This past weekend Polish Fest took place in Milwaukee. The largest celebration of Polish heritage and history in the United States, it’s always the first big ethnic festival to kick off the season at Henry Maier Festival Park. It’s officially festival season here in Milwaukee. Polish Fest is one of three events I attended over the weekend. On Saturday, Jake and I had lunch and listened to some polka at the Downtown Racine German Fest and then headed up to Milwaukee for the Lakefront Festival of Art. Jake and I have browsed the art festival for several years now and finally made some purchases this weekend. We bought some art while on the cruise, too, so I may be sharing more about our new pieces later this summer as we get them displayed.
I took pictures at Polish Fest, so that’s what I’m sharing in more detail today. Milwaukee is so fortunate to have Henry Maier Festival Park. Home to Summerfest, it’s an enormous festival space with ample room for all of the ethnic festival activities – food, drink, craft demonstrations, shopping, genealogy, live music, dancing, and more. You can stay right in the heart of the action or spread out with your food or let your kids run around along the lakefront.
A little taste of what I’ve been listening to lately…over and over again. Check it out!
Radioactive by Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix (Imagine Dragons Cover) – I’m a huge Lindsey Stirling fan and frequently default to her albums while I’m working. Lately to mix it up a little, I started listening to her YouTube channel. Lindsey has so many fantastic covers, but Radioactive is really ahead of the pack. I absolutely love the string addition to the song, which isn’t a big surprise because I love strings in rock music. Some of the riffs remind me of this song.
I’m not a Pentatonix fan because most of the time, they try way too hard. I don’t like having music shoved in my face. You just want to say, “Hey, you’re really good. Stop trying to prove that and tone it down a little bit.” If they sang like they sing on Radioactive all the time, I would love them. The a capella arrangement adds so much to the song. For me, this is definitely one of those covers that rivals, if not surpasses, the original.
Lane Boy by Twenty One Pilots – In another effort not to exhaust Lindsey Stirling’s albums completely, one day I browsed related suggestions on Amazon for Lindsey Stirling fans and came across Twenty One Pilots. (Yeah, I know they’re not new…at all.) I’ve been listening to Vessel and Blurryface a lot. Initially my favorite song was Holding On to You, but lately Lane Boy is the one I keep repeating. I think it’s largely because I recently read The Song Machine.
Adele – Hello / Lacrimosa (Mozart) by The Piano Guys – The classical mashup theme continues. (This is one of my absolute favorite bands, remember?) One of my good friends in high school went through a huge obsession with Mozart’s Requiem (yep…). It got me listening to the Requiem a lot. Consequently I still know the piece very well so I sort of geeked out over this mashup. Adele and the Lacrimosa sounds like a terrible combination, but it works so well. Cello fits both melodies wonderfully, and the video is the perfect match for the arrangement with its staggering number of loops. Jake and I got to see The Piano Guys live earlier this year, and they played this song, which was nothing short of amazing, as was the whole show. If you ever have a chance to see them live, don’t miss the opportunity.
Walking in a Circle by Santigold – I checked out Santigold after the lead singer of I’m Not a Pilot mentioned he was a fan and was instantly hooked. Walking in a Circle is from her latest album, 99 Cents, which is just as strong as her first two albums. Typically I listen to the whole album straight through without repeating specific songs or starting at a specific song. So it was hard to pick one favorite to mention here, but I really love the chorus of Walking in a Circle.
Wristband by Paul Simon – I’ve been listening to Paul Simon ever since I was little. You Can Call Me Al is one of my two all-time favorite songs. (The other one is Blackbird by the Beatles). I’m blown away by Paul Simon’s consistent song writing. His newest, Stranger to Stranger, may not have a lot of hits, but he still knows how to write a great song. Normally I don’t gravitate toward the single from an album, but I had to go with Wristband for this post. If you haven’t heard So Beautiful or So What, please give it a listen, too.
What have you been listening to and loving lately? Leave your recommendations in the comments!
This story. I can’t even think about it too much without getting teary eyed. I am following his Instagram account now, though, and it’s amazing. Recently I read that Vanilla Ice STILL gets daily tweets with snaps of the A1A because of the reference in Ice Ice Baby. Proof from this account just last month that this is a real thing. Mind blowing.
