Milwaukee Happy Note—January 31st, February 1st, and February 2nd, 2025

Greetings All,

Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!

Groundhog Day is this weekend (we call ‘em woodchucks ‘round these parts). What’s it gonna be? Is winter gonna be over? Or will winter stick around for six more weeks? Whatever the groundhog says may it definitively happen unequivocally! If it’s gonna be winter, then give us some real winter complete with snow so we can all go out and play a little (like cross country skiing…it’s killing me to look at my skis sitting unused in my basement!!!). And if winter is over…then let it be OVER!! Those endless Milwaukee days of cold damp and gray, that aren’t really winter and certainly aren’t spring, really get in my way. But hey, we’re Milwaukeeans and we’re here to stay. So that’s why we have so many cool (umm…warm) things to do (mostly indoors) to help us get through the worst of our winter cold damp and gray!

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 January 31st, February 1st, and February 2^nd, 2025):

New and Cool???

-The Milwaukee Public Museum kicks off “Canstruction Milwaukee” where architectural and engineering teams construct massive sculptures out of non-perishable and canned food items (runs through February 17^th). BTW, all those food items get donated to local food pantries when it’s over!

-The Milwaukee County Zoo presents Family Free Day on Saturday (can’t beat the price!).

-The Domes presents their All-Scale Model Train Show with scales ranging from huge G Scale trains down to teeny tiny Z Scale trains (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE trains?).

-Wehr Nature Center presents: “Brews and Shoes” (probably not snowshoes cuz there ain’t no snow) on Friday and “Guided Forest Bathing Walk” on Sunday (bring shoes…and soap?).

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Winter Fest and Grand Reopening at Washington Park” (where’s winter?).

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents: “I Spy: A Winter Fairy”; “Nature Journaling”; “Raptor Saturday”; “Raptor Encounter; “Nature Ambassadors”; and “Sound Waves Winter Concert Series: Noah James-Hittner”.

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Trails Aglow: Music in Nature”.

-Discovery World Museum presents “Snowflake Spectacular”.

-Crossroads Collective kicks off Black History Month.

-Conservancy for Healing and Heritage presents “A Day for Women to Unplug and Recharge”.

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Vivaldi’s the Four Seasons”.

-”Mitten Fest” in the Bay View Neighborhood (can one bring gloves?).

-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Manitoba Moose.

-World Cup Speed Skating at the Pettit National Ice Center.

-Milwaukee Wave is at home against the Baltimore Blast.

-”Makers Market” in the Walker’s Point Neighborhood.

-Marquette University Golden Eagles Men’s Basketball is at home against the UConn Huskies for National Marquette Day.

-UW Milwaukee Panthers Men’s Basketball is at home against Purdue Fort Wayne.

-UW Milwaukee Panthers Women’s Basketball is at home against the Cleveland State Vikings.

-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents: “Pendulum Dowsing for Insight and Clarity”; “Twenty Minute Reiki Renew”; “Bereavement Transformation 101”; “Rainstick Workshop”; and “Groundhog’s Day Gong Bath Sound Vibrations”.

-”Sunday Yoga” at Villa Terrace Arts Museum.

-Oak Creek Community Center has their indoor Winter Farmers Market.

-Racine Theater Guild presents “Michael Perry” and “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School”.

-Waukesha Civic Theater presents “101 Dalmatians Kids”.

-First Stage Theater debuts “Emily Song and the Queen of the Night” which runs through February 16^th.

-Knightwind Ensemble presents their Winter Concert: “Loki’s Revenge”.

-”re:Craft and Relic’s Winter Market” at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex.

-”Pet Expo” at the Wisconsin Exposition Center (yeah, it’s probably more like Dog Expo with a few cat things thrown in…I have historically been a cat guy but on Saturday I am expanding my fur baby family: I’m bringing home a puppy!!!).

Continuing…Yet Still Cool???

-Skylight Music Theater wraps up “Juliet & Romeo: A New Musical” this weekend (I guess it’s not new anymore if it’s coming to an end?).

-Sunset Playhouse wraps up “The Odd Couple” this weekend (well, isn’t that odd!).

-Renaissance Theaterworks wraps up “The Nether” this weekend (I’ve been to The Nether…Lands!).

-“Milwaukee Museum Days”, with free or discounted museum admission at MANY Milwaukee area museums and galleries, wraps up this weekend.

– The Domes continues its indoor garden train show “Golden Age of Steam” through April 6^th.

-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olson Planetarium continues “Scale of The Universe” through February 7^th.

-Wehr Nature Center continues “Wehr Birders” every Sunday (where?).

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues “The Craic” through March 16^th and “The Woman in Black” through March 23^rd.

-Lake Country Playhouse continues “The Dining Room” through February 9^th.

-First Stage Theater continues “The Dinosaur Play” through February 16^th.

-Racine Zoo continues “Winter Picnic in a Snow Globe” through February 23^rd.

-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “The Big 4-0 Collection, Vol. 2: New Views of the Collection”; “Michelle Grabner: Under the Sink”; “Visual Legacies: Photographs by Ellie Lee Weems”; and Parallel Play: The Art of Science & the Science of Art”. All run through May 24^th.

 

A Dare? I dare you to…go to a museum this weekend and take advantage of free or discounted admission!

 

Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include (but are not limited to) 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. 

Doc

 

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