Alpenfest – Thursday

Thursday Traditions Include:

9:00 am – 11:00 am: Art Tent Sensory Friendly Crafts – Enjoy a calm, creative space designed for sensory- friendly crafting. Explore hands-on activities and make a fun sensory craft to take home. Sponsored by E-Free Kidz Jam, Acorn Health & Jet’s Pizza

11:30 am – 1:30 pm: Art Tent Musical Instruments – Explore your musical creativity with hands-on fun for all ages. Sponsored by Gaylord Orchestra

12:00 pm: AlpenMarket, Beirgarten, Ethnic Alley, and T. J. Schmidt and Company Carnival Opens

12:00 pm: Men’s Knee & Ladies Ankle Competition – Main Stage, all ages welcome. Who has the knobbiest? Most Scarred? Most Tan? Prizes awarded

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Rosco the Clown and Tommy Tropic – Courthouse Lawn, be entertained with balloon artistry, juggling, and lots of laughs.

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Art Tent Decorate Your Bike – Deck out your bike with fun decorations! Stop by to add some festival flair before the parade and show off your creative style. Bike Parade to follow. Sponsored by Zonta Club

3:00 pm: Bike & Trike Parade – In Front of the Sheriff’s Department. Show off your decorated bikes with Rosco the Clown.

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: The Brothers Grimm Spectaculation at Claude Shannon Park – written by Don Zolidis, this one-act play will be performed by Gaylord Community Productions.

4:00 pm: Stone Throw Contest – East Side of Pavilion parking lot. Test your strength and see how far you can throw the stone. Ages 18 and older. Prizes awarded

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Art Tent Patriotic Craft – Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday with festive patriotic crafts! Create red, white and blue projects full of stars, stripes, and creative fun. Sponsored by the DTE Foundation and Gaylord Alpenfest

5:00 pm: Ice Cream Social under the Pavilion – Banana splits with toppings. Sponsored by Alpine Chocolat Haus

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Gaylord Community Productions – Perform Selections from the Musical “Anastasia” on the Main Stage

6:00 pm: Brat Eating Contest Main Stage – This contest is limited to 12 contestants. Contestants must be 18 years old or older to enter. Sign up at Nowicki’s Sausage Shop. Eat as many brats as you can in 10 minutes for your chance to be the 2026 Brat Eating Contest winner! First place receives a $200 Gift card to Nowicki’s. Sponsored by Nowicki’s Sausage Shoppe Gaylord

8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Drew Hale Band will be Live Under The Pavilion – A native Texan, Drew’s style of music pays homage to his roots in the red dirt and southern rock scenes of Texas and the Southwest, while his lyrics speak to his deep affection for the lifestyle and culture of his home in Northern Michigan. Drew is the winner of the 34th annual Country Showdown national championship, which took place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and earned him the title of Best New Act in Country Music.