MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — In September 1962, a 20 lb piece of Russian Sputnik IV landed in Manitowoc— 62 years later, the city is celebrating this unique piece of history with Sputnikfest!
- The 16th annual Sputnikfest featured costumes, music, food and kids' activities.
- The event celebrates a unique piece of Manitowoc history: when a piece of Sputnik IV landed in the city.
- Proceeds from the event support the Rahr West Art Museum.
New friends Danica Baumann and Mary Hemechek say Sputnikfest is a great opportunity to show off their creativity.
"People are all around you, like, 'Hey, can I get a picture with you?' And it's just like, it's a really cool opportunity," Baumann said.
But it’s not just about costumes. Greg Vadney is the director of the Rahr West Art museum in Manitowoc and says all proceeds from the festival benefit the museum.
"It's a great way to bring the community members together to celebrate this oddity that happened, and also to support the Rahr West Art Museum," Vadney said.
The event also featured music, food, shopping and kids' activities.
"It’s neat how they incorporated the art for children, to get them into those different things," event attendee Stephen Newman said.
This is the 16th annual Sputnikfest, and Vadney says the event draws up to 2,000 people.
Money raised at the event will go toward Rahr West Museum programming throughout the year.
