The Annual Jaycee’s Brat Days In Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Brat Days in Sheboygan, Wisconsin proves to be as great as it has been since 1953. Although the World Brat Eating Championship will not be held this year due to controversy from area residents, the festival will still have the local brat-eating contest for anyone to compete at 12:00PM on Saturday. The festivities start Thursday August 2 with Pat McCurdy, the musician comic who comes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to perform in front of a crowd at Kiwanis Park. His weird sense of humor and acoustic guitar playing makes a spectacular show. Food and beer are available from 4:00PM until 10:00Pm.

Friday night August 3 brings Dokken, a popular band from the 1980’s with song like “Alone Again” and “Just Got Lucky”. The show will be one that attracts all different age groups. Food and beer are available from 5:00PM until 11:00PM. Saturday starts Brat Days off with the annual Brat parade. The parade starts at 9:00Am on Center Avenue and 8th Street heading north to Erie Avenue, down Erie Avenue to North 17th Street, ending at Kiwanis Park. The Park starts serving beer and food at 9:00AM.

The festivities begin with the parade and carry on throughout the day with a flea market along the riverfront. Entertainment throughout the day includes The Music Vendors at 10:00AM in the Johnsonville tent and Soul Asylum at 8:45PM on the main stage.

Other performers throughout the three days include Copper Box, Poor J, The Barbeez, The Rockford Mules and The Good Luck Joes. Other groups include Southbound, Ha Ha Tonka, Blues Highway, Trick Pony, Renegade, The Boogie Men, Justin & Tornek as well as Band X, Boxkar and Double Vision. There will also be a Stumpf Fiddle Contest at 1:00PM on Saturday.

The Jaycee’s do not forget about the family at Brat Days. Families enjoy many different activities at Fountain Park on 8th Street and Erie Avenue from the time of the parade until 5:00PM. They have a petting zoo, pony rides, clowns, shows and more for all the kids to enjoy. Food is available at the family site as well as drinks for the kids.

All proceeds from the annual event goes back into the community by way of charities including the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Cancer Society and various other organizations that help people in need. The Jaycee’s are able to do this because all workers are volunteers who sign up to work the food tents, beer tents, cooking and all areas of need. Come to the Sheboygan Brat Days this year or any year after for fun, excitement and to meet wonderful people who care.

Haunting Sheboygan History

There are a few areas in Sheboygan, Wisconsin that had stories of haunting experiences. The first one is the Sheboygan Yacht Club, built back in 1931, has a worker telling of a night working alone and turning off the lights in the building only to have turned back on. The employee had an eerie feeling that he was being watched. On another night, he was in the basement of the Sheboygan Yacht Club and saw a shape of a man right before closing. The stories continue to populate, but no more than one person has ever seen this at one time.

Another part of Sheboygan history is the stop sign that drips blood. According to rumors, an Indian man killed his family close by the stop sign where they lived. It has been said if you visit the stop sign late at night and turn your high beams on, you will see blood dripping from the sign. You may also hear footsteps walking closer to you. According to people who have seen and heard this, he may also be chanting an Indian song.

The First National Bank of Sheboygan in the downtown area is said to be haunted by a man who worked there as a custodian, named Duke. He is said to continue to move things, rattle doors and visit frequently. Duke worked for the bank up until the time of his death.

A house on Zimbal Avenue is said to be haunted and have underground tunnels leading to areas around the city. These underground tunnels were everywhere in the olden days. Today, people have said they see figures in the windows and hear sounds coming from the now vacant house.

No one ever knows for sure if haunting are true, only the people who have experienced them can tell the story. If the haunting of Sheboygan exists, more research is needed to find out the details of such occurrences that may have caused the haunting. In the case of the bank haunting, Duke might miss the place and need to keep straightening up. As far as the Sheboygan Yacht Club, what happened there to cause a haunting by a man? The Indian man and his family have not been found as of today, more information is needed as the circumstances behind the killings and how the stop sign fits into the haunting.

More Sheboygan Wisconsin history deals with the development of the early city. Watch for more tomorrow.

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