Hey Hey 5K Door County: Best Places to Stay Nearby

The Hey Hey 5K in Door County starts and finishes at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom in Baileys Harbor at 9 a.m., with the 2026 race set for Saturday, September 26. If you're driving in from Central Wisconsin, book a cabin or vacation rental well before packet pickup opens on Friday, September 25, since Baileys Harbor's small footprint fills fast on race weekend.

Key Takeaways

• The 2026 Hey Hey 5K starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom in Baileys Harbor, with Friday packet pickup from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday morning pickup from 7 to 7:45 a.m.
• Adult registration for 2026 runs $30 from May 25-31, $35 from June 1 through August 31, and $40 from September 1 through race day, according to the official event site.
• The course is a 3.1-mile loop through Baileys Harbor's back roads with one aid station near the midpoint and chip timing for every registered runner.
• Runners looking for space and post-race recovery amenities beyond a standard motel room have strong options managed by Clear Trail Properties in Central Wisconsin's Sand Valley and Lake Petenwell corridor, a multi-hour drive from Door County that works well as a trip-extension stop rather than a same-weekend swap.
• Door County itself has properties like Spruce and Shore Motel, High Point Inn, and Parkwood Lodge, which serve endurance-event travelers with amenities such as full kitchens and fireplaces.
• Wisconsin tourism reached a record 117.9 million visits in 2026, according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, meaning race weekends in popular destinations book up faster than they did even a few years ago.

If you're mapping out logistics for the Hey Hey 5K, you're likely juggling two separate questions: how the race actually runs on race morning, and where to sleep the night before so you're not scrambling for parking along Highway 57 at 8:45 a.m. This guide answers both, with the kind of specific detail that generic event pages skip.

We manage vacation rentals across Central Wisconsin and Northern Michigan at Clear Trail Properties, and race weekends are one of the most common reasons groups reach out to us for a Central Wisconsin base camp before continuing east to Door County, or for a standalone golf-and-lake weekend that mirrors the same small-town energy Baileys Harbor has on Hey Hey 5K weekend. We don't manage any properties in Door County itself, so below you'll find the official race details, a rundown of Baileys Harbor lodging as background, and a closer look at how Central Wisconsin's Sand Valley and Lake Petenwell corridor works as an extended-trip destination for the same type of traveler.

When Is the Hey Hey 5K and What Time Does It Start?

The Hey Hey 5K takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, with the race starting at 9 a.m. at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom in Baileys Harbor. Packet pickup runs Friday, September 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the taproom, with a second pickup window Saturday morning from 7 to 7:45 a.m. before the gun goes off.

Beers start pouring at 8:25 a.m. on race morning, according to the official event site, so you'll find the taproom already in full pre-race mode if you arrive for the Saturday pickup window. If you're staying more than fifteen minutes away, plan to arrive by 7:15 or 7:30 a.m. to account for parking along Highway 57 and the walk to the start line.

Registration pricing for 2026 follows a tiered structure. Adult entries cost $30 from May 25-31, $35 from June 1 through August 31, and $40 from September 1 through race day, including on-site registration. Ages 6-14 register for $20, and children 5 and under can participate free but won't receive chip timing, a bib, or a shirt unless separately registered. Register by September 1 to guarantee your shirt size.

What Does the Hey Hey 5K Course Look Like?

The Hey Hey 5K course is a 3.1-mile loop through the back roads of Baileys Harbor, starting and finishing at Door County Brewing Co. on Highway 57 in the center of town. The route includes one water-and-Gatorade aid station near the halfway mark, with additional water and Gatorade waiting at the finish line.

Parking is available along Highway 57, though race organizers don't designate a specific lot, which means arriving early is the difference between a short walk and a long one. The course is chip-timed for every registered runner, and Door County Brewing Co. provides awards to the top three overall male and female finishers, plus special recognition for runners 14 and under.

