In Festival Guide
100 things to do at Brew City's summer festivals
Note: The contents of this guide were checked for accuracy when this article was updated on June 1, 2010 at 5:10 a.m. We continually update the thousands of articles on OnMilwaukee.com, but it's possible some details, specials and offers may have changed. As always, we recommend you call first if you have specific questions for the businesses mentioned in the guide.
Milwaukee is the city of festivals and on some weekends, there's no fewer than three or four to choose from. While almost all of them have beer, food and live music, each has something special to offer.
It's an OnMilwaukee.com classic, but it may be new to you: Here are 100 things you can do to make your summer in the City of Festivals one to remember. Add your suggestions using the Talkback feature at the bottom.
- Singe your lips on some flaming cheese at Greek Fest
- Ask if you can give the caber a toss at the Highland Games
- Dance to the music at Festa Italiana
- Slip and shout down the big slide at State Fair
- Ride the sky glider at Summerfest
- Free music every week at River Rhythms
- Cheer on the contestants at the Miss Pridefest pageant
- Win up to $5,000 at the Poker Run at the Milwaukee Rally
- Nothing says summer like potato pancakes and sausage at State Fair
- Get your smooth jazz on at Kettle Moraine Jazz Fest
- Learn to cook at Festa's Cucina tent
- Raise a stein at Oktoberfest
- Salute Milwaukee's blue collar pride at Labor Fest
- Pet the big doggies at Irish Fest
- Check out the ultra-lights at the EAA AirVenture
- Get out early for a primo spot for July 3 fireworks
- Stop and smell the roses at Boerner in Bloom
- Robbie's Corn at as many festivals you can find
- Celebrate freedom on Juneteenth Day
- Lasso a cowgirl / boy in memory of the now canceled West Allis Western Days
- Check out what's hot in art at Lakefront Festival of Arts
- Dance a polka at Polish Fest
- Buy a feathered hat and enter the yodeling contest at German Fest
- Catch a Gaelic poetry reading at Irish Fest
- Celebrate the return of African World Fest
- Don your beret for Bastille Days
- Hello? Cream puffs!
- Sample the catch of the day (fried, of course) at Port Washington Fish Day
- Attend the South Shore Water Frolics parade
- Ride the wee train at the Zoo's Milwaukee a la Carte
- Catch the great drummers at Indian Summer
- Did someone say falafel at Arab World Fest?
- Meet the sweet folks at Armenian Fest (and drink a cheap beer, too)!
- Put that high school Spanish to the test at Mexican Fiesta
- Get your jazz for free (but not likely any "free jazz") at Jazz in the Park
- See what local youth can do at African World Fest's Youth Talent Show
- Play a game of bocce at the Roma Lodge festival in Racine
- Watch the pig races at State Fair, but, please, no wagering
- Embrace your inner emo at VERGE
- Catch a mix of jazz and smooth sounds in the Third Ward at Summer Sizzle
- Peek in at the lovely St. Sava church during Serbian Fest
- Watch the bikes whiz during The Great Downer Avenue Bike Race
- Mmmm, barbecued lamb at Croatian Days!
- Bask in the music at the East Side Summer Soulstice
- Check out the scene -- it's always a scene -- at Locust Street Days
- Buy fresh produce -- thank God winter's over -- at area farm markets
- Win a stuffed bulldog at a church festival
- Say goodbye to summer with the whole family at the Bay View Bash
- Celebrate autumn's abundance with wine at the Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival
- Indulge in the Friday fish boil at TosaFest
- Sample Wisconsin wines in the Wine Garden at State Fair
- Get up close to the South Shore Frolics fireworks
- Participate in a variety of "pulls," whether it be truck, tractor or draft horse, at the Racine County Fair
- Bask in the 31-year tradition at Tosafest
- Check out the Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA) at Indian Summer
- See free movies at Riverflicks
- Head down to Racine Harbor Fest and mingle with our neighbors to the south
- Feel the need for speed at the Milwaukee Mile
- Try to start a feud between the two Scottish Fests / Highland Games
- Grab a fish fry and a flick at Discovery World
- Shout "Free Bird" at the cover band at a church festival
- Ride your cafe racer to Rockerbox
- Pay the piper at Irish Fest
- Go to Summerfest, drink a beer, dance on a table, but please guys, no tank tops
- Munch Venice Club eggplant strips at Festa and / or Summerfest
- Test your intestinal fortitude by entering the jalapeno eating contest at Mexican Fiesta
- Run and drink beer simultaneously in the Locust Street Festival Beer Run
- Watch the Mud Show, eat a turkey leg, say "g'day mi lord" or buy a deck of tarot cards at the Renaissance Fair
- Check out the pushcart races at Center Street Daze
- Lace up for the Storm the Bastille run
- Drink beer in the middle of North Avenue at the Summer Soulstice
- Think about how you always meant to go to Asian Moon festival, but never made it
- Take in the Pride parade before attending PrideFest
- Hang out in a teepee or shop for fringey leather wares at Indian Summer
- Get a henna tattoo at the Big Gig
- Enjoy weekday live music at River Rhythms
- Count how many people you see wearing live snakes at Locust Street Festival
- Buy a bag of corn from one of the 9,000 Koepsell's popcorn wagons parked at all of the summer festivals
- Have a wine cooler on the rocks and then drink it while sitting on the rocks at Summerfest
- Scout out the "birch biter" artist at Indian Summer
- Eat something fried on a stick at the State Fair
- Win a Def Leppard mirror at the State Fair carnival
- Drink some flavored milk at the Fair
- Indulge in karaoke at Pride Fest
- Check out "A Gospel Celebration" at African World Fest
- Downtown picnic at River Rhythms
- Watch the Juneteenth Day parade or better yet, take part!
- Eat a crepe at Bastille Days
- Eat a tasty plate of soul food at African World Fest
- Buy a tie-dyed T-shirt at Summerfest
- Buy a new age book or bottle of oil at Renaissance Faire
- Dream about buying a piece of art from the Lakefront Festival of the Arts
- Take in a glockenspiel performance at German Fest
- Watch the rowers at the Milwaukee River Challenge
- Buy something vanilla-flavored at Burlington's Chocolate Festival
- For the love of Napoleon Dynamite's grandma, eat a quesadilla at Mexican Fiesta
- Meet up with old high school drinking buddies or meet new ones at TosaFest
- Enjoy strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry crepes, strawberry slush, strawberry schaum torte, chocolate-covered strawberries and strawberry ice cream at -- you guessed it -- the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival
- Eat free ice cream in the county parks on July 4
- Do a summer-long festival mullet count
Talkbacks
Thistle | June 1, 2010 at 3:19 p.m. (report)
Consider #2 - the caber toss - this Saturday, June 5 at the Milwaukee Highland Gamers at Hart Park on State Street in Tosa: http://www.milwaukeescottishfest.com/
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summer_cash | May 27, 2008 at 5:39 p.m. (report)
Enjoy a micro beer at Benno's Micro Beer Tent at the Wisconsin State Fair.
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Nancy1 | May 27, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. (report)
Check out the Wiener Dog Races and Dachshund Costume Contest at German Fest.
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richard53235 | May 27, 2008 at 4:32 p.m. (report)
go see " the Toys", don't rush, they're never on time.
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