1. Lakefront Festival of Art
ALL WEEKEND | MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
After a three-year hiatus, the Lakefront Festival of Art is back! Check out art by more than 100 artists from across the nation and make some of your own with hands-on activities for everyone. Enjoy local flavors from Pete’s Pops, Uyghur Grill and more while taking in worldwide sounds from artists spanning multiple genres performing all weekend.
2. Felipe Esparza
ALL WEEKEND | MILWAUKEE IMPROV
Stop by for a laugh with actor and comedian Felipe Esparza! Known for recurring roles on Netflix’s “Gentefied” and Adult Swim’s “The Eric Andre Show,” as well as selling out live stand-up performances in both Spanish and English across the country. He will be performing five shows over three nights at Milwaukee Improv.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Prism Youth Theatre Company presents The Hidden Strings
ALL WEEKEND | MENOMONEE RIVER PARKWAY
Grab a friend and join the Prism Youth Theatre Company this weekend as they explore what it means to be a little person in a big world in The Hidden Strings directed by Leo Madson. This free show will run through the weekend in the Menomonee River Parkway, reserved tickets are recommended but walk-ups are welcome.
4. InSite: Everyone is Welcome
FRIDAY AT 7:30 P.M. SATURDAY AT 4 AND 7:30 P.M. | FOREST HOME CEMETARY AND ARBORETUM
Join the Wild Space Dance Company in “Everyone is Welcome,” an exploration of cultural customs and Milwaukee’s diverse histories through choreographed performances by dancers of Black, Hmong, Taiwanese and Mexican heritage. Audiences can watch moving narratives representing rituals, traditions and cultural customs throughout the grounds of Forest Home Cemetery and Arboretum. Come before the performance to join Milwaukee Historian John Gurda on a talk about cemetery history.
5. MeatFest 2023
SATURDAY AT 8 A.M. | THE EXPLORIUM BREWPUB THIRD WARD
Ready for grilling season? Kick off the summer with Explorium Brewpub’s MeatFest this Saturday in the Third Ward. Participate in a grill-off by purchasing tasting tickets and judging contenders or bring your own cooking accessories and buy into the competition to show off your own pitmaster skills. Blues and R&B combo The Bourbon Jockeys will also be performing live music!
6. Backyard Bootcamp
SATURDAY FROM 10-11 A.M. | HART PARK
Break a sweat with Toned Body Fitness in Hart Park for their Backyard Bootcamp. Sign up and take part in a large outdoor experience where local fitness professionals will lead a 60-minute workout followed by a wellness expo. Stay for a good workout and stick around for free food and drinks, live music and raffle prizes and samples from local vendors.
7. Pet Walk MKE 2023
SATURDAY AT 10 A.M. | VETERANS PARK
This weekend is the Wisconsin Humane Society’s oldest and largest pet-friendly outdoor fundraiser. Pet lovers can join in on the active day with a 5K run/walk or a one-mile walk, followed by vendors, food trucks, a drink tent, live music from Betsy Ade & The Well-Known Strangers, dog activity courses and a doggie costume contest. Participants will receive a Pet Walk 2023 T-shirt and access to post-walk festivities. The fundraiser will benefit the animals who receive care and services through WHS.
8. Dancing Through Time
SATURDAY 11 A.M., 2 & 5 P.M. | SOUTH MILWAUKEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Head to the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center to catch the Danceworks Studio showcase “Dancing Through Time.” This showcase has three 80-minute showtimes, and seating is first come first serve, as there will be limited ticket availability on the day of the show.
9. Taco Fest
SATURDAY AT 11 A.M. | HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK – SOUTH GATE
This taco celebration will have plenty of delicious tacos and other food and beverage options from over 14 local vendors. Festival goers will get to vote for their favorite taco, as well as enjoy entertainment like karaoke, a Chihuahua beauty pageant and a wrestling match.
