This Scenic Wisconsin Valley Links A Slew Of Charming Small Towns With Outdoor Recreation And Exciting Events

From mile-long music festivals and cheesy celebrations to a stunning state park and fantastic spots for foodies, a chain of cities and villages known interchangeably as the Fox Valley or the Fox Cities in Northeast Wisconsin has a little something for everyone. The area gets its name from the Lower Fox River, which courses northeast toward Lake Michigan from Lake Winnebago and empties 39 miles downstream into Green Bay. For the Cheeseheads among us who are headed to Titletown to experience a Packer game at legendary Lambeau Field, don't skip the Fox Valley's numerous restaurants, events, and family-friendly attractions.

Historically, the nuclei of the Fox Cities included the Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, and Kaukauna, along with the villages of Kimberly, Little Chute, and Combined Locks. As the area's population grew, municipalities like Harrison, Freedom, Hortonville, and Sherwood were embraced as part of the valley. Today, the Greater Fox Cities includes 19 communities that hug the northern region of Lake Winnebago. Both the lake and river are a boater's paradise with boat launches and marinas, historic canals, and sail-up food and drink joints like Waverly Beach in Menasha.

From the Fox Cities, you're within easy reach of this underrated city with scenic lakefront quirks, a riverfront beauty with a thriving arts scene, or this close-knit town outside of Milwaukee. Fly directly into Appleton International Airport or Green Bay's Austen Straubel International Airport — it's only 30 miles to downtown Appleton from there — and you'll find yourself in the "Heart of the Valley."

Appleton is home to acclaimed Lawrence University and the Trout Museum of Art, which is relocating to a brand new building in autumn 2025. The city is also home to the ever-popular Octoberfest in late September, a farmer's market with more than 100 vendors every weekend in the summer, and the expansive Mile of Music festival, which takes over an approximately mile-long stretch of downtown for four days of free concerts. More than 200 artists play gigs in restaurants, bars, public parks, and on special stages in a series of more than 700 totally free events.

Twenty minutes east sits Kaukauna, which has seen a surge of fantastic food and drink spots in the past several years, including TAQ Brewing, Electric City Lanes — with bowling as good as the nachos — and 313 Dodge, which features an outdoor patio and guest food trucks on Tuesdays during the warmer months. On Wednesday nights in the summer, you can catch live music at Hydro Park and the city's evening farmer's market to boot! Nearby Vaudette is perhaps the funkiest new addition, situated within a historic 19th-century theater that has been transformed into an artsy bar.

The Fox Valley is a go-to for summertime festivals, like Little Chute's Great Wisconsin Cheese Fest, Appleton's Art at the Park, the Neenah-Menasha Intertribal Powwow, and Paperfest in Kimberly. Neenah is also home to the unique Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, which is built upon local resident Evangeline Bergstrom's remarkable collection of paperweights. The museum hosts its annual Glass Arts Festival on the shore of Lake Winnebago, the only all-glass outdoor event of its kind in the U.S.

Neenah and Menasha, the "twin cities" that straddle the Fox River, boast charming shops on quaint main streets. Once you've worked up an appetite taking in an exhibition or browsing through inviting boutiques, you'll want to nab a table at the fabulous Town Council Kitchen & Bar in Neenah, which serves seasonal, farm-to-table fare in an intimate, open-kitchen space.

Menasha's downtown is just five minutes north, and you'll love an epic brunch at WeatherVane or a burger at the iconic local greasy spoon, Mihm's Charcoal Grill. Once you've had your fill, choose from numerous places to stay, like the boutique CopperLeaf Hotel in Appleton and comfortable chains like Hilton and Best Western throughout the area.

For those wanting to escape the hubbub, the area's trails and parks offer relaxing escapes. Kaukauna's 1,000 Islands Environmental Center spans 350 acres along the river, and Menasha's Heckrodt Wetland Reserve is home to a diverse array of wildlife on 91 acres. On the northeast shoreline of Lake Winnebago near Sherwood, don't miss High Cliff State Park's sweeping views from the ancient Niagara Escarpment, a geological formation that extends from eastern Wisconsin over Lake Michigan, through Ontario, and into Upstate New York. (Yep, that's what Niagara Falls spills over!) Ancient Native American effigy mounds accompany you along wooded trails, and a beautiful cliffside campground overlooks the lake, where you won't want to miss the sunset.