Every registered runner receives a Hey Hey 5K T-shirt and a Door County Brewing Co. pint glass, redeemable for a free beer at the taproom after the race. The event also offers a free beer or root-beer float at the taproom before the start, with the custard supplied by Harbor Custard. This pre-race tradition remains one of the event's signature touches, and it's part of why the race draws families and casual runners alongside serious 5K competitors.

Why Is the Hey Hey 5K Named After Freddie Kodanko?

The Hey Hey 5K takes its name from Freddie Kodanko, a beloved Baileys Harbor figure known as the Polka King. Kodanko also inspired Door County Brewing Co.'s Polka King Porter, a beer that connects the race's local roots directly to its presenting sponsor's taproom.

This backstory is part of what separates the Hey Hey 5K from a generic road race. The inaugural run drew 160 participants as part of Baileys Harbor's Autumnfest celebration, and the field has grown substantially since. A more recent running of the race drew a record field of 441 runners, according to the official event news archive, a sign that a short, approachable course paired with a strong community story has real staying power.

For visitors unfamiliar with Door County's small-town character, this is a useful data point. Baileys Harbor isn't built around a single resort attraction. It's a working harbor community where a brewery-sponsored 5K named after a local polka legend can grow from 160 to over 400 runners without losing its neighborhood feel.

Soak under the stars, dine on the deck, and unwind in a peaceful wooded setting made for easy cabin living. · Sherwood Shores Cabin

How Does Autumnfest Weekend Fit Around the Hey Hey 5K?

Autumnfest is Baileys Harbor's fall community celebration, and the Hey Hey 5K has historically run as part of that broader weekend of programming. The race itself only takes about 30-45 minutes for most participants, so building a fuller weekend itinerary around it makes the trip worth the drive for out-of-town visitors.

A practical Friday-to-Sunday framework looks like this: arrive Friday afternoon or evening and hit the 6-9 p.m. packet pickup at Door County Brewing Co., which doubles as a chance to scope out the taproom before race-morning crowds arrive. Saturday morning is race day, with post-race beer and Autumnfest activities filling the rest of the afternoon. Sunday becomes a recovery day, ideal for exploring nearby Door County towns before heading home.

If you're traveling from Central Wisconsin or the Fox Valley, this three-day structure also works as a bookend trip: spend Thursday and Friday near Sand Valley Golf Resort or Lake Petenwell, then continue northeast to Baileys Harbor for the race. It's a longer drive, but it turns a single 3.1-mile race into a full golf-and-running getaway.

What Are the Best Lodging Options for Hey Hey 5K Weekend?

The strongest lodging strategy for Hey Hey 5K weekend is booking a property within a short drive of Baileys Harbor's Highway 57 corridor, since packet pickup, the race start, and post-race festivities all happen at the same taproom location. If you want more space than a standard motel room, plus a kitchen for pre-race breakfast and post-race recovery meals, look at vacation rental options rather than defaulting to the first hotel search result.

Door County has several established lodging names worth knowing. Spruce and Shore Motel, located at 9479 Spruce Street in Fish Creek, explicitly welcomes runners and dogs for Hey Hey 5K weekend and sits within Door County's broader event circuit. High Point Inn in Ephraim offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites with fireplaces and in-room whirlpools, which suits families or small groups wanting to cook rather than eat out every meal. Parkwood Lodge, on ten wooded acres near Peninsula State Park, has lodge rooms, an indoor pool, and a bonfire pit, features that work well for runners who want to unwind without leaving the property.

If you're building a longer Wisconsin trip around race weekend, particularly a golf-focused trip or a family trip that wants a home base with more room, Central Wisconsin's Sand Valley and Lake Petenwell corridor offers a different kind of lodging experience, and it's worth understanding before you lock in a single-city itinerary. To be direct about it: we manage properties in that Central Wisconsin corridor, not in Door County, so treat the section below as an add-on leg of your trip rather than a substitute for staying near Baileys Harbor on race night.