10. Sixteenth Street Bike Day
SATURDAY AT 11 A.M. | KOSCIUSZCO PARK
The Sixteenth Street community at Kosciuszco Park is hosting its annual bike day! Every year this event provides health education, bike giveaways, bike safety demonstrations and more to over 1,000 community members.
11. Milwaukee Hardcore Summer Jam Vol. 2
SATURDAY AT NOON| X-RAY ARCADE
Jam out with the X-Ray Arcade at their Hardcore Summer Jam Vol. 2, an explosive night full of live performances for all ages by local hardcore bands. Get there between 12-3 to catch a pop-up and receive free BBQ with the purchase of a ticket to the show. Acts will include bands such as Infamy, Mind Harvester, Subject 2 Change and more.
12. Art Hop Thru the 53212
SATURDAY AT 2 P.M. | 53212 AREA
Celebrate art and business at this event that combines a gallery night experience with a maker’s market throughout the 53212 zip code area. Participating businesses and breweries will feature gallery-style exhibits and vendors, and participants will be able to “hop” between by foot, bike on the Beerline Trail or buses provided by the Riverwest Brewery Syndicate.
13. Summer Spinz at Red Arrow Park
FRIDAY AT 5 P.M. | RED ARROW PARK
Roll into the season with Summer Spinz at Red Arrow Park. Roll Train MKE and Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 are bringing this new event to the park’s ice rink, which will be repurposed as a roller skating rink. The event will feature free skating lessons and DJ sets by Chicago’s DJ Bam and the Milwaukee Bucks’ DJ Shawna. There will also be food trucks, including Roll MKE, Jmakin’ Jamaican Kitchen & Grill and Chillwaukee.
14. Poetry + Music + Film with Bre Legan
SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. | WOODLAND PATTERN BOOK CENTER
Stop by Woodland Pattern Book Center on Saturday for an evening of poetry, music and film in celebration of Bre Legan, a Milwaukee creative and recipient of the Milwaukee Emerging Poet Fellowship. Maps will be handed out for a self-guided poetry walk around Riverwest to view Bre’s sidewalk poems project. There will be a reading by Bre and contributors to their sidewalk poems project, a live performance from Jorge Vallentine and the premiere of Bre’s short documentary exploring Milwaukee’s creative scene followed by a Q&A.
15. A Salute to Hip Hop
SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. | THE RIVERSIDE THEATRE
Celebrate 50 years of hip-hop at this show that will feature rapper, DJ, actress and entrepreneur Mc. Lyte. She’s considered a pioneer for women in rap and the first solo female rapper to release a full critically acclaimed album.
16. Saturday Night Movies at Veterans Park
SATURDAY 9 P.M. | VETERANS PARK
Stop by Gift of Wings Kite Store at Veterans Park to kick off its Movie Night Summer Series. The series will begin with an airing of Top Gun: Maverick and there will be hot food, beverages and $1 popcorn. This will be the first of multiple film showings at Veterans Park this summer.
17. Father’s Day at the Zoo
SUNDAY AT 9:30 A.M. | MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO
Dads receive free admission to the Milwaukee County Zoo on Father’s Day. Celebrate with some of the zoo’s animal fathers like Seamus the prehensile-tailed porcupine, or Ringo the harbor seal. Prairie Farms Dairy will also be handing out free samples.
18. History Walk at Lake Park
SUNDAY AT 1 P.M. | LAKE PARK MARCIA COLES COMMUNITY ROOM
Tag along with Lake Park’s History Committee on this educational walk through the area to interpret its history. The group will make use of old maps and photographs to aid their understanding of the area. The walk will highlight the history of many of the park’s buildings, bridges and statues.
19. Keg Stand Up at Lakefront Brewery
SUNDAY AT 6:30 P.M. | LAKEFRONT BREWERY
Stop by the Lakefront Brewery for some dinner and a night of comedy at the Keg Stand Up. During this night the space will be transformed into a comedy club atmosphere complete with plenty of food and drinks for all.
