September is here and the county feels different already.

The mornings have a chill that was not there a week ago. The 77% of you who voted fall as your favorite season are about to get everything you asked for.

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This week:

Another shipwreck joins the National Register. The Jennibel, a schooner that sank near Chambers Island in 1881, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

More than 100 feet below the surface, the vessel remains upright with most of its hull intact. Archaeologists say ships from this era left almost no blueprints behind, making the wreck a valuable research site.

New protections prohibit divers from removing artifacts or disturbing the vessel.

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Runners, mark your calendars. Registration for the Door County Half Marathon opens today.

The race runs through Peninsula State Park in May and has been called one of the most beautiful courses in the country.

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Sturgeon Bay's waterfront is getting a makeover. A city-owned lot next to the Yacht Club has long been called an eyesore. That changes next year.

The city was tentatively awarded a federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, pushing project funding above $1 million.

Construction starts early next year.

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Analog Ice Cream and Coffee is for sale. After more than twenty years, the team behind Analog in Sister Bay is ready to hand it off to someone new.

If you have ever dreamed about owning a business in Door County, this is your shot.

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Door County Baseball League. The championship game is set.

Sister Bay edged Baileys Harbor 5-4 while Kolberg handled Washington Island 5-2. That sets up a rematch of the regular season's most compelling rivalry. Sister Bay, the regular season champions, host Kolberg on Sunday.

Valerie has been visiting since her honeymoon in 1984. Her husband's family had deep roots up here, and they always stayed at either his aunt's home on Bay Shore Drive or his godfather's place in Ephraim.

Most of those family members are gone now. But Valerie and her husband keep coming back. These days, they mainly stay in Sturgeon Bay, although they still drive up the peninsula, stopping at favorites like Mink River Basin, Charlie’s Smokehouse, and Nightingale Supper Club.

Forty-two years of Door County visits. That’s not a travel habit. That is a love story.

Do you have a story? Send it over and tell me what makes this place so special to you.

Labor Day weekend is one of the most popular weekends of the year and also one of the last big summer hurrahs before the county exhales into fall.

Our Labor Day weekend guide covers what's happening, where to go, and how to make the most of the long weekend.

Read the complete Labor Day Weekend guide here.

Last week we asked which was your favorite Door County season.

Fall won in a landslide. Over 77% of you said it was your favorite, and honestly, it is hard to argue.

Today is the first day of September… and Door County is about to deliver.

Every week we spotlight a recently sold home and an active listing to give you a feel for what the market looks like.

JUST SOLD: Baileys Harbor

The Redwood Cottage in Baileys Harbor sold for $535,000. On Kangaroo Lake with 200 feet of sand frontage, a private pier, a swimming raft, and boats included!

Waterfront on Kangaroo Lake at this price does not come up often.

FOR SALE: Fish Creek

You may have walked past this building in Fish Creek without knowing what was behind it.

The 5,040 square foot home, listed at $1,950,000, overlooks Fish Creek itself, with a private marina and waterfront living in the heart of downtown.

Birchwood Lodge in Sister Bay is one of the places Kelly and I keep coming back to. We have stayed there dozens of times and we will be back again in October.

It is comfortable, well-located, and feels like the right home base for a Door County trip. If you are looking for fall lodging and have not booked yet, act fast.

Book Birchwood Lodge through our affiliate link.

And if you are still searching for the right property, browse all Door County availability on Booking.com.

Happy Together 2026 plays the Door Community Auditorium on Friday, bringing together a lineup of classic rock acts for one of the more fun shows of the summer.

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Marina Fest runs through the weekend in Sister Bay, a waterfront celebration worth building a trip around.

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Gills Rock Art Fest is Saturday, one of the most charming small-venue art events on the northern end of the county.

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The Brahms and Schoenfeld Favorites Labor Day Gala closes out the Peninsula Music Festival on Sunday at the Door Community Auditorium. A fitting end to one of the summer's best cultural traditions.

Tuesday arrives at 80 degrees with a chance of rain, the warmest and wettest day of the week.

Wednesday and Thursday should both sit in the mid 70s with lingering rain chances before the weekend dries out. Saturday looks like a solid day for the start of Marina Fest.

Sunrise Tuesday is at 6:12 a.m. Sunset comes around 7:36 p.m. Just over 13 hours of daylight.

Over the past few months I have been working through my top five bands of all time. The Police at five. Fleetwood Mac at four. Styx at three. Genesis at two.

Number one is R.E.M. It has always been R.E.M.

Murmur and Reckoning were the albums that pulled me in. But Document is one of my all-time favorites... Finest Worksong, Exhuming McCarthy, Disturbance At The Heron House. A band at the exact moment everything clicked (for me).

Meet Amos. He visited Door County in June, taking in Algoma and Sister Bay with his family. Rebecca sent in a couple photos and Amos looks like he handled both villages with great dignity.

Amos, welcome to the newsletter.

Want to see your pet here? Send us your photos.

That’s (another) pretty good week.

See you up here,
Brian.