Kiki’s Delivery Service Friday 9/26 | Marathon County Public Library, Wausau
Join the Marathon County Public Library for a showing of the Studio Ghibli classic Kiki’s Delivery Service, the story of a young witch named Kiki who decides to start a delivery service with her cat Jiji. 1 p.m. Free and open to the public. Call 715-261-7230 for more info.
Mars, the Ultimate Voyage Sunday 9/28 | UW-Stevens Point Allen F. Blocher Planetarium
Imagine the challenges and discoveries ahead as humans prepare for a journey to Mars. Includes a 25-minute presentation focusing on the current night sky of Central Wisconsin, including bright stars, planets and constellations. Free, but donations appreciated. 2 p.m.
Tour de Marathon County Saturday 9/27 | Tour starts at Greenheck Turner Community Center Maintenance Building, Wausau
Hop on a motorcoach and head east to Ringle, Hatley, Elderon, Bevent and Mosinee with the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks. Learn the history of each community and the role each played in the history of Marathon County, meeting with local history experts at each stop who will take you deeper into the history of the people, businesses and culture of each community. Each participant will receive a goody bag. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at Janke Book Store. Cash and check only. For more information, visit https://wausauhistoriclandmarks.org/tour-de-marathon-county, email the Friends at wausaulandmarks@gmail.com or call Christine at 715-212-9922.
Worldwide Day of Play @ Food + Farm Exploration Center Saturday 9/27 | Food + Farm Exploration Center, Plover
To celebrate the Worldwide Day of Play, a day dedicated to experiencing joyful learning through play, the Food + Farm Exploration Center will be hosting a day full of interacting activities designed to spark imagination, movement and fun for all ages. Activities include potato sack races, face painting, making a pollinator for the wind tunnel, building a shed or tractor in the Seedlings Gallery and more. General admission $12; senior tickets $11; youth tickets (ages 12–17) $8; child tickets (ages 3–11) $6. Members can attend for free with year-round access, but anyone planning to attend is encouraged to reserve tickets in advance. Open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, visit explorefoodandfarm.org.
Saber Showdown
Friday 9/26 | Aspirus YMCA, Weston
The Wausau Guardians’ fifth-ever tournament promises to be a spectacle unlike any they’ve held before. On top of lightsaber duels between characters like Star Lord and Deadpool — featuring as much witty banter as you’d expect from those two — there will also be a booth by lightsaber company Rebel Sabers where you can build your own duel-ready LED saber to take home. Free to attend and watch, though if you want to build a custom lightsaber, you can expect to spend around $100 or more. 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Central Wisconsin Book Festival Thurs–Sat 9/25–27 | Event locations at www.mcpl.uw/cwbf
Back for its ninth year, this year’s Central Wisconsin Book Festival lineup includes Wisconsin-native author and humorist Michael Perry; Last One Seen author Rebecca Kanner; A Forty Year Kiss author Nickolas Butler; and Indigenous author Jon Hickey, whose debut novel Big Chief shares tribal politics and insights. There will also be a creative short story-writing workshop for ages seven–13 hosted by author EC Quinn. All festival events are free to attend, with no registration required, although registration is recommended for the children’s creative writing workshop as space is limited. For more information, including a complete schedule with event locations, dates and times, visit www.mcpl.us/cwbf or look for the Central Wisconsin Book Festival on Facebook or Instagram.
Fall Fest Saturday 10/4 | Wesley Methodist United Church, Wausau
Wesley UMC promises “something for everyone” at Fall Fest, a market featuring local crafters, vintage items, collectibles, fair trade coffee, eggrolls, Christmas and holiday decor and more. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Pam and Scott from Spotlight Polka will play from noon–1 p.m. For more information, call or text 715-352-0822.
Land Rich, Cash Poor with Author Brian Reisinger Friday 9/26 | Timekeeper Lounge & Distillery, Wausau
As part of this year’s Central Wisconsin Book Festival, Timekeeper Lounge and Distillery will host a talk by award-winning author and former Wausau journalist Brian Reisinger on his book Land Rich, Cash Poor, which discusses the crisis of disappearing family farms across Wisconsin and the rest of the country. Reisinger will speak, share stories from the book and answer questions on how losing farms affects the food supply of every American, our environment and more. 5:15–6:15 p.m. Free and open to adults and young adults. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. For more information, contact the Marathon County Public Library at 715-261-7230 or visit https://mcpl.us/event/cwbf-land-rich-cash-poor-with-author-brian-reisinger.
Raise the Mic: Chords for a Cause Saturday 9/27 | The Bar, Rothschild
Get ready for a high-energy night of live country music and karaoke fun, featuring Nashville recording artist Brooks Herring, gift raffles and fun activities to raise money and collect essential items for the Wausau/Marathon County Shelter. Live music 6–9 p.m.; karaoke dance party 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Free to attend, with the concert portion open to all ages. If you are interested in donating, call or text 715-581-5476. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/share/1B4xYRXKR3.
Pull out your lederhosen and dirndls for this event at the newly opened Bull Falls Brewing Co., featuring a best-dressed contest on Saturday and three days of music, extended hours and food trucks. Mattea Joy plays Friday from 6–9 p.m. Saturday’s lineup features Tom Mijal’s Polka Access Band from 12–3 p.m. and Knockpoint from 5–9 p.m. On Sunday, R&R plays from 1–4 p.m. For a more complete schedule, visit Bull Falls Brewing Co.’s Facebook page.
The Marathon County Literacy Council (McLit) will be holding its second-annual Adult Spelling Bee soon enough. This event is as much a fun challenge as it is a fundraiser, with all proceeds going to help McLit promote literacy in the community by buying new textbooks, updating computers and keeping their building a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who walks through their door. Tickets cost $7 online or $10 at the door. 6–7:30 p.m. For more information, visit https://mclitofwausau.org.
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