Begin the Joymaxxing
Every year, it’s the same story: We produce this summer kick off issue during April, Wisconsin’s cruelest month. April conjures thoughts of sunshine and tulips and sure, some showers, too. But where we live, April means you’re still sporting your down jacket and keeping that ice scraper in your car handy, just in case.
So working on our June issue is both inspiring and frustrating. The whole team starts getting excited about summer and all the great ways to enjoy it, but then, at the end of the day when we leave the office, we are confronted with air that still has a cold bite to it and leafless trees that won’t be budding for quite some time. And all the activities that we’re writing about seem very, very far away.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Lucky for you, this lands in your mailbox right on time, at the precipice of summer!
You’ll find page upon page of ideas to help you fill your calendar with whatever makes you happiest. I think of it as “joymaxxing.” I first heard a version of that term when we wrote about the fragrance trend that is popular among young men; they call it “smellmaxxing.” Then, I read an article about the foodie trend of layering ingredients with intense flavors, or “flavormaxxing.”
It only follows, in my mind, that joymaxxing is what we do here in Milwaukee in summer. What better term to sum up a season full of festivals, water activities, outdoor dining and all the other fabulous ways we fill up our days and nights from June until the last possible day we can wear shorts or drink a beer outdoors – which, depending on your tolerance, sometimes comes as late as October.
With so much to do and such a short window to do it in, start your planning now. Use the ideas on these pages to max out your joy quotient this season.
Wishing you the best summer ever,
— Carole Nicksin, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
carole@milwaukeemag.com @CaroleNicksin
In This Issue:
Features
- Summer Guide: There are 13 weeks before September arrives. Let’s make the most of them!
- This Was It: This Is It was more than Wisconsin’s oldest gay bar. It was a nexus of community, culture and belonging that won’t be easily replaced.
- The Doctor Will Screen You Now: Telehealth may have boomed during the pandemic, but it’s not going away. Here’s how to optimize your e-visits with medical professionals.
- Top Doctors 2025: Our annual guide to the best doctors in greater Milwaukee, chosen by their peers.
- The Big Story: Are powerful wakeboats the damaging “monster trucks of the lakes” that they’ve been made out to be?
Your 414
- Bingo: Consider this your local summer checklist.
- People Places Things: This river-floating concert series is making waves. Plus, a new Door County art fair with a Milwaukee twist, a growing Latina makers market and more.
- Summerfest: How does the Big Gig lineup get made?
- Roundup: To savor those sweet summer nights, look no further than these weeknight events.
The Dish
- Sandwich: This Sicilian classic takes its name from the distinctive bread.
- Drive-ins: Carhops, juicy burgers and root beer served in a frosted mug are de rigueur at these seven spots.
- Summer Sipping: Local drink-makers of all kinds share their personal favorites.
- I Tried It: An editor learns the art of the bagel while shadowing Ruby of Ruby’s Bagels at her new brick-and-mortar location.
Insider
- Government: The semantics of cost-cutting with GOAT
- Landmarks: Why we lit the other side of the Hoan
- Business: The truck stop on steroids that’s coming to Oak Creek
Explore
- River: Why kayakers love paddling on the Kickapoo
- Beer: Miller Brewing history comes alive on this tour of the local legend’s extensive and very cool archives.
- Statewide Fests: Road trip-worthy events across the state
