MILWAUKEE – Looking for the best things to do in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin this weekend? Celebrate Puerto Rican culture, watch hundreds of kites fill the lakefront sky, catch some major concerts and experience a timely Broadway musical about kindness in the aftermath of September 11. Here are Sandy Maxx’s top picks for September 11 through September 13.
Cultural Festivals
13th Annual Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin
Saturday, September 12 | Henry Maier Festival Park | Milwaukee
The Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin helps mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month in Wisconsin with a colorful celebration of Puerto Rican culture. Enjoy authentic food, live music and dance, artisan vendors, family activities and even a domino tournament during a full day of culture and community on Milwaukee’s lakefront.
Silver City Fest
Saturday, September 12 | Noon-5 p.m. | 35th Street & West Pierce Street | Milwaukee
This free neighborhood festival celebrates the cultures and creativity of Milwaukee’s diverse Silver City neighborhood. Taste local food spanning Asian and Latin flavors, watch Mexican folk dance and Bembé drum and dance performances, and explore live music, artists, makers, chalk art, face painting and family activities. This year’s festival moves from National Avenue to 35th and Pierce due to construction.
Agri-Cultural Festival
Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival
Friday-Sunday, September 11-13 | Jefferson County Fair Park | Jefferson
From sheep to sweaters, one of the Midwest’s largest sheep and fiber arts festivals celebrates both the agricultural and creative sides of wool. Watch sheep shearing and herding demonstrations, livestock competitions and educational programs, then browse hundreds of vendors offering yarn, wool, fiber art and handmade goods. A Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em presentation also explores how fiber artists can help preserve rare and endangered heritage sheep breeds by using their wool.
Family Fun
Frank Mots International Kite Festival
Saturday-Sunday, September 12-13 | Veterans Park | Milwaukee
Look up! Milwaukee’s lakefront becomes a canvas in the sky during one of the nation’s premier kite festivals. Professional flyers perform aerial demonstrations alongside enormous inflatable display kites, while the signature Noon Grand Launch sends 600 kites into the air at once. Bring your own kite or learn how to fly one during free lessons.
Live Music
Kacey Musgraves
Friday, September 11 | Fiserv Forum | Milwaukee
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves brings her latest arena tour to Milwaukee. Expect a genre-blending evening spanning country, folk and pop, with favorites from throughout her career alongside music from her newest album.
Danny Gokey: An Evening with Danny Gokey
Friday, September 11 | Fox River Christian Church | Waukesha
Wisconsin-born singer Danny Gokey comes home for an intimate evening of music and storytelling. The Milwaukee native first reached a national audience as a finalist on American Idol Season 8 and has since become a Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian recording artist. This hometown performance features inspirational favorites along with personal stories from his life and career.
Pitbull & Lil Jon
Saturday, September 12 | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | East Troy
Get ready for one big outdoor party as Pitbull and Lil Jon share the stage at Alpine Valley. Expect an energetic night filled with instantly recognizable hits including “Give Me Everything,” “Fireball,” “Turn Down for What” and “Shots” during one of Alpine Valley’s biggest concerts of the season.
Eric Clapton
Sunday, September 13 | Fiserv Forum | Milwaukee
One of rock’s most influential guitarists comes to Milwaukee as Eric Clapton draws from more than five decades of music, spanning Cream, Derek and the Dominos and his legendary solo career. Texas blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan, opens the show.
Theater & Film
Come From Away
Opening Weekend | Fireside Dinner Theatre | Fort Atkinson
The timing of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 makes this opening weekend especially meaningful. The Tony Award-winning Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of thousands of airline passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, following the September 11 attacks and the local residents who welcomed complete strangers into their homes and community. It’s a moving celebration of kindness, generosity and unexpected friendship.
The World Goes ‘Round
Opening Weekend | Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Milwaukee
Milwaukee Rep opens its season with a musical celebration of legendary Broadway songwriting team John Kander and Fred Ebb. The World Goes ‘Round brings together songs from Chicago, Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, New York, New York and more in a revue packed with familiar show tunes.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Saturday at midnight | Oriental Theatre | Milwaukee
Do the Time Warp again at Milwaukee’s Oriental Theatre with an interactive screening of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This will be the first Oriental Theatre screening since the death of Tim Curry last month, giving the monthly Milwaukee tradition added significance as fans celebrate his unforgettable performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Costumes and audience participation are all part of the experience.
Sports
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds
Friday-Sunday, September 11-13 | American Family Field | Milwaukee
The Brewers welcome the Cincinnati Reds for a weekend series at American Family Field with a couple of fun giveaways. On Saturday, the first 25,000 fans receive a Brewers Oktoberfest Alpine Hat, complete with a feather plume. Sunday is for younger fans, with the first 5,000 kids ages 14 and under receiving a Hank the Dog plushie.
Keep up with culture and creativity in Wisconsin and around the world with “What’s On Tap with Sandy Maxx” weekdays at 6 p.m. on WTMJ.
