Good morning, Wausau.

RiverWest Fest returns tonight on South 2nd Ave from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring beer gardens (food trucks, live music and a mini makers market) that celebrate local west side businesses.

Kari Sweeney will share her experience hiking the 102-mile Cotswold Way (6 to 7 p.m., Sept.

28 at Marathon County Public Library, 300 N. First St.). She will discuss her planning, training, and travel tips.

Three birds of prey (a kestrel, merlin, and red-tailed hawk) were released at Riverside Elementary on Friday to help students learn resilience after severe storms injured the birds and damaged nests; REGI (Raptor Education Group, Inc.) led the event to show how nature recovers as our community rebuilds.

A WalletHub report showed that Wisconsin’s average mortgage rate increased by 1.2 percentage points in the second quarter — reaching about 5.2% — and ranked fourth among states as home-buying conditions grew more challenging.

Drivers have faced closures on Marathon County NN and N since Sept.

23 for pavement repair work, with northbound ramps set to reopen before southbound closures follow. Expect traffic delays as crews continue repairs (work started at 9:10 a.m.).

Between Sept. 22 and Sept.

25, the state health department reported 21 new measles cases, raising the total to 192; five people were hospitalized, and cases in Marathon County (linked to out-of-state travel) were not part of the main outbreak.

Rib Mountain State Park began offering scenic chairlift rides on Sept.

25 that run through Oct. 25 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Guests can ride up to view fall foliage and explore the park trails and dining at the Historic Chalet.

Erickson Family Farm in Edgar opens its fall season by offering pumpkins, a sunflower maze with educational signs on sunflowers and bees (the last chance for the maze before blooms fade) and goat feeding with animal crackers.

Families are invited to explore these seasonal activities while supporting local farms.

Edgar's longtime football coach Jerry Sinz reached 500 career wins last week — a milestone celebrated quietly by players, alumni and community members during his 52-year tenure at the Wildcats.

Trailmates Snowmobile Club is hosting the 37th Grass Drags and Swap Meet Friday and Saturday at 140914 Stettin Drive in Marathon with over 40 classes of snowmobiles racing on a 4-lane, 500-foot track — vendors, flea market, food areas and RC practices round out the event.

The Cyclones host their home opener today at Marathon Park against the Fox Cities Forge with doors opening at 6:10 p.m. and puck drop one hour later, while new promotions include a free schedule magnet for the first 500 fans (a nod to the team's fresh season offerings).

Owl-Ween Fest

Swoop in to the Woodson Art Museum's Sculpture Garden for free, family-friendly art making activities inspired by our avian friends, including creating a puppet with visiting artist Hattie Grimm before joining the "bird parade" around the Museum at 3 pm. Enjoy pumpkin carving, bird feeder crafting, fall-themed snacks, and more surprises during Owl-Ween Fest, which will be held at the Glass Box Studio on the Museum campus in case of inclement weather.

Owl-Ween Fest

Swoop in to the Woodson Art Museum's Sculpture Garden for free, family-friendly art making activities inspired by our avian friends, including creating a puppet with visiting artist Hattie Grimm before joining the "bird parade" around the Museum at 3 pm. Enjoy pumpkin carving, bird feeder crafting, fall-themed snacks, and more surprises during Owl-Ween Fest, which will be held at the Glass Box Studio on the Museum campus in case of inclement weather.