"It's a side walk, not a side bike." That's how Mike Fray, owner of Designerz Downtown, put it to WFRV in mid-October. Crews had just started painting bright blue circles on downtown Kaukauna's sidewalks that tell anyone on wheels to get off and walk.
The stencils went in during October, but the blocks they cover belong to December. The streets with the new markings are the same ones the holiday calendar is about to fill. Last year's Christmas parade route ended on Second Street, a Girls Night Out is set for a studio on Second Street, and Santa's post-parade cookies are served a short walk away. Over the next five weeks, more people will be on these sidewalks on foot than at any other time, and the city has just painted that expectation onto the concrete.
What the Blue Circles Ask, and Where They Came From
The City of Kaukauna's October 14 notice describes the markings as prompts painted in several downtown pedestrian zones. They ask people on bikes, skateboards, kick scooters and similar wheels to dismount where foot traffic is heavy, to lower the chance of collisions with pedestrians. WFRV reported that the zones include parts of Second and Third streets, and that the city's engineering, police and street departments worked on the project together. Kaukauna Community News covered the rollout the same week.
Assistant Police Chief Kory Krueger told WFRV that the circles are "a gentle reminder" for riders to get off their bicycles and walk them. He also said officers try to stop "one or two per day" to give educational reminders, mostly warnings rather than tickets. The same report links the push to e-bikes becoming more common, especially among students heading to and from school. Fray described the after-school rush as the moment the sidewalk fills with walkers and riders at once.
The paint is new, but the policy behind it took more than a year. A Legislative Committee discussion on June 16, 2025, led to an e-device subcommittee that looked at e-bikes, scooters and similar devices. The subcommittee's February 2026 minutes record students' concerns about sidewalk conflicts and road safety. That work fed into Ordinance 1954-2026, which replaces Municipal Code §7.09. Residents can read the full text and the city attorney's explanation in the city's ordinance memo.
The Parade Already Knows Second Street
The 37th Electric City Christmas Parade is on the city calendar for Tuesday, December 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. This year's theme is "Holiday Movie Magic." After the parade, Santa hosts cookies and hot chocolate in the Community Room at the Streets, Parks and Recreation Building, known as the SPaR Building.
Last year's parade, held on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, followed this route:
- Start at Wisconsin Avenue and Depot Street
- Southeast on Wisconsin Avenue
- South on Highway 55, which is Crooks Avenue
- East on Second Street to Reaume Avenue
That route used Second Street as its final stretch. It's one of the streets WFRV named for the new stencils. The city's events page says event details can change and should be checked close to the date, so look up the 2026 route on kaukauna.gov the week of the parade.
The First Deadline Comes Before Thanksgiving
Groups that want to be in the parade have less time than the December date suggests. The city says float entries must be in by Friday, November 13, 2026. That's eight days from today, Thursday, November 5. The entry form is on the city's Community Enrichment and Recreation page, and the city asks entrants to decorate their floats and bring holiday music. A "Holiday Movie Magic" theme gives a business, team, church group or block of neighbors plenty to work with, but it also takes some lead time to build.
Five Weeks on the Same Few Blocks
From the float deadline to the last day of the Santa mailbox, the season's dated events fall within four weeks.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mon.–Thu., Nov. 9–12 | Second round of city leaf collection | Citywide |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Christmas parade float entry deadline | Entry form on kaukauna.gov |
| Mon., Nov. 23 – Fri., Dec. 11 | Santa letter mailbox | SPaR Building |
| Tue., Dec. 1, 6–8 p.m. | 37th Electric City Christmas Parade, then cookies and hot chocolate with Santa | Downtown, then SPaR Building Community Room |
| Wed., Dec. 2, 5–7 p.m. | Girls Night Out with boutique shopping | The Space on Second, 127 E. Second St. |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 11 a.m.–noon | Happy Holiday Crafts, free, preregistration required | 1000 Islands Environmental Center, 1000 Beaulieu Court |
Most of these events sit within a few blocks of each other. The Space on Second is a studio and event-rental venue at 127 E. Second Street, on the street where last year's parade finished. Its Girls Night Out falls the evening after the parade. The Santa mailbox and the post-parade cookies are both at the SPaR Building, so a family can mail a letter one week and meet Santa there the next.
Getting Around Downtown on Foot
The city's own layout is built for walking these blocks. The Kaukauna farmers market sets up at 101 Crooks Avenue, in a public lot along the canal behind the south side of the Second Street business district. The city notes that walking trails and bridges connect to it. That lot sits on Crooks Avenue, the same street last year's parade used to reach Second Street, which makes the canal edge a natural place to come and go on foot.
At the other end of last year's route, Kaukauna Coffee & Tea is at 127 W. Wisconsin Avenue, the street where the 2025 parade lined up. Its website lists current hours, so check them before planning a warm-up stop on parade night.
For families who bike downtown, the blue circles mark where the city asks riders to get off and walk in heavy foot traffic. Krueger told WFRV that the aim is a reminder to walk bicycles and e-bikes through the business area. On a parade night, with families standing along the curb, there's even less sidewalk to share.
The Week After the Parade
December doesn't wind down after the floats pass. The day after the parade, The Space on Second hosts its Girls Night Out from 5 to 7 p.m., with boutique shopping on the schedule. That Saturday, December 5, the 1000 Islands Environmental Center at 1000 Beaulieu Court runs free Happy Holiday Crafts from 11 a.m. to noon. Preregistration by email or phone is required, so book a spot before the parade week gets busy. The Santa mailbox at the SPaR Building stays open through Friday, December 11, which leaves time for kids who decide after meeting Santa that their list needs an update.
Before any of that, one chore is left. The city's first leaf collection round runs November 2 through 5, and a second round follows November 9 through 12.
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