Ah, the sounds of Milwaukee’s summer: the crunch of empty beer cups underfoot at Summerfest, the roar of Harleys down I-94, and the jingle of extra change in your pocket because your fun cost next to nothing. Or even nothing at all.
Bastille Days is your alternative to paid-admission ethnic festivals. Free entry. Free entertainment. More sophisticated drinkers – we hope. From the street performers to the French lessons to the waiter/waitress race, this Cathedral Square Park event will keep your weekend (July 10-13) busy. As for the ethnic festivals at Summerfest’s grounds, some offer discounted admission with Sunday Mass attendance there.
You might also win a plane ticket by attending summer festivals thanks to 88Nineand its RadioMilwaukee Summer Passport. Pick up a passport from a participating festival (a full list is available at radiomilwaukee.org), get it stamped, and enter the raffle for four round-trip tickets to Milwaukee for out-of-town family or friends.
River Flicks: Watch a free movie al fresco under the stars and lights in Pere Marquette Park on the Milwaukee River. See four family-oriented movies this year at dusk, about 8:30 p.m., on the first four Fridays in August (1, 8, 15 and 22).
Uecker Seats: Got Brewers fever and a thin wallet? Purchase an obstructed-view Uecker seat at Miller Park for a buck. Tickets are sold one per person only on game day after the stadium doors open. Save on concessions by carrying in your unopened plastic bottles of soda or water.
For more cheap baseball thrills, head just over an hour southwest and you’ll find the Beloit Snappers, the Minnesota Twins’ Class-A Midwest League team (snappersbaseball.com). General admission tickets are just $6. And directly west are more $6 tix for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League, a summer circuit for college baseball players (mallardsbaseball.com).
Farmers markets: Along with offering the best local produce, they re-create the town squares we are so often missing. Try Westown Farmer’s Marketin Zeidler Union Square, on Michigan Street between Third and Fourth streets, Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 4 through Oct. 29. Free live musical entertainment (11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.), theme days and chef demonstrations with free samples.
For a taste of la dolce vita, head to Villa Terrace, 2220 N. Terrace Ave., for Café Sopra Mare. Free live-music concerts in a different style each week from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sundays from June through September. Coffee and pastries for sale.
Hooked on “Dancing With the Stars”? Check out the Square Dance and Ballroom Demonstration performed by Square Benders dancers. The cha-cha, waltz, rumba, foxtrot and square dancing are just a few of the styles to watch at State Fair Park’s World Stage (Aug. 1, 2-4 p.m., free).
Use telescopes to examine the moon, stars and planets in Wehr Nature Center’s Moon Strolls/Astronomy Hikesfor families (Aug. 15, 7-9 p.m.; Milwaukee County residents age 13 and up, $7; non-Milwaukee County residents age 13 and up, $9; Friend of Wehr or child 12 and under, $5; 414-425-8550).
Free Museums:At the Milwaukee Art Museum (mam.org), there’s no charge to view the gorgeous Windhover Hall. It’s also free to watch the museum’s wings open and close, typically three times each day. County residents get a free look at all the art on Wednesdays. The Milwaukee Public Museum(mpm.edu) lets county residents in gratis on Mondays.
Historic Walking Tour: Explore areas such as East Town, the Lake Drive mansions, Brady Street and more with an expert guide for $7. Kids under 6 are free and children 6 to 17 years old are $2 (414-277-7795, historicmilwaukee.org).
Lake Life: At the Juneau Park lagoon between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., $5 per person will get you a half-hour ride (and some more exercise) on a paddle boat or hydro-bicycle. Or try your hand at a remote control sailboat, also $5 per person for a half-hour. For varying prices, you can rent a surrey bicycle, go-kart, bicycle or inline skates to get you through Veterans Park (milwbikeskaterental.com).
Holy Hill: In Hubertus (1525 Carmel Rd., 262-628-1838), about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. You need not be religious to enjoy the view, the trails, Basilica and the mystique. Food can be purchased at the Holy Hill Café.