Privately Managed Vacation Rentals: Space and Local Service Beyond Baileys Harbor

Clear Trail Properties manages a portfolio of cabins, chalets, and lakefront homes across Nekoosa, Rome, Wausau, and Minocqua, Wisconsin, giving runners and their travel companions a fundamentally different lodging option than a standard motel room. A Clear Trail property gives your whole group a full kitchen and private outdoor space, often including a hot tub for legs that need it after 3.1 miles or a full weekend of activity. Properties like Chalet on the Fairway sleep up to 8 across three bedrooms with soaring chalet-style ceilings, while Wildwood Retreat sleeps up to 12 with a private hot tub and infrared sauna built specifically for recovery after outdoor exertion.

This matters for race travelers because local, on-the-ground management teams in Wausau, Rome, and Minocqua handle communication and maintenance directly rather than routing everything through a call center, so a question about early check-in or a hot tub issue gets answered by someone who actually knows the property. Booking directly with an owner-operated company also means your group isn't splitting a nightly rate across three separate hotel rooms just to get everyone under one roof. If your Hey Hey 5K trip is part of a bigger Wisconsin swing that includes golf at Sand Valley or a lake weekend at Petenwell, this is the lodging category worth starting with.

Compare that to the two other lodging categories most travelers consider. Resort hotels near Door County, such as those clustered around Sister Bay and Fish Creek, offer front-desk service and daily housekeeping, which suits travelers who want zero logistics but typically means paying for multiple rooms if your group exceeds four people. Standalone bed-and-breakfasts offer a personal touch but rarely include full kitchens or space for groups larger than a couple, making them a better fit for a quiet romantic weekend than a runner's group trip.

Which Central Wisconsin Vacation Rentals Actually Stand Out for a Road Trip?

The strongest Central Wisconsin vacation rentals for a Hey Hey 5K road trip combine group-sized sleeping capacity with recovery amenities like hot tubs and full kitchens, all within a short drive of Sand Valley Golf Resort and Lake Petenwell. Below are the standout properties in the Clear Trail Properties portfolio worth considering if your race weekend extends into a broader Wisconsin trip.

Hidden on the 17th Hole backs directly onto The Pines Golf Course and sleeps up to 8 across four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The property has a private 6-8 person hot tub and a full game room with pool table and ping pong, plus a small trail leading right onto the course, making it a natural pick for golf groups extending their trip toward Door County.

Animal Kingdom sits on Lake Petenwell with a private boat slip and two docks, offering a Scandinavian-style interior and a spa-inspired primary bathroom. It sleeps 8 across four bedrooms and puts guests just 10 minutes from Sand Valley, which pairs well with a multi-stop Wisconsin road trip that includes both golf and a run.

Tomahawk Trail is a new-construction, 5-bedroom retreat sleeping up to 18 guests, with a private hot tub for up to 6, a game room featuring shuffleboard and Golden Tee, and over 3,000 square feet of living space. It's the strongest option for large reunion groups or multi-family trips who don't want to split into separate lodging.

Westwind Pines is an A-frame cabin near Lake Petenwell with deeded lake access and shared dock privileges, sleeping up to 12 across three bedrooms plus a loft and basement sleeping area. Its wraparound porch makes it a comfortable spot to plan the next leg of a road trip over morning coffee.

Sherwood Shores Cabin sits directly on Lake Sherwood with a private dock, sand beach, and a 4-person hot tub, sleeping up to 8 across four bedrooms. It's a strong pick for couples or small families who want lakefront quiet without the size of a larger group property.

Wausau Chalet offers waterfront access with panoramic Rib Mountain views and sleeps up to 8 across three bedrooms. Its dedicated workspace and main-level laundry make it a solid choice for travelers combining a race weekend with remote work days before or after.

