August starts Saturday. There is a tendency to treat that like a countdown to something ending, but that is the wrong way to look at it.

The water is warm. The events calendar is full. And the orchards still have cherries.

The heart of summer is not behind you. It is right now. Do not waste it.

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This week in The Best of Door County Weekly:

A few things worth knowing about this week.

The Door County Historical Society earns top honors. The Wisconsin Historical Society has awarded the Door County Historical Society its highest honor for local history organizations, the Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy. The traveling award, which dates to 1958, recognizes the society's work over the past five years. The Door County Historical Society has been leading the effort to restore the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse to its original condition, a project that connects the county's future to its past in exactly the way local history organizations are meant to. Well deserved.

Southern Door schools recover from phishing scam. The Southern Door County School District announced it has fully recovered the nearly $68,000 it lost to a phishing email scam in 2025. The district also made significant changes to its financial and cybersecurity practices in the wake of the incident. Good news for a community institution worth rooting for.

Beach closures. Ephraim Beach and Jackson Harbor Beach were temporarily closed on July 22 due to elevated bacteria levels and reopened July 23. This is a good reminder that beach conditions up here can change quickly. Before heading out, check the Door County Public Health Facebook page for the latest updates. They post closures and reopenings promptly and it takes thirty seconds to check.

Door County Baseball League. Baseball season is heating up in Door County. Baileys Harbor opened the weekend strong with a 6 to 1 win over Egg Harbor Friday night, then on Sunday, Washington Island shut out Institute 10 to 0, Sister Bay took out West Jacksonport in a 12 to 7 slugfest, and Kolberg topped Maplewood 7 to 2.

At the top of the standings, it's a tight race between Washington Island, Kolberg, and Sister Bay, all within a game of each other. The next round of games hits Friday, July 31 with West Jacksonport at Institute, followed by a busy Sunday, August 2, with Kolberg at Egg Harbor, Washington Island at Sister Bay, and Baileys Harbor at Maplewood.

I have been sharing my own Door County stories since this newsletter started, and I plan to keep doing that. But here is what I have been thinking about lately: this is not just my newsletter. It is ours.

Every one of you has a Door County story. The first time you saw Eagle Harbor. The fish boil that converted a skeptic. The moment you looked at each other and said, maybe we should just move here.

I want to hear them. Send me your story at [email protected] and tell me what makes Door County so special for you. It does not have to be long. It does not have to be polished. It just has to be real.

The best ones will show up right here in future issues shared with everyone who reads this and understands exactly what you mean.

This community is better when more people are part of it. Tell me your story.

Here is something Door County regulars know that first-timers often miss… August is not the end of summer up here. It is the best part.

The water is the perfect temperature. The Peninsula Music Festival runs all month. Northern Sky and Peninsula Players are both deep into their seasons. Cherry Fest is Saturday in Jacksonport. The Wooden Boat Show is at the Maritime Museum.

I put together a complete guide to August 2026 with everything worth knowing, from the big events and outdoor adventures to the timing tip that changes how you experience the whole month.

Read the complete August in Door County guide here.

Last week we asked about your favorite orchard in Door County and the results were clear.

Seaquist Orchards took more than half the votes, which should surprise no one who has spent any time there.

Wood Orchard came in second and Lautenbach's Market rounded out the top three.

All three are worth your time. Seaquist clearly has the most loyal following among this crowd.

Every week we spotlight a recently sold home and an active listing so you can see what is happening in the Door County real estate market.

JUST SOLD: STURGEON BAY

A three bedroom, three bath waterfront-adjacent condo in Sturgeon Bay sold July 24 for $685,000.

The private marina across the street offers seasonal boat slips. Farmers market, seasonal park concerts, and a health food store are within a block. This is what low-maintenance downtown Sturgeon Bay living looks like when it is done right.

FOR SALE: FISH CREEK

This one is hard to put in a box and that is exactly what makes it interesting.

A four bedroom, three bath property in Fish Creek is listed at $695,000 and it comes with a converted silo - that’s not a typo.

The main farmhouse has two bedrooms and a full bath and dates back to the early 1900s. The silo, beautifully renovated, has two bedrooms, two baths, and panoramic views of Peninsula State Park from the fourth floor.

It is steps from Fish Creek's shops, dining, and the waterfront, and right on the edge of the state park.

Looking for the perfect Door County summer evening? I have two words for you - Red Putter.

Red Putter Mini Golf in Fish Creek feels like it has been there forever because it essentially has. It is the kind of place that looks exactly the way a mini golf course should look, which is to say it looks like 1954 decided to just stay put.

