Milwaukee Happy Note–September 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2023

Greetings All,

Happy (almost) Friday, Happy (almost) Weekend, and Happy (almost) End of the Week!😃

First official weekend of Fall. And perhaps I shouldn’t admit this…I really like Fall! Cool, crisp evenings that inevitably lead to warm wool socks, comfy sweaters, hot apple cider, a cozy crackling fire, the most gorgeous nature scenes of the year with all manner of yellows and golds and oranges and crimson and scarlet, and a slowing of our pace that is therapy for my harried summer soul. Fall, the time of year when we Danes start to re-embrace Hygge (I love my Danish heritage!). Have I painted a picture? 🎃🍂🍁

And just because it’s Fall doesn’t mean that Milwaukee Awesome comes to an end. No way! We just take the party indoors!! For instance, theater season is full speed ahead this weekend!!!

We Milwaukeeans, though, are a hearty bunch! Just because it gets a little cold outside doesn’t mean we completely hide indoors. No way!! We just put on a few more layers and head out the door. We never stop just because there’s a little chill in the air!!!

Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of September 22nd, 23rd, and 24th):

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2023/2024 season this weekend with Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (bum bum bum buuuuuuum!!!).

-Boerner Botanical Gardens presents “Meet The Artist—Laura Easey-Jones” this weekend only AND continues “China Lights 2023” with awesome nighttime lantern magic through October 29th.

-“Waukesha Oktoberfest” (in September 🤷‍♂️…in Waukesha 😊).

-Milwaukee Domes presents “Free Wellness Mini Fair–Yoga, Healing, and More” AND “Houseplant Hospital: Pesky Pests and Diseases with Chelotzin’s Dulce Duran” (our incredible Domes NEED our support as their fate hangs in the balance…use ‘em or lose ‘em and I’d really rather NOT lose them!).

-“Traditional Irish Music Session” at County Clare (in County Milwaukee 😊).

-Milwaukee County Zoo continues its summer spectacle “Dino Don’s Journey to the Ice Age” through October 7th (well, is it now considered a Fall spectacle 🤷‍♂️?).

-“Film on the Hill” at Tippecanoe Park.

-Milwaukee Public Museum continually presents outstanding educational strolls throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Into America’s Wild” narrated by Morgan Freeman) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory!🦋

-Lake Country Playhouse continues “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” with performances through October 1st.

-“Greendale Hay Days” in Historic Downtown Greendale (hey, it’s Hay, not hey 🤪).

-“Deer District Summer Concert Series” (now in Fall 🤷‍♂️) continues with performances from Andrew David Weber (not to be confused with Andrew Lloyd Weber). In addition, Deer District presents “Milwaukee Makers Market” (Saturday only).

-Falls Patio Players debuts “Noises Off” with performances through October 1st.

-Milwaukee Art Museum continually presents its “Drop-In Art Making”, “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil) AND is participating in “Doors Open Milwaukee”. And let us not forget there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence.

-Lakeside Players of Kenosha wraps up its performances of “Lombardi” this weekend (just in time for the Packers).

-“Fromm PetFest 2023” at Henry Maier Festival Park (hopefully there’s a little bit of stuff for kitties 🐈‍⬛ ???).

-Waukesha Civic Theatre continues “12 Angry Men” with performances through October 1st (oooh, why so angry?).

-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” through December 23rd; “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” through December 23rd; and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” through May 12, 2024 (and it’s FREE).

-Milwaukee Chamber Theatre debuts “Laughs in Spanish” with performances through October 8th (I’m working on my laughs in Danish).

-“Doors Open Milwaukee”. And what exactly is “Doors Open Milwaukee”? It’s 130+ Milwaukee buildings and sites that are opening their doors to visitors and it’s happening all around Downtown Milwaukee and beyond.

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues “Run Bambi Run” with performances through October 22nd AND “Country Sunshine: The Legendary Ladies of Nashville with Katie Deal” with performances through October 29th.

-Mt. Mary University’s Marian Art Gallery continues “Abrahm Guthrie-Potter: Marking the Season” through October 6th (and it’s FREE).

-Next Act Theatre debuts “Splash Hatch on the E Going Down” with performances through October 15th.

-“Harbor Fest” in Milwaukee’s Harbor District.

-Racine Theatre Guild continues “The Cemetery Club” with performances through October 1st.

-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Gong Bath + Restorative Yoga” AND “Autumn Equinox Ceremony & Gong Sound Bath Meditation” (is there a difference between a gong bath and a gong sound bath 🤷‍♂️?).

-Renaissance Theaterworks debuts “Witch” with performances through November 12th.

-Yoga at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum (and it’s FREE).

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Yoga and Forest Bathing” AND “Sturgeon Fest @ Harbor Fest”.

-Wehr Nature Center presents “Flow Yoga” AND “Wehr Birders” (where? No…Wehr!).

-Peninsula Players Theater in Door County (yes Door County cuz I feel like I need to be there) continues its performances of “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” through October 15th.

-Retzer Nature Center debuts “Scarecrow Lane” with awesome decorated Fall hikes through October 31st AND “Apple Harvest Fest” (Saturday only).

-Northern Sky Theatre in Door County (yes Door County cuz I feel like everyone should be there!) continues its indoor performances of “When Pigs Fly!” through October 21st.

-Sunset Playhouse wraps up its performances of “Dad’s Season Tickets” this weekend.

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Kayaking Adventure on the Menomonee River” AND is participating in “Doors Open Milwaukee”.

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Acrylic Painting Workshop”, “Word With a Bird”, and is participating in “Doors Open Milwaukee”.

-Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison presents “Fall Bulb Sale”, “Medicinal Herbs/Herb Exploration”, “Abstract Sunflowers With Alcohol Ink”, and continues “Gleam” (kinda like their own version of China Lights…that’s less expensive).

-Farmer’s Market? How ‘bout Whitefish Bay?

-Hike? How ‘bout The Conservancy for Healing and Heritage in Franklin?

-Apple orchard? How ‘bout Awe’s in Franklin (have an apple cider doughnut for me). You can even pick your own apples (too much work for me…I just want to get to the eating of apples).

-A dare? I dare you to sit under a tree for ten full minutes without touching your mobile device (unless it’s to take an awesome photo that captures the moment).

-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.

Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊

Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.

PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so, there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷‍♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.