1. Dormant Season
THROUGH SEPT. 21 | MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART
When photographer Erinn Springer returned to her childhood home in Northern Wisconsin in 2019, she found moments of connection and isolation amidst a stark winter. This exhibition of her ongoing photo series captures life in the country.
2. The Kalmbach Art Collection
THROUGH AUG. 19 | GROHMANN MUSEUM
These 55 classic paintings and drawings, once owned by the former publisher of Trains magazine, are ingrained in the railroad world. Now, they’re on show for a first-ever public exhibition.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Fourth of July Fireworks
JULY 4 | MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS
It’s not Independence Day without fireworks lighting up the night. Parks across Milwaukee will bring the booms along with parades, picnics, games and more.
4. Whitefish Bay Art Fest
JULY 12-13 | EAST SILVER SPRING DRIVE
Spend a summer weekend gallivanting through the tents of 100 juried artists selling paintings, sculptures, jewelry and more. While browsing, listen to live music, sip a beer and check out live artist demonstrations.
5. Shakespeare in the Park
JULY 12-AUG. 17 | MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Bard’s the word and the sun’s the spotlight for this local troupe traveling across neighborhood parks. Each day’s lineup features The Taming of the Shrew, a puppet version of Much Ado About Nothing, and Renaissance-era tunes from Early Music Now.
6. Frida Fest
JULY 12-13 | FARMHOUSE PAINT & SIP
This festival dedicated to iconic artist Frida Kahlo doubles as a celebration of Mexican culture. There’ll be Frida painting classes, a look-alike contest, mariachi and dance performances and an art market.
7. Ramy Youssef
JULY 13 | TURNER HALL BALLROOM
You might know him from his Peabody Award-winning Hulu show “Ramy” or his role in Academy Award darling film Poor Things. But the Egyptian American comedian, writer and director also delivers acclaimed stand-up comedy that’s personal and profound.
8. Rainbow Summer
JULY 14-20 | MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Iridescent art installations are the highlight of this family-friendly, multi-day event packed with local vendors, food and drink, and performances from ’90s throwback act Fool House and classic hip-hop trio Digable Planets.
9. Bastille Days
JULY 17-20 | CATHEDRAL SQUARE PARK
Beignets, baguettes, buskers and a mad-dash 5K themed after the storming of the Bastille make up this French festival, one of Milwaukee’s most beloved. And at the center of it all? Milwaukee’s own mini Eiffel Tower.
10. Chicken Wire Empire
JULY 18 | SHARON LYNNE WILSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Bluegrass is going mainstream, but Wisconsin’s own acoustic heroes have been ahead of the curve. Hear the band play tunes off their latest album, Growing Pains, at this performance.
11. ‘The Salon Show’
JULY 18-SEPT. 6 | TORY FOLLIARD GALLERY
Enjoy paintings, drawings, photography and more presented “salon-style,” with many pieces hung close together. Fifty artists on Tory Folliard Gallery’s roster will be featured, including Fred Stonehouse, Mark Mulhern and Marion Coffey. The show opens on Gallery Night.
12. Famous Racing Sausages Run/Walk
JULY 19 | AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD
If you think you can outrun Bratwurst and company, here’s your chance. This annual 5K and 10K around the Brew Crew’s stadium parking lot benefits the philanthropic work of the Brewers Community Foundation.
13. MKE Air & Water Show
JULY 19-20 | BRADFORD AND MCKINLEY BEACHES
It’s a bird, it’s a plane – it’s many, many planes. This show takes over Lake Michigan and Milwaukee’s airspace with impressive aerial acrobatics, including from the headlining Blue Angels.
14. Brady Street Festival
JULY 26 | BRADY STREET
Brady Street loves a good party, and this is the neighborhood’s biggest every year. Move through the lively crowd to find local food, drinks, vendors and live music galore.
15. Milwaukee Brewfest
JULY 26 | MCKINLEY PARK
Craft beers, ciders, seltzers, wines – take your pick of unlimited samples from over 100 national vendors, along with food, games, music and more.
16. Lucy Dacus
JULY 27 | RIVERSIDE THEATER
Fresh off her album Forever Is a Feeling, boygenius member and award-winning singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus returns to the stage with a baroque folk sound.
17. Wicked
JULY 30-AUG. 17 | MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Return to the Land of Oz before the next film adaptation hits theaters. This Broadway tour tells the story of Elphaba and Glinda, two witches with an unlikely friendship.
18. Hannah Pittard
JULY 30 | BOSWELL BOOK CO.
Imagine your ex writes a book about your divorce, in which you look unflattering at best. That’s the premise of If You Love It, Let It Kill You, and the novel’s author, Hannah Pittard, is talking about it at Boswell.