Kelly and I started going to Red Putter before we ever had kids, and as you can see below, we never stopped. Now my boys are older, and we still go to Red Putter on a regular basis.

I think we even created a family trophy that we pass around to the winner of each round... It usually ends up with my wife.

Red Putter is in Ephraim on Highway 42.

Don McLean plays the Door Community Auditorium in Fish Creek on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Yes, the American Pie Don McLean. The man has been performing for over fifty years and he still does it with the same conviction he had in 1971. If you have never seen him live and you are up here this week, this is the show. Click here for tickets.

The Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Egg Harbor hosts Big Band Jazz on Saturday in the historic Dutton Concert Barn. Affordable admission, impressive musicianship, and a setting that makes everything sound better. birchcreek.org.

The 35th Annual Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Show is Saturday and Sunday at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay. Beautifully restored antique and classic wooden watercraft on display at the waterfront with a nautical market alongside. One of the most visually interesting events of the summer and a great complement to everything else happening this weekend. dcmm.org.

The 32nd Annual Cherry Fest is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lakeside Park in Jacksonport. Cherry pie, cherry kolaches, cherry jam, cherry brats, a juried arts fair, live music from Modern Day Drifters, a vintage car show, and the kind of small-town summer celebration that does not exist enough places anymore. jacksonporthistoricalsociety.org.

The Door County Jazz Festival runs Sunday August 2 through Saturday August 8 in Sturgeon Bay. A full week of jazz performances across multiple venues with a mix of local and nationally recognized artists. Visit doorcountyjazzfestival.com for the full schedule.

The Eagle Bluff Lighthouse on the Green Bay bluff inside Peninsula State Park was built in 1868 and is one of the most photographed landmarks in Door County.

For most of its active years, the lighthouse was operated by a single keeper who lived on site with their family in the attached dwelling. The position was a federal appointment and came with free housing, a small salary, and the responsibility of keeping the light burning every single night from sunset to sunrise without fail.

The keepers and their families lived an almost entirely self-sufficient life on the bluff. They kept gardens, raised animals, and homeschooled their children on site because the lighthouse was too remote for a daily school commute. The keeper's logs, many of which are preserved today, record everything from weather conditions and ship traffic to family milestones and the occasional dramatic rescue.

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1919 when an automated light replaced it. The restoration effort now underway, led by the Door County Historical Society, aims to return the interior to its 1868 appearance and honor the families who kept that light burning for decades. Worth a visit the next time you are in Peninsula State Park.

Tuesday should come in around 75 degrees with clear skies and no rain in the forecast. A welcome change after the storms that rolled through yesterday.

The rest of the week looks equally awesome. Wednesday is projected to hit 76 and sunny. Thursday might touch 80, the warmest day of the stretch, before Friday and Saturday settle back into the mid to upper 70s with a slight chance of rain returning for the weekend.

Saturday, Cherry Fest day in Jacksonport, is looking at a high of 77 with a 35 percent chance of rain. Bring a light layer just in case but do not let it stop you from going.

Today’s sunrise was at 5:40 a.m. Sunset comes around 8:23 p.m. Still more than 14 hours of daylight.

Green Bay water temperatures remain in the low to mid 70s. August is when the swimming is at its best in Door County. Take advantage of it.

Over the past few weeks I have been sharing the albums I’m listening to as I write this newsletter. I’ve also given insights into my top favorite bands of all time. If you remember, I have a top 5 that has been the same for nearly 40 years… Styx came in at number three. Fleetwood Mac at number four. This week I want to tell you about my second favorite band.

Genesis.

I got into them before most people in America knew who they were, back when Peter Gabriel was still the lead singer and the band was making ambitious, theatrical rock. Selling England by the Pound. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I was young, but even then, I knew how great they were.

This week while writing the newsletter I pulled out their self-titled 1983 release and started grooving to Home by the Sea and Second Home by the Sea - two of my favorite Genesis songs.

Eighteen minutes of something that feels like sitting on the porch of a quiet cabin on the western shore of Door County, watching the sun slowly set over the bay.

No photos came in this week, which means we need to do better.

Summer is winding down faster than any of us want to admit. If your dog has been swimming in the bay, your cat has been supervising the packing and unpacking of the vacation bags, or your pet has had any kind of Door County moment this summer that made you smile, we want to see it.

One photo, one name, one village. That is all it takes to end up in this newsletter.

Send photos to [email protected].

On tap this week… Cherry Fest… Don McLean… the Wooden Boat Show… Big Band Jazz at Birch Creek… the start of the Jazz Festival and so much more.

That is a lot of good things happening in one county on one weekend.

August is here. Make the most of it.

See you up here,
Brian

thebestofdoorcounty.com