Featured Events
1. Labor Day Weekend at the Harley-Davidson Museum
ALL WEEKEND | HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM
The Harley-Davidson Museum is celebrating Labor Day with live music, food, drink and the annual Big Unit Poker Run. Stop by for food, discounts at the outlet store, concerts and more. More information on the weekend’s schedule is available on the Facebook event listing.
2. Wisconsin Highland Games
ALL WEEKEND | WAUKESHA COUNTY EXPO
Waukesha celebrates Scotland with this high-octane annual event. The Highland Games kick off on Friday with an opening ceremony, free to attend, followed by live music and dancing. Saturday and Sunday feature axe-throwing, dancing, a Celtic baking showdown and more. Tickets to the games are available for $21 online.
3. Third Ward Art Festival
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FROM 10 A.M.-5 P.M. | 345 N. BROADWAY
Artists are taking over the Third Ward this weekend. Over 200 juried artists will set up shop, selling paintings, drawings, ceramics and much more along Broadway. Entry is free, and there will be food and drink vendors and live music. Parents, bring your young ones to the festival’s Kid Zone, which features art bingo, spin art, sand sculptures and more, as well as a face-painting tent and a henna tent. Want to get in on the art-making yourself? There will be live painting classes through the weekend!
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
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4. Oak Creek LionsFest
ALL WEEKEND | AMERICAN LEGION POST 434
Hear live music from three stages at this annual celebration. The weekend kicks off with a Friday Fish Fry; Saturday is Family Day with face-painting and games; and on Sunday, the festival will host a car show. Monday, any veterans with ID can stop by for a free meal. Carnival rides, outdoor games, helicopter rides and more will be featured. One day wristbands are $30 each.
5. Dirtnap 25 – Dirtnap Records 25th Anniversary Fest
ALL WEEKEND | X-RAY ARCADE
Dirtnap Records is celebrating their 25th anniversary with live music all weekend long, including performances by Marked Men, Radioactivity and Mean Jeans. The full lineup is available online, and tickets can be purchased for individual days or a full weekend pass for $105.
6. Volkswagen Paint & Sip
THURSDAY FROM 5:30-7:30 P.M. | GIVING TREE GARAGE
Paint a Vintage Volkswagen at this laid-back night. You’ll receive step-by-step instruction for painting the pre-sketched canvas, and can enjoy drinks from The Giving Tree’s tap menu. The theme is hippie flower power, and the class will be outside, weather-permitting.
7. St. Vincent
THURSDAY AT 8 P.M. | THE RAVE
St. Vincent is headed to The Rave this weekend for her only Midwest show this tour. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is known for sharp and genre-bending sound and creative guitar playing. This show is suitable for all ages and general admission tickets are $65 each.
8. ‘Palimpsests + Memories: The Student to the Teacher’ Opening Reception
FRIDAY AT 5 P.M. | LATINO ARTS, INC.
This Walker’s Point gallery is celebrating its first exhibit of the fall season. Artist Celeste Contreras Skierski honors the teachers who have shaped her over the past three decades. The exhibit includes ink portraits, drawings and a film of her story. This event is free and open to all ages.
9. Screening of The Outsiders with C. Thomas Howell
FRIDAY AT 8 P.M. | TURNER HALL BALLROOM
C. Thomas Howell, who played Ponyboy in the classic-book-turned-film The Outsiders, will be telling stories of his time on set during a Q&A, joined by Darren Dalton, who played Randy Anderson. After the Q&A, they’ll screen the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film. Tickets start at $38.
10. Mom Prom
FRIDAY AT 6 P.M. | VENNTURE EAST
Calling all moms – Mom Prom is celebrating you during this hectic back-to-school season. Vennture will be serving spritz, frozen rosé, beer and NA drinks, and a food vendor will be on-site. The theme is garden party and registration is not required.
11. Resound Return: Open Mic
FRIDAY FROM 7-8 P.M. | WOODLAND PATTERN
Woodland Pattern is hosting a poetry open mic night to celebrate the last weekend of August. The space is open to everyone and the event is free to attend. Guests can register upon arrival and anyone is welcome to read.
12. IndiaFest Wisconsin
SATURDAY FROM 11 A.M.-8 P.M. | VILLAGE PARK, MENOMONEE FALLS
For over a decade, this festival has celebrated Indian culture with food, dance, music and more. Tickets are available online for $10.
13. Symphony in the Park: An American Celebration
SATURDAY FROM 5-6:30 P.M. | OLD FALLS VILLAGE HISTORICAL PARK
To celebrate the spirit of summer, the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra is playing music of the great American composers. The park’s beer garden will be open for a bite to eat and something to drink. This event is free to attend – guests should bring their own seating.
14. Midwest Mudfest
SUNDAY AT 6 P.M. | THE COOPERAGE
The second annual Mudfest brings bands, tattoos, water fights and mudwrestling to this wild event. Performing bands include Immortal Girlfriend and Mother Fortune. This event is 21+ and tickets are $25 each.
15. 1st Annual Labor Day All White Soul & R&B Concert
SUNDAY FROM 6-11:30 P.M. | PERKINS PRIVATE EVENT VENUE
Dress in your finest all-white outfit to celebrate Labor Day weekend with the sounds of soul and R&B. Performances by multiple artists – including Joe Jordan, Elle Renee and Terry Jeanes Jr. – will keep guests dancing all night long. Tickets are available online for $25.
16. Laborfest
MONDAY FROM 11A.M.-5 P.M. | HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK
This festival, put on by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, is one of the largest Labor Day celebrations in the country. It takes over the Summerfest grounds with live music, kid’s entertainment, wrestling, a classic car show, food and drink and more.