Queensway puts guests within 3 minutes of downtown Rome dining and access to five nearby lakes, sleeping up to 8 across three bedrooms with a private dock and included pedal boat and canoe. Brown Bear Cabin, sleeping 8 across four bedrooms, has a private 6-person hot tub and indoor mini putt-putt, ideal for a group that wants low-key entertainment without leaving the property. And Archer Place, the portfolio's largest option at 6 bedrooms and space for 17 guests, has a home theater and a hot tub, making it the pick for the biggest reunion or multi-family group.

Other properties worth a look include Pickles Cabin for smaller couples' trips, Sunset Getaway for families wanting a private beach and included kayaks, Feather Trail Guest House for its three-season porch, and Birdie Bunkhouse for its walkable access to local dining and nightlife near Rome.

Best experienced outdoors, where cozy fireside moments meet wide-open countryside calm. · Birdie Bunkhouse

How Far Is Door County From Central Wisconsin's Sand Valley Area?

Door County sits a multi-hour drive from the Nekoosa and Wausau areas, making it a separate destination rather than a quick add-on to a Sand Valley golf trip, though many travelers still combine both into a longer Wisconsin itinerary. Exact drive time depends on route and traffic, so plan a conservative 3.5 to 4.5-hour window between the Sand Valley corridor and Baileys Harbor, and build in a buffer if you're traveling on a Friday afternoon.

If you prioritize the run itself, stay in or immediately around Baileys Harbor for race weekend; that's the logistically simplest call. If you're treating the Hey Hey 5K as one stop on a longer Wisconsin road trip, spend two or three nights near Sand Valley or Lake Petenwell before continuing to Door County. That spreads the drive across multiple days and adds golf or lake time to the trip.

Wisconsin's tourism numbers back up why this kind of multi-stop trip planning has become more common. According to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, the state recorded 117.9 million visits in 2026, generating $27.0 billion in total economic impact, with lodging, including short-term rentals, accounting for $4.6 billion of visitor spending. As more travelers build multi-destination Wisconsin itineraries, understanding which regions pair well together matters more than treating each event or attraction as an isolated trip.

What Should Runners Know Before Booking Race-Weekend Lodging?

If you're booking lodging for the Hey Hey 5K, prioritize proximity to Highway 57 in Baileys Harbor, confirm parking access in advance, and check whether your property allows early check-in for Friday packet pickup. Because Baileys Harbor is a small town without large parking structures, arriving without a plan for where to park on Highway 57 is the most common logistics mistake race travelers make.

First, decide whether you're prioritizing walkability to the start line or space and amenities. A motel room within walking distance saves you the parking question entirely, but a vacation rental ten to fifteen minutes away, run by a company that answers questions directly rather than through a corporate call center, often gives your group more room to spread out before and after the race.

Second, confirm your property's pet policy if you're bringing a dog, since the Spruce and Shore Motel explicitly welcomes dogs for race weekend, but not every Door County property does. Third, check whether your property has laundry and a full kitchen if you're staying multiple nights, since eating out for every meal in a small town during a busy event weekend can mean longer waits than expected.

Finally, if your trip includes both the Hey Hey 5K and a stop in Central Wisconsin's Sand Valley or Lake Petenwell area, book that portion of your lodging separately and well in advance. Properties managed by Clear Trail Properties in Nekoosa and Rome often fill up during peak Wisconsin travel months given the region's growing golf and lake tourism.

What Other Door County Running and Cycling Events Should Runners Know About?

Door County hosts additional endurance events beyond the Hey Hey 5K, organized primarily by Peninsula Pacers, the same organization behind the Hey Hey 5K. Peninsula Pacers also produces the Door County Half Marathon and the Peninsula Century bicycle rides, giving repeat visitors several reasons to return to the region throughout the year.

If you're planning a return trip for the Door County Half Marathon, you'll find a similarly organized lodging ecosystem, with properties like High Point Inn and Parkwood Lodge appearing on that race's official lodging page alongside amenity details and shuttle-stop information. This kind of race-specific lodging directory is common in Door County's running community. Check each event's official site directly rather than relying on general search results, since packet pickup times, course routes, and lodging recommendations can shift year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the Hey Hey 5K start?

