Milwaukee Festival Season
Summer in Wisconsin means that Milwaukee Festival Season is in full swing. Since we only have about 3 months of warm weather, everyone wants to be outside enjoying this beautiful city. From church festivals to music festivals, there is seriously something for everyone.
At the beginning of summer is Summerfest, one of the World’s biggest music fests, and you can read all about our experience HERE.
This week we managed to fit in two festivals, and we still have one more lined up on Saturday! One was a first time festival for the boys, which was perfect for First Fridays, while the other two are old favorites.
Festa Italiana
Milwaukee has awesome festival grounds, Henry Maier Festival Park, located right on Lake Michigan. Not only do they host Summerfest, but they host a variety of other festivals throughout the summer. There’s Pride Fest, Polish Fest, German Fest, Irish Fest, Mexican Fiesta, Indian Summer Festival, and even Pet Fest. This last Sunday, we went to Festa Italiana, which celebrates Italian heritage. The boys had never been to it before, and the last time I went I don’t think I could legally drink wine. Yes, it’s been a looooong time.
Kids 12 and under are free, so we just had to pay for us adults (woo hoo!) There is tons of yummy food, free rides for the kids, and music. Plus, there are gondola rides, cooking demonstrations, and wine tastings.
There’s also plenty of entertainment. We watched a ventriloquist and the Pinocchio parade. The boys were thrilled to see they were throwing out candy. They also threw packets of Nutella? Is that Italian?
We spent some time on the playground, the boys got Italian ice, and I tried a glass of wine or two.
Of course, the boys favorite part was the free rides. Surprisingly, the lines weren’t too long, and the rides were all the perfect size for the boys. They rode a train, went down a giant slide, and took a spin on the Merry-go-round. Their favorite was the little roller coaster, as you can see.
I also made them take pictures in front of the giant replicas of Italian landmarks. As you can see, they were thrilled.
Kidsfest
Milwaukee Festival Season doesn’t just take place in the city of Milwaukee, but the surrounding suburbs too.
Up next for us was Kidsfest. It’s an annual fest that takes place in a local park in Hartland, WI. We went last year, and had a lot of fun, so it was already marked on our calendar for this summer. There are tons of local businesses, like dentist offices, gyms, child care centers, and theater companies. My dance studio even has a booth!
There are free samples and entertainment. Each booth usually has a giveaway or a game, and advertises its business. It’s a great way to find activities and resources for your family, while the kids have a ton of fun.
The boys loved the bouncy houses, free candy/cotton candy/freeze pops, the petting zoo, and various Martial Arts demonstrations (they got to break a board and fight with foam swords!) Plus, they got their hair streaked (pink and red, of course) from a local salon, got a ton of temporary tattoos, and made some fun art projects, like bead bracelets and noodle necklaces.
My favorite booths gave the boys free toothbrushes and adorable animal backpacks.
In addition to the Kidsfest, the park also has a playground and a splash pad. So, once the booths were closed, the boys played, climbed, and spun out some more energy.
This Weekend’s Festivities
As if all the other festivals aren’t enough, Milwaukee Festival Season is filled with church festivals. We’re heading to one of our favorites for the third year in a row!
The great thing about church festivals is that they are family friendly. We ate dinner, the kids played games and jumped in bouncy houses, and then we all danced to a local band last year. Plus, all the money goes to support a good cause.
Even though we don’t belong to this church, we always feel welcome. There’s usually a pretty big turnout, and I’m hoping for some good weather, like our forecast says. Fingers crossed!
What do you have planned this weekend? Maybe a road trip? We’d love it if you came and checked out the Milwaukee Festival Season with us!
Cincinnati has TONS of festivals, which is exciting! I try to go to a lot of them. I love the sound of the Kidsfest. My older niece and nephew would love that. 🙂
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
I was in MKE last fall, and I loved it. I will have to plan a trip back in the summertime it seems!
These all look like such a fun time! I loved Milwaukee when I spent a weekend there last Fall. I really hope to get back, maybe I’ll have to during festival season!