.

Congratulations to the Bays on a great regular season run.

About 21 years ago, when my oldest son Riley was around two years old, we headed up for a long winter weekend. What made the trip special was that we brought our niece along. She was nine or ten at the time and had not traveled much. Getting to take her somewhere new felt like a big deal.

We stayed at the Newport Resort in Egg Harbor. The pool, the hot tub, the ball pit. She had never seen anything like it. She struggled a little at night being away from home, but during the day she was all in.

What I remember most is the drive up. It was January or February and by the time we hit Algoma we were in the middle of a blizzard. I white-knuckled it the rest of the way. But the moment we turned the corner into Egg Harbor, I knew we were fine. We walked in, turned on the fireplace, and the stress melted away.

She is married now with two kids of her own. Thinking back on that trip is something I will always carry with me.

That is what Door County does. It becomes part of your story whether you plan it that way or not.

Do you have a Door County story worth sharing? Send it over and tell me what makes this place so special for you.

Coffee up here is not just coffee. It is part of a daily morning, or afternoon, or evening ritual.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a coffee junkie.

The complete Door County coffee guide covers every worthwhile spot from Sturgeon Bay to Ellison Bay, recently updated for 2026. If you have a favorite that is not on the list, let us know.

Read the complete Door County coffee guide here.

Last week we asked about your favorite shopping spot and the response was the biggest we have had yet.

Wood Orchard took the top spot with more than 24 percent of the vote, which is hard to argue with if you’ve spent any time in their market during cherry season.

Seaquist came in second and On Deck rounded out the top three.

All three are worth your time.

Every week we spotlight a recently sold home and an active listing to give you a feel for what the Door County real estate market looks like right now.

JUST SOLD: Baileys Harbor

A spacious one-level condo at The Oaks in Baileys Harbor sold Sunday for $590,000.

It sits at the end of the road in a wooded setting with a glimmer of a water view and genuine privacy.

This is low-maintenance Door County living done right.

FOR SALE: Sturgeon Bay

A three bedroom, one and a half bath waterfront home on the Sturgeon Bay Canal is listed at $749,900.

With over 1,800 square feet with an open layout, the back porch and fire pit sit right on the water.

Currently operating as a successful short-term rental with the option to purchase fully furnished, making this as close to a turnkey Door County investment as you will find.

Kelly and I have a ritual when we drive through Ephraim. She spots the sign, turns to me, and says it the same way every time. “Leroy's is open. Brian is happy.”

She is not wrong.

Leroy's Water Street Coffee has been part of our Door County routine for a number of years. The coffee is excellent. The vibe is exactly what a Door County coffee shop should be.

If you have never been, go.

If you haven’t been in a while, go back, it’s time.

Paint, Sip, Relax on Tuesday evening. A low-key creative night out to kick off the week. Tonight at Trailside Canteen in Sturgeon Bay.

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Fish Creek Farmers Market on Wednesday morning. Local produce, local makers, local everything. A great way to spend a morning before the day gets busy. Every Wednesday through mid-October.

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The 7th Annual Community Honey Harvest on Saturday morning. A genuinely fun and educational event that most visitors do not know about. At Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay.

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Ephraim's Sweet Summer Send-Off on Saturday afternoon. Ephraim doing what Ephraim does best, marking a season with something worth showing up for. Happening at Harborside Park from 1p to 4p.

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Kayak Concert on Saturday afternoon. Paddle, float, and listen to live music on the water. One of the more unique Door County experiences on the calendar. Happening at Otumba Park in Sturgeon Bay.

Door County has more than 10,000 acres of state forest, five state parks, and 19 county parks packed into a county that is roughly 482 square miles.

More than a third of all land in Door County is protected in some form, whether as state or county park, nature conservancy property, or conservation easement.

For a county that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every summer, that level of land protection is remarkable and largely responsible for the fact that Door County still looks and feels the way it does.

The people who came before us made some very good decisions about what to keep.

Tuesday arrives with a 75 percent chance of rain and a high of around 77. Have alternate plans for outdoor activities. Things clear out nicely by Wednesday, dropping to a dry 75 degrees, and Thursday looks similarly comfortable.

The back half of the week stays in the low to mid 70s with scattered chances of rain through the weekend. Nothing severe, just classic late August Door County weather doing its thing.

Sunrise Tuesday is at 5:56 a.m. Sunset comes around 7:59 p.m. Under 14 hours of daylight now. The autumn shift is real. The golden late-afternoon light that comes with it is one of the best things about being up here in August.

Green Bay water temperatures are holding in the low 70s. Still very swimmable. But not for long.

This week it was The Stranger by Billy Joel, which came out in 1977 and contains some of the best songwriting of the last fifty years. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. Vienna. Just the Way You Are. Moving On.

Songs that hold up not because they are timeless, but because they are specific about real human experiences.

My wife, Kelly, is by far his biggest fan. She has seen him in concert around twenty times (I actually just asked her and she had the exact number - 21 times), which means I have seen him roughly fifteen times by default.

I have zero complaints about that.

He is one of the great performers of his generation and The Stranger is the album that made the case for everything that followed.

No new photos came in this week, which means we need you.

Summer is almost over up here. If your dog has been on a trail, your cat has been watching boats from a cottage window, or your pet has had any kind of Door County moment this season, we want to see it.

One photo, one name, one village. That is all it takes. Send me your photo and you might find your pet in next week's issue.

Cherry season is over but the apples are coming.

Leroy's is back.

La Sirena is in the New York Times.

Sister Bay is your regular season champion.

And somewhere in Egg Harbor, six new pickleball courts are on the way.

Late August up here is its own thing. Do not sleep on it.

See you up here,
Brian