Halloween is done and Door County is quieting down. Kelly and I were up over the weekend and even with half the businesses already closed for the season, it was perfect.

The costumes in Sturgeon Bay, Egg Harbor, and the other villages were genuinely fun to see. There is something about Halloween here that feels more small-town than almost anywhere else.

The clocks fell back Sunday and Christmas celebrations are coming. The county does not disappear in winter. It just gets quieter and a little easier to navigate.

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This week:

A few things worth knowing about this week.

The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions. For the first time in franchise history, the Brewers are world champs. The Brewers closed it out on Wednesday night in Tampa, beating the Rays 4-1 to win the series four games to one. William Contreras was named World Series MVP, and it was well-earned.

The final out happened just after midnight in Florida, and by the time it did, Milwaukee was already celebrating one of the great moments in Wisconsin sports history. As the late, great Bob Uecker would have said, “they did it.

Too early to say repeat? Maybe. But with the rotation staying intact, I wouldn’t bet against it.

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Businesses open through the winter in Door County. This is the first of what will be a running list of businesses staying open through the off-season. This list focuses on businesses north of Sturgeon Bay, which is largely open year-round.

If you own a business that will be open and want to be included, send a note and we will add you.

Husby’s in Sister Bay is open year-round, and is one of the best spots in the county for food, drinks, and catching a game.

Sister Bay Bowl in Sister Bay is celebrating its 75th year in 2026 and open year-round. Famous for the Friday night perch fry, the best Old Fashioned in northern Door County, prime rib, and vintage bowling lanes. Winter hours vary so call ahead.

The English Inn in Fish Creek is open nightly through mid-November, then Friday through Sunday starting November 14. A Door County dining institution that is absolutely worth a winter visit.

Shipwrecked Brewery and Restaurant in Egg Harbor is open in winter. Door County’s oldest craft brewery with big screens for game nights and a full menu.

Bayside Tavern in Fish Creek is a year-round local institution. Worth knowing about when you need a reliable spot in the middle of the county.

AC Tap in Baileys Harbor is open daily and year-round with the kitchen running until 2 a.m. A great stop on the Lake Michigan side of the county.

Al Johnson’s in Sister Bay is open year-round, serving breakfast every day starting at 7 a.m. The goats are off the roof for the season but the Swedish pancakes are still very much on the menu.

White Gull Inn in Fish Creek runs winter fish boils on a reduced schedule and is open year-round. The fireside dining room in November is one of the better winter experiences in Door County.

Coyote Roadhouse in Baileys Harbor is open in winter on Kangaroo Lake. A local favorite that holds up in every season.

Planning your next Door County food stop? Check out our friends at Door County Eats where you can browse restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and sweet treats by town and craving, with an interactive map and filters for winter and late-fall options. Check each business’s current schedule before heading out.

Last Thursday, Kelly said the words that always lead somewhere good. “I think I want to go to The English Inn for dinner.”

So we went. Just like that. Packed a bag, drove up, stayed one night at The Landing in Egg Harbor. The English Inn, Husby’s, The Big Easy, Door County Coffee on the way out. Shopping in between. A quick walk through Peninsula State Park. One night, all of it, and it was exactly the kind of trip that reminds us why we keep coming back.

The English Inn delivered like it always does. I had the baby back ribs. Kelly had the whitefish. We sat by the fire. And as always, Kelly received a rose, because that is what The English Inn does. Every woman at the table gets one. It is a small thing that is actually not a small thing at all.

This is the last color report too. The leaves are mostly down. The season is behind us now, replaced by the kind of quiet that only comes to Door County in November. But if you took photos this fall, we still want them. Send them to us and tell us where you were and when.

The complete fall foliage guide stays live and will be updated through the end of the season with an interactive animated map for anyone still curious about how it all played out.

November in Door County is one of the best kept secrets in Wisconsin. The crowds are gone, the prices drop, the landscape has a dramatic quality that feels nothing like summer. State parks are open and mostly empty. Restaurants that stay open have availability.

The complete November in Door County guide covers what to do, where to eat, where to stay, and why the off-season deserves a closer look.

Read the complete November in Door County guide here.

