“My hands don’t hurt!” That’s what I said a couple weeks ago when I went outside and realized winter was coming to an end. I feel no remorse for your melted snowmen.
It may be a little soon for beach talk, but it’s definitely not too early to be talking about what we could be doing this summer.
Let’s face it, we live in Milwaukee. There is an astounding amount of things to do and places to see. I could tell you to hit up Bradford beach and the State Fair, but that’s old hat to me. So, I’m going to tell you what I’m excited about and what I think you might enjoy.
One thing my brother and I are stoked for this summer is Slide the City. Just picture a 1,000 foot long slip ‘n slide accompanied by live music and food! You can register online here for as little as $15. This event also accepts volunteers, so there’s a way to get those feel-good hours in too. The date isn’t set in stone yet, but it is set to happen in July, so keep your eyes peeled for it. Remember, it’s a slip n’ slide the length of 3 football fields!
For those 21 and over, I would recommend experiencing Brew City with the Pedaling Pub Crawl Tour. You basically sit at a bar shaped bicycle that fits up to 16 riders with a tour guide that takes you through the historic Third and Fifth Ward. Tours start at Steny’s Tavern with a few stops at other bars along the way. There’s also a gay bar themed tour for all our LGBTQ friends. The tours run every day of the week from March 10th to Nov 6th. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the scenery and the weather. Plus you get a little workout while drinking.
Cathedral Square Park will once again host Jazz in the Park. This is perfect for enjoying warm summer nights outside and performers from around the country who play jazz, blues, big band, funk, R & B, and more. Considering my boyfriend and I are dirt poor, because, you know, college, this is a flawless date idea with no cost. Concerts are every Thursday evening, 5pm-9pm, lasting from June 4th to Sept 3rd.
If you’re not as into jazz as I am but still dig a good outdoor concert, pack a picnic and enjoy a show at Chill on the Hill. It’s similar to Jazz in the Park but features different types of music every week. Located at the Humboldt Park Band Chalet, the concerts last from 6pm-8:30pm on Tuesday evenings starting in June and going through August.
If you’re a freak like me who also has a sad clown collection, you might like Deadman’s Carnival. It’s not for everyone, but hear me out. It is a nationally touring Milwaukee based live music variety show. I’ve seen jugglers, magicians, mimes, hypnotists, dancers, singers, fire eaters, and other circus acts. The live band is out of this world too. It’s every first Friday at The Miramar Theatre at 8pm. It’s one of my all-time favorite things to do near campus and now I can walk to it without seeing my breath.
I can’t not talk about Summerfest considering it’s the world’s largest music festival and it’s what I’m most excited for. It lasts from June 24-28/June 30-July 5. It’s so close I can taste the dip ‘n dots already. There is a killer line up this summer. I don’t know what my readers listen to but I would highly recommend checking out Flogging Molly, Gaelic Storm, The Flaming Lips, The Doobie Brothers, The Kooks, Dirty Heads, Pat Benatar, Punch Brothers, Kansas, and Whitesnake. I’m also losing my mind about the fact Paris Hilton, Smashmouth, and The Rolling Stones are performing. Guys, it’s going to be rad.
Speaking of Summerfest, I had no idea how many “fests” there were in Milwaukee before I moved here three years ago. I can’t write a little summary for all of these because just this summer alone we have PrideFest, Scottish Fest, Polish Fest, the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival, Bastille Days, Milwaukee IndyFest, German Fest, Brady Street Festival, Irish Fest, Oktoberfest, the Indian Summer Festival, Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival, and more! So don’t tell me or anyone else that you’re bored this summer. For information on all of these and more you can check it out here.
Being the broke college kid I described myself as earlier, there are several Milwaukee attractions that offer us free days. This includes the Milwaukee Art Museum which is free for all every first Thursday of the month, the Milwaukee Public Museum which is free from 9am-8pm every first Thursday, and the Mitchell Park Domes which is free Mondays from 9am-noon.This city is so good to us as long as we don’t have to park anywhere.
Now these are the things I’m excited for. If I’ve done a horrible job and you’re not interested in a single one of these Milwaukee adventures…there’s always the Bronze Fonz.