Milwaukee Happy Note–October 13th, 14th, and 15th, 2023

Mornin’ All,

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

Friday the 13th. How appropriate for this time of year. Halloween is on the horizon, spooky movies abound, haunted houses are scaring the crap out of us…and we throw Friday the 13th into the mix. Per Disney’s Haunted Mansion: “creepy creeps with eerie eyes” and “weird glows gleam where spirits dwell”. But Disney reminds us that those creepy creeps only “pretend to terrorize”. Ah yes, the softer, cuter, gentler side of Halloween (perfect for Halloween wimps like me). Pumpkins and black cats (Maui says hi) and scarecrows and hot apple cider and pretty leaves and bonfires…and the occasional chills up and down my spine. Sounds like Hygge to me! And with heavy rain moving in for this weekend we just might have to crank up the indoor cozy Hygge. And you know what I say about that? Bring it!!😃

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 October 13th, 14th, and 15th…Friday the 13th!!!).

-Boerner Botanical Gardens continues “China Lights 2023” with awesome nighttime lantern magic through October 29th.🏮

-Boerner Botanical Gardens also presents “Autumn Garden Walks” (wait, Autumn is walking through the Gardens? Ooh, I hope Autumn doesn’t Fall!).🍁

-Skylight Music Theatre debuts “Candide” with performances through October 29th (for all you dental folks…that’s Candide with an “e” and NOT Candida with an “a”).

-Florentine Opera presents “L’Elisir d’amore / Elixir of Love” this weekend only.

-“Harvest Festival” at the Milwaukee Public Market.

-Phantom Lake YMCA Camp in Mukwonago debuts “The Hollows” Halloween spectacle with haunted Halloween thrills (like thousands of carved pumpkins) through October 28th. All proceeds benefit the YMCA’s mission and vision at Phantom Lake Camp.🎃

-Milwaukee Domes continues “Fall Show: Earth–The Art of Nature” through November 5th (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!).🌎🎨

-Basse’s “Taste of Country Pumpkin Festival” in Colgate (I hear that 4 out of 5 dentists prefer Colgate…or is it Crest 🤔?).

-Sister Bay “Fall Fest” in Door County (this IS the big one!).

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

-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.

-Milwaukee Public Museum presents the “Annual Gala” benefiting the mission and the vision of the Museum. And don’t forget, the 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!🦋

-First Stage (Theater) continues “Dream, Quickie! Dream!” with performances through October 29th.

-Milwaukee Astronomical Society’s “Annular Solar Eclipse” viewing and open house benefiting the Astronomical Society’s Observatory.🪐

-Sunset Playhouse presents “The Sound of Her Music: Julie Andrews Tribute” this weekend only (the hills are alive…).

-Discovery World presents “Annular Solar Eclipse”, “Milwaukee Makers Market”, and “Kohl’s Design It! Lab Open”.

-Waukesha Civic Theatre wraps up its performances of “Natural Shocks”.

-“Jack-O’-Lantern Nights” continues at Racine Zoo and runs through October 29th (oooh, so scary…but is most likely cuter and happier than actually scary, and it all helps raise money for MANY varieties of animal chow/biscuits).

-Lake Country Playhouse debuts “The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition” with performances through October 22nd.

-“Dragon Days Fantasy Festival” in Lake Geneva (yes, this is a Dungeons and Dragons kind of thing).🐉

-Lakeside Players of Kenosha wraps up its performances of “Madagascar Jr”.

-Milwaukee Art Museum debuts “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” featuring works by Rembrandt and runs through January 28th, 2024. This weekend’s other special event is “Taking a Ride: ‘Our Time Together’ Bus Tour”. Per usual, the Museum continues its “Drop-In Art Making”, “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. And let’s not forget there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence.

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

-“Southshore Terrace Kitchen”, benefiting Milwaukee County Parks, continues at Southshore Park on Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront.

-Bel Canto Chorus presents “Jazz Meets Bach” this weekend only (ahhh, Bach).

-Whitnall Park Beer Garden benefiting Milwaukee County Parks.

-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).

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

-Lakeshore State Park (near the Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee) presents “Fall Bird Hike and Identification” (ooh, I want to identify all the birds that are out hiking!).🦆

-Milky Way Drive-In Theater continues at The Rock in Franklin with more scary movies including “Hocus Pocus 2”, “Casper”, and “Friday the 13th” (“Friday the 13th” on Friday the 13th…🤔).

-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “New Moon Gong Bath & Sound Meditation” (my gongs do need some cleaning).

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Canoeing the Milwaukee River in Thiensville”, “Open Climb: Autumnal Views from the Canopy”, and “Growing Green Cooking Series: Apples” (green apples?).

-Wehr Nature Center presents “Wehr Birders” (where?).🦉

-Retzer Nature Center continues “Scarecrow Lane” with awesome decorated Fall hikes through October 31st.🎃

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Clothing Swap” (will there be private changing rooms?).

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Ephemeral Nature–Ephemeral Art”, “Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing”, “Word With a Bird”, and “Photo Club” (photos of bird words?).

-Lapham Peak State Park presents “Friday the 13th Hike” AND “Focus Group: Fall Colors Photography Session with Art’s Camera Plus” (there certainly seems to be a Friday the 13th theme all over town?).💀👻☠️

-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle continues “Halloween Legends & Lore” with historic scary stuff through October 21st.

-UW Milwaukee Manfred Olsen Planetarium presents “Solar Eclipse Viewing Party” (umm…partial solar eclipse 🤷‍♂️?).

-Farmer’s Market? West Allis is still rollin’.

-Hike? How ‘bout Lakeshore State Park (while identifying birds that are out hiking 🤷‍♂️)?

-A dare? I dare you to read a few pages in a real paper book (TEXTBOOKS DON’T COUNT!!!).

-Apple Orchard? Why not stop by Basse’s for their “Pumpkin Festival” and pick up some apples while you’re there?

-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.

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