Alisa Burke has been creating free coloring pages for over a year now. This summer she’s been releasing a new one every week. If you are into the adult coloring trend, check them out. For those who have anxiety about messing up favorite pages from coloring books, you don’t have to stress about Alisa’s pages because you can save and then print them as many times as you like. Also, on the subject of coloring books, did you hear about the new Lisa Frank coloring books?! Too awesome for words.
Some of the most amazing drone footage I’ve ever seen. The music is…a little distracting. If you’re tempted to quit watching the video because of the music, mute it. Make sure to watch all the way to the end because the final footage of star trails is unreal.
These infertility announcements are priceless. I think that cheezy social media announcements are really stupid anyway, but obviously I’ve been really over cheezy pregnancy announcements for a long time…and so have a lot of other people. The “we spent all the dough…still no bun in the oven” is my favorite. On the same subject, this announcement cracks me up, too.
Jake came across Displate recently, and it’s so great. I especially love their minimal movie posters. Eventually we’re going to expand the seating, upgrade the sound system, and add a bar area in our finished basement space. I’ve moved all the art from the finished basement space in our old house to other areas of our new house, leaving the basement a blank slate. We’ve talked about decorating it with movie posters. I haven’t seen anything I’ve liked nearly as much as the minimal movie collection. I haven’t nearly browsed all of them yet, but a few initial favorite include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Italian Job, Casino Royale, and Back to the Future (there are actually multiple minimal Back to the Future designs, and they’re all great). Also, I LOVE the design for Casablanca. I don’t want the theme to be classic movies because I’m not a movie buff so it would feel pretentious, but the Casablanca design is so fabulous.
Many of you know that one of my favorite places in Milwaukee is the VA grounds. I recently learned the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance has a Soldiers Home walking tour app for the grounds. How neat is that? Save the Soldiers Home also has lots of cool photos and historical information.
Getting a new Crate and Barrel catalog in the mail is always a little highlight in the day. I’m flipping out about this colorful kitchen spread in the latest fall preview catalog. I want all of their colorful kitchen items.
We have tickets to see Lindsey Stirling in Milwaukee this fall! I’ve already talked about my love for Lindsey Stirling on this blog and am so excited to see her live. When I was browsing the tour schedule for her new album, I ended up browsing her merch as well. She has a lot of awesome t-shirt designs. I’m still on the fence about whether or not I’ll get one before her concert, but if I do, it will be this one or this one.
What have you been loving lately?
Feel free to leave links in the comments!
I haven’t been keeping up with my Milwaukee events posts lately. Frankly, they haven’t done as well as I hoped they would, and I’ve had other priorities on the blog this year. But my November posts always do well with people looking up holiday event information. So I’m bringing it back to give you all the details on fun holiday festivities in the greater Milwaukee area this year.
Milwaukee Cocktail Week: Sept. 26-Oct. 2: Catch the last couple days of Cocktail Week! Dozens of Milwaukee bars and restaurants are offering special week-long menus.
China Lights: Oct. 1-Nov. 6, open nightly 5:30-10:00 p.m. The Boerner Botanical Gardens is hosting the internationally acclaimed China Lights exhibit for the entire month of October. The 38-acre gardens boast 38 displays with more than 1,000 lighted components.
Book of Mormon: Oct. 25-30 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The Book of Mormon is making its second run in Milwaukee for one week only! If you haven’t seen the show yet, make it a priority to go this month.
October is an ideal time to visit Holy Hill and climb the scenic tower to experience southeast WI’s fall colors in their full glory. The final Holy Hill Art & Farm Market for 2016 takes place October 15-16. The tower is open Sundays 1:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m., weather permitting. While you’re in the area, check out Jim Zamzow’s annual Halloween yard display.
Farmers Markets
The greater Milwaukee area is home to dozens of fabulous farmers markets, including one of my personal favorites (and one of the biggest in the area), the West Allis Farmers Market. Many Milwaukee farmers markets operate through mid to late fall. Pick up apples, pumpkins, cider, and much more.
