Get a jump on holiday shopping by staying local with Harvest to Holiday Shopping Season

If you cringe at the idea of dealing with crowds at the big box stores, or aimlessly scrolling online stores while Christmas shopping, You can ditch all that with a new local shopping experience.

From September 25 through November 8, the Harvest to Holiday Shopping Season will offer a fresh, festive, and local way to kick off the gift-buying season—right here in Fond du Lac, Waupun, and Lake Winnebago’s East Shore.

This six-week event invites shoppers to Shop, Sip & Savor their way through over 90 local shops, boutiques, eateries, artisan studios, and more. Exclusive deals, fall-inspired treats, and prize-winning opportunities—including a region-wide $500 cash-payout Bingo game—make this more than a shopping trip, but rather an experience.

The Lake Winnebago East Shore, filled with vibrant fall color and escarpment views—stretches from Peebles to Sherwood, winding through New Holstein, Chilton, Hilbert, and Stockbridge. Boutiques, artisan businesses, specialty cheese shops, wineries, cozy restaurants, and lakeside charm await along every curve of this scenic route.

Waupun’s Main Street is lined with boutiques, gift shops, stylish home décor, art installations, and gathering spots, including a main street Brewery. Beyond the Downtown, you’ll find orchards, antiques, and sweet treats.

And in Fond du Lac, visitors can stroll a lively Downtown District filled with boutiques, a brewery, gift shops, and restaurants.

President of Destination Lake Winnebago Region Craig Molitor says “We are working to create a whole new season to highlight the incredibly robust shopping and dining culture in our region. “Initially we simply hosted a few shopping events, but we found the offerings in Waupun, Fond du Lac, and Lake Winnebago’s East Shore were too numerous to fit into a single event. What we have here is a brand new and entirely charming way to kick off the holiday shopping season.”

Molitor goes on to add There will be ways for shoppers to win prizes and score deals simply by enjoying a couple days of shopping local. Most notably is the super fun Bingo game formatted to encourage shoppers to visit all three communities, which features a surprisingly large $500 cash payout.