1. Listen to Honest Music
MAY 9 | MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
Present Music concludes its season with accomplished violist Nadia Sirota. Known for her expressive playing, she became the first creative partner of the New York Philharmonic in 2018 and has collaborated with artists as varied as Paul Simon, Dirty Projectors and more. Her program features her favorite composers, such as Nico Muhly and Steve Reich.
2. Take a Mother’s Day Art Tour
MAY 12 | MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
If a mother in your life is an art lover, consider spending some of Mother’s Day at the Milwaukee Art Museum, which will offer a drop-in tour from 2-3 p.m. centered on how motherhood manifests in the museum’s collection. The tour is included with regular admission and is free to members.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Moulin Rouge! The Musical
MAY 14 – 26 | MARCUS CENTER
The show must go on – and it will in Milwaukee! This jukebox extravaganza won the 2020 Tony Award for Best Musical, and it tells a grand tale of forbidden love in turn-of-the-20th-century Paris.
4. Cristela Alonzo
MAY 16 – 18 | MILWAUKEE IMPROV
After a yearslong hiatus, this groundbreaking Latina American comedian returned to the stage with her 2022 Netflix special, Middle Classy. Now, you can see her in Milwaukee on her latest tour, tackling politics and privilege with positivity.
5. Milwaukee Metal Fest
MAY 16 -19 | THE RAVE/EAGLES CLUB
This meeting of metalheads was resuscitated last year after more than a decade of dormancy. It rises again this month with a lineup including Testament, Blind Guardian and Mr. Bungle.
6. Dixit Dominus
MAY 17 – 19 | CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Get a handle on Baroque composer George Frideric Handel. Danceworks Performance MKE partners with local vocal ensemble Aperi Aminam to bring one of his dynamic early pieces to life, with choreography from Maria Gillespie.
7. María de Buenos Aires
MAY 17 AND 19 | TURNER HALL BALLROOM
This nuevo tango tells the story of an ill-fated woman whose ghost roams the city after her death. The Florentine Opera promises a tale of “seduction, depravity, redemption and rebirth.”
8. Maifest
MAY 17 – 19 | GERMANTOWN MARKETPLATZ II
If German Fest still feels far away, sate your spaetzle cravings at this celebration. Live music, traditional dancing and plenty of German dishes and bier await.
9. Frothy Forage
MAY 18 | RIVEREDGE NATURE CENTER
Enjoy a Saturday afternoon of hops and nature walks. Stroll through the woods and prairie while imbibing local beers, wines and ciders at this fundraiser supporting the center’s conservation efforts.
10. Wildcat
MAY 18 – 19 | ORIENTAL THEATRE
Oscar-nominated actor and writer Ethan Hawke – along with Lake Geneva-born film editor Barry Poltermann – will attend two special screenings of Hawke’s latest directorial effort, a biopic of author Flannery O’Connor. Stay seated for a Q&A after the film.
11. Grilled Cheese Fest
MAY 19 | THE TAP YARD
Bread and melted cheese – what more do you need? Four food trucks will sling grilled cheeses at this beer garden in Brookfield’s Fox Brook Park, where you can then wash them down with craft brews.
12. Christi Furnas’ Author Talk
MAY 21 | LION’S TOOTH
Graphic novelist Christi Furnas’ new book, Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia, follows a fictional fox stumbling through life changes and the mental health care system. Catch her in conversation with MIAD assistant professor Talia Dutton.
13. Brewers vs. Cubs
MAY 27 – 30 | AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD
Former Brewers manager – and current Cubs manager – Craig Counsell returns to Milwaukee for the first time since switching allegiances. Cheer for the home team as these bitter rivals face off.
14. Road Trip!
MA 31 -AUG. 4 | HAGGERTY MUSEUM OF ART
Curated from the Haggerty’s permanent collection, this exhibition of photographs from 1968 to 2005 captures the adventures (and misadventures) of long-distance drives across America.
15. Festa Italiana
MAY 31 – JUNE 2 | HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK
Milwaukee’s Little Italy is back on the lakefront. It may be arriving earlier this year, but the festival still promises the bocce tournament, Italian Idol competition, cultural exhibit, fireworks and lots of Italian food and wine.
Looking Ahead
16. Highland Games
JUNE 1 | CROATIAN PARK, FRANKLIN
Let the games begin! This annual celebration of Scottish culture was first organized in 1867, making it Milwaukee’s oldest ethnic festival. This year has herding sheepdogs, Scottish food and drink, and many contests like archery and stone putt. Making a return this year is the pipe band competition.
17. UPAF Ride for the Arts
JUNE 2 | HENRY MAIER FESTIVAL PARK
Bike across the Hoan Bridge while raising money for Milwaukee’s many performing arts organizations. You can choose to bike the full 20-mile loop or take the more leisurely 1.5-mile course. Either way, you’ll receive a free T-shirt to go with those gorgeous lake views.
