Holding on to the end of summer
Grabbing the last of summer fun in Milwaukee
Don’t miss out on final days of fun from now through Labor Day
I hate to tell you, but I just saw a couple leaves fall into my lawn.
♦ Summer, where the heck did you go?
♦ Start counting with Friday, there are 11 days from now through Labor Day, the symbolic (though neither calendrical nor meteorological) end of summer in Milwaukee.
♦No need to panic: You can still have your summer, though you’ll have to do a little cramming. To help, here’s a guide to grabbing the last of Milwaukee’s summer, with one summery thing to do per day from now through Labor Day.
Aug. 25: Catch a movie under the stars
Milwaukee has had an embarrassment of riches when it’s come to free movies showing outdoors this summer. Luckily, the season isn’t over yet. Peck Flicks, showing in the Peck Pavilion on the grounds of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St., wraps up its summer Friday with a pair of princesses: “Tangled,” the Disney animated tale, at 7:15 p.m., and “The Princess Bride,” the beloved romance-comedy-spoof, at 8:55 p.m. Admission is free; seating in the covered part of the amphitheater starts at 6 p.m. Info: marcuscenter.org
Aug. 26: Festival time
Taste of Islands, dubbed a “mini-festival celebrating the music and food of the Florida Keys,” takes over the grounds of the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St., from 2 to 10 p.m. Keys-themed food and beverages (yes, including rum) are on the menu, along with activities for kids and grown-ups, and music by Caribbean Eclipse and Bluffett: The Jimmy Buffett Tribute. Admission is free (food and drink are extra). Info: marcuscenter.org
Aug. 27: Slip and slide
Milwaukee County’s aquatic parks are open only through Labor Day, so dive in while you can. David F. Schulz Aquatic Center in Lincoln Park, 1301 W. Hampton Ave., is open noon to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 6 p.m. Labor Day (Tot Time is 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday). Cool Waters in Greenfield Park, 2028 S. 124th St., West Allis, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Labor Day. Admission is $7.25; $5.50 for seniors 60 and older and kids ages 3 to 11 (must be accompanied by an adult); $4.50 for night swims (Monday through Thursday after 6 p.m.); and $3.50 for Tot Time swimming. Info: countyparks.com
Aug. 28: Ein, zwei, drei …
Hoisting one, even if it’s a root beer, at a beer garden has become a Milwaukee summer staple. And when better than a Monday to find time to unwind with a pint? The traveling beer gardens courtesy of Milwaukee County Parks and Sprecher Brewing run through Labor Day. They’re in their final stops now: Doctors Park, 1870 E. Fox Lane, Fox Point; and Bender Park, 4503 E. Ryan Road, Oak Creek. The parks’ permanent beer gardens — in Whitnall, South Shore, Estabrook, Humboldt and Hoyt — are open, too. Check the parks’ website for hours.
Info: mkebeergardens.com/traveling and county parks.com
Aug. 29: Take thee to the river
A stroll (or a bite, or a drink) along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk is good for anything that ails you, and the price is right (free). Say hi to the properly outfitted Bronze Fonz along the way. Info: city.milwaukee.gov
Aug. 30: Baseball under the sun
The only thing better than a baseball game is an afternoon baseball game on a weekday; even if you’re not scheduled to be someplace else, it feels like a skip day. On Wednesday, the Brewers take on the hated but feared (not as much as we used to) St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park at 1:10 p.m. The game is the third in a five-game homestand vs. the Cards and the highflying Washington Nationals. Info: brewers.com
Aug. 31: Street parties
If summer’s still here, the time is right for taking the party to the streets. Milwaukee’s last big street bash of the summer, the Milwaukee Rally, starts Wednesday at the Harley-Davidson Museum, but the party begins in earnest Thursday at the museum, 400 W. Canal St., and the four Milwaukee-area Harley dealerships. In addition to loads of live music, there are motorcycle rides, tours of the Harley plant, a BMX stunt exhibition and more. The rumbling runs through Labor Day. Info: milwaukeerally.com
Sept. 1: Shakespeare outdoors
There’s been a fair amount of Shakespeare under the stars this summer in Milwaukee, and there still is. SummerStage Theater, which has been taking its stage at Lapham Peak, W329-N846 County Highway C, Delafield, all summer long, continues its production of “Romeo and Juliet” Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Shakespeare’s classic doomed romance began its run Aug. 24 and continues through Sept. 9; Tickets are $20; $18 for seniors, students and members of the military; and $10 for youths. Info: summerstageof delafield.org
Sept. 2: Shop around at a farmers market
Fall may be nearing, but the summer’s bumper crop is at your local farmers market. Although they’re open on different days in different places, more than 20 of the Milwaukee area’s farmers markets — from Cathedral Square downtown and the Fondy Farmers Market to Wauwatosa and Brookfield — are on Saturday mornings. For a detailed schedule, take your appetite and shopping list to jsonline.com/farmers markets.
Sept. 3: Day at the beach
There are still a few days left to get to the beach. One of Milwaukee’s most popular, Bradford Beach on N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, plans to host its annual Bradford Beach Bash on Labor Day Eve to mark the end of summer. Info: bradfordbeach mke.com
Sept. 4: Last-chance lakefront fests
The final lakefront festival of the year is Indian Summer Festival (Sept. 810), but the weekend before there are two events at Maier Festival Park. On Sept. 3, there’s the Big Gig BBQ, where from noon to 7 p.m. you can sample barbecue and sides from 14 local and regional cookers, see cooking demonstrations, listen to music and check out a celebrity bacon-eating contest. Admission is free. On Sept. 4, LaborFest starts with a Labor Day march at 11 a.m. from Zeidler Union Square Park, 301 W. Michigan St., to the Summerfest grounds. There’ll be food, entertainment, a classic car show and more. Admission to LaborFest is free, too.
Info: biggigbbq.com and the LaborFest Facebook page