Featured Events
1. German Fest
FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY | HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK
It’s a festival-filled weekend, and Milwaukee’s annual German Fest will kick it off, with the three-day event starting on Friday. Head to the Summerfest grounds to experience one of the largest German festivals in North America. There, you can find authentic German cuisine like goulasch and strudel and entertainment by traditional German bands and dancers, the Dachshund Derby, axe and sawing competitions and more. Get tickets online.
2. Milwaukee Brewfest
SATURDAY AT 3 P.M. | VETERANS PARK
Taste your way through unlimited pours at Milwaukee Brewfest. This one-day, 21+ event will feature breweries from Milwaukee and beyond. Not into beer? They’ll be serving up ciders, wines, seltzers and meads, too. Plus, there will be live music and local food and shopping vendors on the grounds. Get general admission, VIP or designated driver tickets here.
3. Brady Street Festival
SATURDAY FROM NOON-11 P.M. | BRADY STREET
Brady Street Festival is back! The long-running street fest has live music and entertainment lineups for its three stages, with Diet Lite, The Milbillies and the Brady Street Babes Drag Show set to headline. Check out earlier performances here. Lilliput Records will also be hosting music throughout the day.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
More Events
4. GRIDLIFE Summer Apex 2025
ALL WEEKEND | ROAD AMERICA
Speed meets sound at the GRIDLIFE Summer Apex Music & Motorsports Festival. After its 2024 debut that drew nearly 16,000 fans, the now expanded three-day event is returning to Road America in Elkhart Lake this weekend. It aims to blend high-octane racing with boundary-pushing music performances, with featured artists and drivers you can find here.
5. Brewers vs. Marlins
ALL WEEKEND | AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD
The Brewers will take on the Miami Marlins on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At Friday’s 3:10 p.m. game, the Brewers will celebrate 25 seasons of American Family Field by welcoming back a player from each roster year 2001 to 2025 to connect with fans in activities throughout the day. Get tickets here.
6. Lavell Crawford
ALL WEEKEND | MILWAUKEE IMPROV
Catch comedian Lavell Crawford during his weekend at The Improv. You may recognize him as the character “Huell” from AMC’s Emmy Award-winning series “Breaking Bad” or from his regular sketch appearances on “Lopez Tonight.” You can grab tickets to any of his five showtimes across Friday, Saturday and Sunday here.
7. Art Blaze on the Beach
THURSDAY FROM 4-9:30 P.M. | MCKINLEY BEACH
Joy Engine, a local nonprofit, presents Art Blaze on the Beach – a series of free community events at McKinley Beach celebrating creativity, connection and summer joy. The first event of the series is on Thursday, and guests can expect interactive art experiences, live music, bonfires and artisan vendors on the shoreline.
8. Wine Tasting: Robust Reds for the Grill
THURSDAY FROM 6-7:30 P.M. | WATERFORD WINE & SPIRITS
Need help pairing with the grill? Waterford Wine & Spirits is hosting a tasting of hand-picked wines suggested to enhance flavors in burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken and fish. Sommeliers will also be sharing their best wine-serving and grilling tips. You can reserve a spot here.
9. Caliente Latin Night
THURSDAY AT 7 P.M. | CACTUS CLUB
Thursday is Cactus Club’s Caliente Latin Night. Local groups Pulpa De Guayaba, Calakas Sonoras and Los Nenes Del Lago are preparing a night of latin rock and cumbia. Pay $15 in advance or $20 at the 7 p.m. door to hear this lineup live.
10. Moth Party
THURSDAY FROM 8-10 P.M. | URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER – RIVERSIDE PARK
The Urban Ecology Center at Riverside Park is throwing its annual Moth Party on Thursday night to spotlight and celebrate the “underappreciated,” nocturnal creature with the community. Register here to learn the difference between moths and butterflies, how to create your own moth attractant, ID tips and more.
11. Nate Bargatze
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY | FISERV FORUM
With a Thursday show added, tickets are still on sale to see Nate Bargatze’s “Big Dumb Eyes” Tour. The Grammy-nominated comedian, podcaster, director and producer has been selling out shows and breaking venue attendance records since the 1.2 million tickets sold on his 2024 “Be Funny” Tour.
12. Author Q&A: Rebecca Anne Nguyen
FRIDAY AT 6:30 P.M. | THIRST BOOKS
Join Milwaukee Magazine’s Brianna Schubert in her conversation with Award-winning author Rebecca Anne Nguyen. The two will be discussing Nguyen’s time travel romance novel, The 23rd Hero, at Thirst Books on Thursday evening.
13. Movie Night at Davidson Park
FRIDAY AT 6:30 P.M. | DAVIDSON PARK
In partnership with Near West Side Partners and Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast, Davidson Park is hosting a free movie night with popcorn and food trucks. “Moana 2” will start at 6:30 p.m.
14. SAUCED Summer Night Market
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY | THE COOPERAGE
You can shop small from 30 local businesses at SAUCED Night Market on Friday and Saturday. From 5 to 10 p.m., new and returning vendors, along with tunes from DJ Dudley Noon, will fill The Cooperage. Plus, the venue bar will be open, and visitors can also sample spirits from Dancing Goat.
15. Christmas in July
SATURDAY FROM 10 A.M.-5 P.M. | RACINE ZOO
Celebrate Christmas in July at the Racine Zoo on Saturday. With Santa on vacation from the North Pole and the Grinch in town, visiting families and guests can expect the holiday’s most cherished figures to be on-site. Zoo admission is $11 for adults and $9 for children.
16. South Milwaukee Heritage Days Parade
SATURDAY FROM 11 A.M.-1 P.M. | DOWNTOWN SOUTH MILWAUKEE
Watch more than 100 units of marching bands, political leaders, local businesses and more take to the streets for the South Milwaukee Heritage Days Parade on Saturday morning. Find parade route info here.
17. Walking Tour: Stories of Strength – Honoring Black Milwaukeeans
SUNDAY FROM 10-11:30 A.M. | FOREST HOME CEMETERY
Learn stories of Black Milwaukeeans who played instrumental roles in shaping the city’s development, culture and identity on this walking tour at Forest Home Cemetery. Get tickets here.
18. Alexa Russo + Kent Avenue Carpool + James Norcross + Claire Martine
SUNDAY AT 6 P.M. | ANODYNE COFFEE ROASTING CO.
If there’s one thing this lineup has in common, it’s seeing it through. Alexa Russo, Kent Avenue Carpool, James Norcross and Claire Martine are taking the stage at Anodyne on Sunday night, and they’ve all been at this since they were kids. Pay $12 in advance or $15 at the 5 p.m. door to hear where they are now.