The Hey Hey 5K starts at 9 a.m. at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom in Baileys Harbor. Race-morning packet pickup runs from 7 to 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, and beers begin pouring at the taproom at 8:25 a.m., so expect a lively pre-race atmosphere if you arrive right at the start time.

How much does it cost to register for the Hey Hey 5K?

For 2026, adult registration costs $30 from May 25-31, $35 from June 1 through August 31, and $40 from September 1 through race day. Ages 6-14 register for $20, and children 5 and under can run free but won't receive a bib, chip timing, or shirt unless separately registered.

What county is Nekoosa, WI in?

Nekoosa, Wisconsin is located in Wood County. It sits in the Lake Petenwell and Sand Valley Golf Resort corridor of Central Wisconsin, a multi-hour drive from Door County, making it a common stopover for travelers building a longer Wisconsin road trip that includes golf, lake activities, and events further east.

Where should I park for the Hey Hey 5K?

Parking for the Hey Hey 5K is available along Highway 57 in Baileys Harbor, near the Door County Brewing Co. taproom. The event doesn't designate a specific lot, so arriving at least 30 to 45 minutes before the 9 a.m. start improves your odds of finding a close spot.

Is the Hey Hey 5K course flat or hilly?

The Hey Hey 5K follows a 3.1-mile loop through the back roads of Baileys Harbor, described by the official event site as an approachable route suitable for runners, walkers, and stroller-pushing families. One aid station sits near the halfway point, with water and Gatorade also available at the finish.

Can I bring my dog to the Hey Hey 5K?

Yes, based on how Door County lodging partners like Spruce and Shore Motel describe the event, the Hey Hey 5K welcomes dogs alongside runners and walkers. If you're bringing a pet, confirm your lodging's pet policy separately, since not every Door County property allows dogs.

What do runners receive for registering?

Every registered Hey Hey 5K runner receives a T-shirt and a Door County Brewing Co. pint glass, redeemable for a free beer at the taproom after the race. The event also offers a complimentary beer or root-beer float, made with custard from Harbor Custard, before the race begins.

Is there lodging near Sand Valley Golf Resort if I'm extending my Wisconsin trip?

Yes. Central Wisconsin's Sand Valley and Lake Petenwell corridor, a multi-hour drive from Door County, has a range of vacation rentals managed by Clear Trail Properties, including golf-adjacent cabins like Hidden on the 17th Hole and lakefront homes like Animal Kingdom, both within a short drive of Sand Valley Golf Resort.

Final Thoughts on Hey Hey 5K Weekend Planning

The Hey Hey 5K remains a straightforward, community-rooted race: a 3.1-mile loop, a 9 a.m. start at Door County Brewing Co., and a post-race beer that ties directly back to Baileys Harbor's Polka King history. Booking lodging close to Highway 57, confirming parking early, and building in time for Friday packet pickup covers most of what a first-time runner needs to know for 2026.

If your trip extends beyond Baileys Harbor into a broader Wisconsin swing, particularly one that includes golf at Sand Valley or lake time at Petenwell, the lodging decision gets more interesting. That's the kind of trip where a full-kitchen, multi-bedroom cabin with a hot tub and a local, on-the-ground management team makes more sense than piecing together separate hotel rooms.

Spend sunlit afternoons by the hot tub with shaded seating and plenty of green space to relax. · Hidden on the 17th Hole

Whether you're a runner extending a Hey Hey 5K trip into Central Wisconsin or planning a separate golf and lake getaway near Sand Valley and Nekoosa, Clear Trail Properties manages over 60 properties across the region, with local teams in Nekoosa, Rome, Wausau, and Minocqua ready to help you find the right fit. Reach out through the site to check availability for your next Wisconsin weekend.

Written by Ashley Lang, Owner, CEO at Clear Trail Properties