Beer Gardens
Milwaukee is home to four fabulous beer gardens, all of which operate through October. It’s not too late to enjoy a brew and a giant pretzel in a gorgeous park setting. The Landing at Hoyt Park features live music on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (see event calendar for times), and the South Shore Terrace features live music Wednesday evenings from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
[Disclaimer: I do not work for the city of Milwaukee. I am not paid to promote any of the events listed on this page. I’m simply a resident of southeast WI who loves Milwaukee and enjoys attending and generating exposure for events in Milwaukee.]
A couple of weeks ago, Jake and I went to a Classic FM Pops concert with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. (Some of you may have seen my Facebook post about Josh Turner.) Needless to say, it was a lot of fun. Among other selections, the concert featured a medley of Chicago songs. When I was in pep band in college, we played 25 to 6 or 4 and/or Make Me Smile at nearly every game. There aren’t a lot of things I miss about college, but going to basketball games and playing in the pep band was so much fun. After the concert, all I wanted to do was listen to my old pep band mix.
The 4th of July is such a fun holiday to celebrate with toddlers who will look forward to riding decorated bikes, making festive cookies, and watching fireworks all summer long. Planning 4th of July activities for toddlers ensures your little ones have entertaining, age-appropriate activities the entire week leading up to the Fourth as well as during celebrations throughout the 4th itself.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival: Nov. 17, 2016-Jan. 1, 2017. The event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. It features music, dancing, hot chocolate, and a visit from Santa. For just $1, take the 40-minute Jingle Bus ride, which showcases the lights displays as well as iconic downtown landmarks.
A Cedarburg Christmas: Mid-November – Christmas. Cedarburg transforms their quaint downtown with tasteful seasonal decorations and thousands of twinkling lights to put everyone in the holiday mood while they shop and dine. There are events taking place every day, including Festive Friday Eves, the Rivoli Theater’s Holiday Film series, and the Cedarburg Artists Guild’s Holiday Art Fair.
Deck the Streets of Old Milwaukee: Nov. 19-Jan. 29. The Milwaukee Public Museum transforms the Streets of Old Milwaukee into a holiday wonderland with a Victorian-era touch featuring holly, ribbons, wreaths, garlands, bells, and more. The exhibit kicks off on Saturday, November 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with musical performances, holiday programs, and family activities.
Candy Cane Lane: Nov. 25-Dec. 25. There are more than 300 homes that participate in the annual Candy Cane Lane. View decorations in West Allis from 92nd to 96th Street between Montana Avenue and Oklahoma Avenue. The event is free, but donations to the MACC fund are always appreciated.
Fantastic Forest: Dec. 2-29. The Milwaukee County Zoo features a Fantastic Forest in the U.S. Bank Gathering Space with 63 evergreen trees, all filled with animal ornaments. Milwaukee youth groups create these ornaments as part of the Zoological City of Milwaukee’s Trim-a-Tree project. The initiative is sponsored by Hawks Landscape. Admission is included with general zoo admission.
Miller Valley Holiday Lites: Dec. 2-17. Miller-Coors decks out their premises for the holidays, complete with a giant tree made of 150 beer kegs. The Holiday Lites mini tour includes the factory opening video, iconic Miller Caves, and of course, the lights. Tours are free and open to all ages. They run every 20 minutes from 4:40-9:00 p.m. You must be 21 or order and present a valid ID to sample beer.
Christmas in the Ward: Dec. 2-3. The 28th Annual Christmas in the Ward is a great time to find savings on unique items in the local Third Ward shops. The event features live music, holiday refreshments, horse-drawn carriage rides, Santa in Jolly’s Outdoor Gingerbread House, fireworks, costumed characters, and live reindeer.
Pabst / Riverside and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Don’t forget to pick up tickets for The Nutcracker as well! The Milwaukee Ballet offers 10 performances at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts from Dec. 10-Dec. 22.
[Disclaimer: I do not work for the city of Milwaukee. I am not paid to promote any of the events listed on this page. I’m simply a resident of southeast WI who loves Milwaukee and enjoys attending and generating exposure for events in Milwaukee.]
