It is the world’s largest musical festival, but sometimes you just need a break from the soggy, beer-spilling, stumbling crowds that populate Summerfest. The music and the people watching are always supreme, but this year you do have an extra day of the fest to soak it all in, so why not enjoy other events this weekend? Here are just a few:
1. U.S. Open Table Tennis Championship: June 30-July 4 at the Frontier Airlines Center (400 W. Wisconsin Ave.).
Milwaukee is hosting the U.S. Open?! No, not that one. But this U.S. Open is also a premier event for tennis – table tennis that is. Over 700 athletes from 15 countries will be there showing off their ping-pong skills. Admission for single day passes are $5, a single pass for Monday (which includes semifinals) is $20 or a four-day tournament pass is $25.
The official opening party for the tourney is at Milwaukee’s only table tennis bar, Spin (233 E. Chicago St.) on Wednesday June 29. Watch some of the greatest players in the country duke it out for cold hard cash. First prize is $400 and second is $100. Games begin at 8 p.m.
2. Friday Fish Fry/Beer and Brats Edelweiss Boat Cruises: July 1 and 2 on the Milwaukee River.
You can’t get any more “Sconnie” than fried fish, beer and brats. Edelweiss Boat tours are a great change of pace and a fun way to see the city. The Friday Fish Fry cruise begins every Friday, 5:30 p.m. at Port of Call Bistro & Beer Garden (106 W. Wells St.) The 90-minute cruise departs from the restaurant at 7 p.m. and has a cash bar on board. Call (414) 276-7447 to book your tickets or for more information.
Like brats better? The afternoon Beer and Brats cruise includes all-you-can-eat brats and a Milwaukee micro-brew while cruising through downtown and past the lakefront. This cruise goes from 3-4:30 p.m. and departs from 205 W. Highland Ave. Click here to make reservations.
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| Crossroads. Photo courtesy of the Haggerty Art Museum. |
3. Crossroads: exhibit on display through July 30 at 27th and Wells St.
An extension exhibit hosted by Marquette’s Haggerty Art Museum features window installations by Wisconsin artists Hans Gindlesberger, Rafael Francisco Salas, Michael Velliquette and Rina Yoon. The site-specific installations focus on neighborhood reinvention and revitalization, while aiming to drum up community pride and increase the visibility of the neighborhood. For information contact (414) 288-5915.
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| Cropper and Morris sculpture. Photo courtesy of Roy Staab. |
4. Inside/Outside: Amy Cropper + Stuart Morris: exhibit through August 10 at the Lynden Sculpture Garden.
Get out of the city all together and head to River Hills to see the magnificent 40-acre Lynden Sculpture Garden (2145 West Brown Deer Rd.), which has been renovated and opened to the public since 2009 with more than 50 massive sculptures in the permanent collection. Cropper and Morris examine the relationships between art and nature in their first collaborative effort with Lynden Sculpture Garden entitled Inverse. Their sculptures mix natural and man-made materials provoking viewers to re-contextualize these altered elements among art. But really, don’t overthink it. The gardens are also a perfect spot for a picnic. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, students and children, and children under 6 are free with an adult. There are docent-led tours on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. for a higher ticket price.
Summer hours are as follows:
Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Closed
Saturday, Sunday: 12-5 pm
5. Bradford Beach Bonfire Music series and Sunday Funday: June 30 and July 3.
Circle ‘round three large bonfire pits and dig your toes in the sand as you watch the sun set over the lake. Ahhh…you can’t beat the beach. The free Bradford Beach Bonfire Music series runs every Thursday through September 15th and starts at 6:30 p.m. Happy hour specials are available at the Tikki Hut from 5-7p.m. Catch Andrew Gelles Band on Thursday, June 30.
And just in case you didn’t consume enough alcohol Friday and Saturday, Sunday has become the new day to party. Sunday Funday at Bradford Beach offers drink specials, beach Blanket Bingo, coed beach volleyball (4 vs. 4), table tennis and live music and DJs. Sports and Entertainment runs from 1-5 p.m., registration begins at the beach hut at noon and prizes are on the line! For more information, click here.
