1. Investigate the ‘Haunts of Nature’
100 HAWTHORNE AVE., SOUTH MILWAUKEE
The carved wooden sign above the Seven Bridges trail in South Milwaukee’s Grant Park reads “Enter this wild wood and view the haunts of nature.” Visitors have heard ghostly screams and seen misty apparitions, odd lights dancing in the woods and a ghostly woman clad in white, according to Milwaukee Ghosts and Legends by local author Anna Lardinois.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
2. All Aboard the Goth Barge
If you prefer your summer soundtrack more Bauhaus than Beach Boys, you’re going to want to dance the night away with Goth Barge. What started as a bachelor party pontoon outing fueled by goth music and a cooler of booze has evolved into a popular party boat that embarks on cruises on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. DJs Dance Commandr and XdominionX (along with rotating guests) also host events on terra firma throughout the summer at venues like Mad Planet and X-Ray Arcade.
3. Grab a Beer in an Enchanted Realm
3807 S. PACKARD AVE., ST. FRANCIS
Nathan Fakler has created his own fantasy world, populated by lizard wizards and amphibian warriors. Faklandia became the theme of his St. Francis brewery, which opened in 2020. It’s a popular hangout for gamers, and Faklandia’s beers are named after Fakler’s characters and world. The brewery’s most valuable summer resource? The large patio area.
4. Picnic Among the Dead
2405 W. FOREST HOME AVE.
In the late 1800s, it was popular to picnic in graveyards, a tradition that’s been revived at Forest Home Cemetery, with the “Death and a Sandwich” series on June 18, July 16 and Aug. 20. Guests are encouraged to bring lunch and a blanket. Among the summer’s other lively events is a Shakespeare in the Park performance of The Taming of the Shrew on Aug. 3, which features a contest for “best Victorian picnic display.”
5. Train for Medieval Combat
“Armored combat is essentially MMA, except you’re in full medieval armor using real steel weapons,” explains Nick Stenz, one of the instructors at the Wisconsin Medieval Combat Center. The weapons are dulled, so no one gets their head chopped off. The center’s Bay View training studio offers classes six days a week. If you’re more spectator than combatant, the Milwaukee Iron Stags combat team holds “Medieval Madness” bouts at bars, plus the big Cream City Clash tournament on Aug. 30 at Bavarian Bierhaus in Glendale.
6. Get Lost in Time at Dretzka’s
4746 S. PACKARD AVE., CUDAHY
Dretzka’s Department Store opened in 1902, and today it feels like walking into a different time … but when? 1920? The ’70s? 1999? The answer is all of the above. It’s a quirky store that time forgot, overflowing with a hodgepodge of stock, some of which has been there for decades. There’s a basket full of buttons, ceramic teapots, Christmas knickknacks, Austin Powers action figures, 1940s-style hats, thermal underwear and a bunch of other bewildering stuff, priced without rhyme or reason. Part
of the appeal is you have no idea what you might find.
