« All Events

Prairie Fest 2026

August 1 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm UTC-4

Celebrate nature with yoga, prairie tours, environmental education and art displays, short nature pop-up presentations, and more at this year’s Prairie Fest on Saturday, August 1, from 8:00 AM – Noon at the beautiful Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum, adjacent to the Fond du Lac County Campus.

Prairie Fest is a FREE family-oriented environmental education event with activities for all ages. SCHEDULE as of 7/14/26:

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DISPLAYS from 8:00 a.m. – noon

Learn about native plants, butterflies,  pollinators, cranes, small wild animals, the history of the area,  and other nature & mindfulness related topics from:
-Friends of the Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum
-Wild Ones Fox Valley Chapter
-FDL Area Bird & Nature Alliance (formerly Audubon)
-International Crane Foundation
-Marsh Haven Nature Center
-Mosquito Hill Nature Center
-CSA (Congregation of Sisters of St Agnes)
-Oshkosh/Fond du Lac Citizens’ Climate Education
-Earth Justice Now
-InterTribal Lake Winnebago Mayom ~ Wild Rice Revitalization Project
-ParkWatch for Greenway Arboretum, Bird City Fond du Lac, and Water Warriors Monitoring Team
-Fond du Lac County Historical Society
-The Arc Fond du Lac, Inc.
-Twisted Warrior Yoga
-Fond du Lac County Land and Water Conservation Dept.
-Native Niche (restoration services, tools, and plants)
-Local Legacy (native plant information and plants for sale)
-Prairie Revival (ecological services)
LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC from Edward Uttendorfer  from 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. (sponsored by Fond du Lac Area Foundation)

NATURE INSPIRED ART AND FOOD TO PURCHASE 8:00 a.m.-noon

-Hand-carved birds, mystical cottonwood bark houses from Joe Longo
-Hand painted drawings and crafts from Mary’s Crafts
-Nature inspired wood burns from The Wooden Well
-Bakery, ice cold brew coffee, lemonade from Ripon Dough Company

GUIDED TOURS & YOGA

8:00 a.m. Yoga in the Prairie Featuring Lucy Mathers, Twisted Warrior

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. – Guided mindful nature walk with Kelsey Beine, Lead with Light.  Explore two different techniques to help you connect more deeply with nature – a mindful walk and walking meditation. Both invite you to use your senses to see, smell, hear, and feel the natural beauty around you. All are welcome!
10:00 a.m.: Native Plant ID Walk-Learn about native plants and how to identify them with Amanda Abramovich, Local Legacy LLC

 

NATURE POP-UP TALKS (20-30 mins):

-9:30 a.m.
Nifty Natives for Your Yard –  Margie’s Favorites.   Friends of the Gottfried board member, Margie Winter, will share some great native plant choices for your home landscape.  Colorful native prairie plants can thrive in your yard and create a pocket of habitat for birds, butterflies and pollinators.

-10:00 a.m.
Marsh Haven Nature Center presentation at booth – Wildlife of Marsh Haven

-10:30 a.m
So Many Legs! from Jackie Scharfenberg, retired DNR Environmental Educator/Naturalist.   6, 8, 14, 20, 100+ Why so many legs? As we sweep, poke and dig through the fields, we’ll uncover what creatures have so many legs and try to figure out why.

 

OTHER FUN KIDS ACTIVITIES from 8:00 a.m.-noon:

-Face/arm painting by Renee

-Kids arts and crafts featuring prairie hats and flower bracelets

-The Backyard Bug activity book for kids (limited supply, sponsored by the Fond du Lac Evening Optimists)
-Chalk zone
-Big bubbles

**FEATURE ENTERTAINMENT**   Join us for  Randy Peterson’s high energy concert at 11:15 a.m.  His shows are a fast-moving mix of music, humor and storytelling that are geared for kids, but which all ages enjoy!  (sponsored by the Fond du Lac Evening Optimists)

For a video about Prairie Fest, check out the overall event page, first event post about all our events.

 

Details

Date:
August 1
Time:
8:00 am - 12:00 pm UTC-4
Event Category:
Event Tags:
, , , , , , ,

Organizer

Friends of Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum

Venue

Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum
400 University Drive
Fond du Lac, WI 54935 United States + Google Map
Phone
9209042009