1. Wander the Tosa Farmers Market
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
This past Saturday, my sister and I popped over to the Tosa Farmers Market (7720 Harwood Ave.). There was a great selection of produce, flowers, cheese and other local finds. My sister got a massive bouquet of flowers and some garlic herb cheese curds; I bought some zinnias, heirloom tomatoes, radishes (delicious on toast with ricotta, cracked pepper and honey), lavender sprigs and plain cheese curds. We walked away feeling proud of our hauls and happy to have some time together to chat and shop. The farmers market is from 8 a.m. to noon and runs every Saturday through Oct. 12.
2. Nod Along at the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame & Museum
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
My friend is a big bobblehead guy – a bobble “head,” if you will. So when he made the trip to see me this weekend for his first time in Milwaukee, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame & Museum was a must-do (that, and a Brewers game). I’d never been to the museum myself, but I was pleasantly surprised. The collection is huge – about 10,000 figurines, the museum says. A sizable chunk of them are baseball, football and basketball ones, and we had a good time patrolling for our favorite (and least-favorite) players. But they’re not all sports-themed; there are plenty of political, historical and pop-culture bobbles, too. A highlight is the chiseled miniature of the Milverine. We spent a solid 10 minutes searching for a Jimmy McGill bobblehead before an employee helped us. It was next to Jimi Hendrix, of course. It’s only $5 for a ticket, so it’s a certainly worth an afternoon exploring the shelves. But as much you’ll feel the unshakable urge, no, you can’t touch them.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Eat, Drink, Stare at Water, etc. at Live at the Lakefront
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
Each summer, Milwaukee is bursting with live music events every night of the week. You look to the left – a Jimmy Buffett cover band under the bandshell. You look to the right – a post-rock crew jamming in the park. You try to run – a dude with an acoustic guitar chases you home and plays “Wonderwall” outside your window while you try to sleep. It’s wild out there. Now each of Milwaukee’s live music events has its own pros and cons, but I’d have to say the winner for most scenic venue is Live at the Lakefront. The concerts are, as you might imagine, live at the lakefront right outside Discovery World. That backdrop, especially when the sun is setting, is damn near unbeatable. This Wednesday, the series is hosting Jaid Johnson, a country and blues singer. Pro tip: bring your own food and drink.
4. Have a Pickle Shot at Patti’s Power Plant
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
I know, the beverage pictured below is a Blatz, not a pickle shot, and you may be wondering … pickle shot? Yes, it’s what it sounds: pickle- and brine-infused vodka, dispensed from a vessel with big ol’ dills floating therein. And it’s delicious – savory but tart and refreshing – particularly as the sidecar to a cheap beer of your choice. Plus, your pickle shot is on the bartender if you take a selfie with the “Jilly Dilly Pickle” decoration outside the bar, post it on social media and show the bartender. No small bonus is that it’s a staple at Patti’s Power Plant (2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), one of the best of the many great bars in Bay View.
5. Watch ‘Nothing Compares’
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
It’s been a year since Irish singer Sinead O’Connor died. I don’t typically get affected by the passing of famous musicians, but this was an exception. A fan during my formative years, I was moved by her fearlessness and the anthemic power of her music. She stirred up the pot, socially, politically and religiously. That was attractive to me, too. Shortly after O’Connor’s death, I read her autobiography – interesting but she only took the reader so deep into her world. In 2022, director Kathryn Ferguson released Nothing Compares, her documentary on the singer. The distribution has been limited to certain streaming platforms, and to make it more accessible, for this week only (seven days from July 26, the date of O’Connor’s death), Ferguson is making the documentary available for free screening on the website La Cinema Club. I haven’t started watching it yet, but it’s definitely in the cards before the week’s end.
