Oshkosh, WI

EAA AirVenture makes aviation unusually visible in Oshkosh for one week each summer. The Experimental Aircraft Association's 73rd fly-in convention ran July 20-26, 2026, at Wittman Regional Airport, with an event schedule encompassing more than 1,500 workshops, forums, and other sessions and more than 1,200 exhibitors. The city itself grew from water and timber rather than flight. The Fox River crosses Oshkosh at the western shore of Lake Winnebago, a position that supported fur trading, milling, and a nineteenth-century lumber boom. At its early-1870s peak, the industry included 24 sawmills, 15 shingle mills, and seven sash-and-door companies, earning Oshkosh the name “Sawdust City.” The settlement chose the name Oshkosh in 1839 in honor of the Menominee chief and incorporated as a city in 1853. Its population changed modestly from 66,816 in 2020 to an estimated 67,460 in 2025. AirVenture is seasonal, but the EAA Aviation Museum keeps flying history, aircraft displays, and youth education available throughout the year.

Water supplies an equally persistent part of local life. The Fox River Riverwalk has transient docks, fishing space, and benches, while the city parks department manages boat launches, Leach Amphitheater, Pollock Community Water Park, and shoreline parks. Menominee Park on Lake Winnebago includes a free seasonal zoo whose eight acres hold 30 to 50 animals and receive more than 100,000 visits in a typical year. In May 2026, a community-funded trackless train restored another long-running family attraction beside the zoo and playground. Summer park programming in 2026 included food-truck gatherings and a rotating Brews by the Waterside series with local music and games at Menominee and Rainbow parks. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh adds a second major calendar of classes, athletics, and campus activity; fall 2025 enrollment across its programs approached 12,500.