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.

JUST SOLD: Sturgeon Bay

A three-bedroom, three-bath home in Sturgeon Bay sold for $600,000. Tucked near the end of a quiet cul-de-sac on five wooded acres, the heated garage is the first thing garage enthusiasts will notice. The wooded acreage has also produced successful hunting over the years, which tells you something about the setting.

FOR SALE: Fish Creek

A brand new three-bedroom, four-bath home in Fish Creek is listed at $1,250,000 on just over two acres of hardwoods and pine. Less than three miles from downtown Fish Creek, the property offers a covered patio for outdoor entertaining and a three-car garage.

The English Inn in Fish Creek has been a Door County tradition for us for years and last weekend’s spontaneous visit reminded us exactly why.

The building started as a lumber mill more than a hundred years ago and the original bar and dining room are still there, full of the kind of atmosphere that is truly authentic.

The menu is classic supper club done right. Baby back ribs, whitefish, hand-cut steaks, and perfect old fashioneds. The fire is going in November. And every woman at the table receives a rose before the night is done.

Open November through mid-month nightly, then Friday through Sunday after that.

The Lodge at Leathem Smith is a full-service waterfront resort in Sturgeon Bay with 63 rooms including standard rooms and suites with fireplaces and hot tubs. The property sits alongside a 48-slip marina, and amenities include a complimentary breakfast with chef-made omelettes, an on-site restaurant and bar.

It is a distinctive property with deep roots in Sturgeon Bay’s history and a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere that works well in every season.

If you are thinking about a November getaway, browse Door County availability on Booking.com.

Jay Stulo Band plays live music Friday evening in Sturgeon Bay. Jay Stulo has been a fixture on the Door County live music scene for years and the band delivers the kind of set that makes a Friday night worth the drive.

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The Holiday Harvest Market runs Saturday morning starting at 10 a.m. Local vendors, handmade goods, and the first real taste of the holiday season in Door County. If you are here for the weekend this is a great Saturday morning stop before the afternoon music starts.

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Philip Nelson and the Distilled Spirits play live at Parallel 44 Winery on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. Parallel 44 is one of the most enjoyable winery experiences in the county and live music there on a crisp November afternoon with a good glass of wine is the kind of afternoon that makes a trip worth planning.

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Dorothy Scott and the Peacekeepers take the stage Saturday evening. Dorothy Scott brings a soulful roots-driven sound that fills a room and holds it. A perfect way to close out a November weekend.

November arrives with some unsettled weather this week. Tuesday comes in around 58 degrees with a 45 percent chance of rain, warm for early November but wet. Wednesday holds at 57 with similar rain chances. Thursday drops to 51 and starts to feel more like November.

The back half of the week clears and cools considerably. Friday arrives at 43 degrees and mostly dry. Saturday settles at 44 with clear skies and only a 10 percent chance of rain.

Sunrise Tuesday is at 7:24 a.m. with sunset arriving around 4:56 p.m. following Sunday’s clock change. Under 10 hours of daylight now. The days are noticeably short and the evenings arrive fast.

Sign o’ the Times came out in 1987 and it has always been my favorite Prince album, which is a minority opinion even among people who love Prince. Most people go to Purple Rain first and they are not wrong to do so.

In high school, a buddy and I decided we needed to be at the Sign o’ the Times tour. It was going to be my first concert “in the round.” We camped out overnight for tickets and were first in line when the box office opened. Somewhere between midnight and the time the doors opened we had a few run-ins with the police, which I want to be clear was entirely because we were two teenagers out at 3 a.m., not because we were doing anything wrong. We were sixteen. It was a different era.

We got front row tickets. Real physical tickets, back when that meant something. It remains one of the best concert experiences of my life out of the hundreds of shows I have been to since.

No photos came in this week. The off-season is actually a great time to bring a dog up here because the trails are quiet, the beaches have room, and there is no crowd to navigate at the county’s best spots. If your pet has had any kind of Door County moment this fall or winter, we want to see it.

Here’s a photo I took Saturday of a woman walking her dog on an empty beach in Sturgeon Bay.

The quiet season is here. Enjoy it.

See you up here,
Brian.