Every week, Milwaukee With Kids answers a simple question for families across the area: What are we going to do this weekend? From indoor activities to outdoor adventures, we’ve got you covered. For the full weekend list, make sure to visit the Milwaukee With Kids website.
Top pick
Milwaukee Irish Fest
Henry Maier Festival Park | 200 N. Harbor Dr. | Milwaukee
August 14-17 | 5-10 p.m. (Thursday), 4-11 p.m. (Friday), Noon-11 p.m. (Saturday), 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (Sunday)
The largest celebration of its kind anywhere in the world, Milwaukee Irish Fest returns to the lakefront with more than 100 acts across 16 stages. Enjoy Irish music, dance, cuisine, sporting demonstrations, family activities and more. Kids can explore the Leprechaun Village, play mini golf, try crafts and games in the Children’s Area, and even meet Irish dog breeds in the Celtic Canine area. Children 12 and under get in free, and don’t require a ticket for entry.
More free fun
MOWA Art & Chalk Fest
Museum of Wisconsin Art | 205 Veterans Ave. | West Bend
August 16-17 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Join the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) at this live-arts weekend in West Bend. Experience artists creating large-scale works of chalk art right before your eyes, watch a glass-blowing demo in a mobile hot shop, or see clay sculpted into handmade vessels on a pottery wheel, all while listening to live music. Visit the expanded Activity Zone to participate in Chalk the Street or hands-on art projects.
Kids Day at Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park
Sunday, Aug. 17 | 9 a.m.-2.p.m.
Come to Downtown Milwaukee’s only weekly market, featuring a diverse selection of vendors offering fresh produce, prepared foods, farm-to-table goods and handmade art. This Sunday is Kids Day, with a schedule that includes:
- 10 a.m. — Bilingual story time
- 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — Balloon art
- 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. — Live music by Holly Haebig & Dena Aronson
- Face painting with Face Painters Ink
- Ice cream from Ben & Jerry’s Milwaukee
Outdoor Movie Nights
Various locations
Aug. 15-16
- Friday Aug. 15: Davidson Park, Milwaukee — Wish, 6:30 p.m. (with community partner Make A Wish Wisconsin)
- Friday, Aug. 15: Firemen’s Park, Germantown — The Wild Robot, 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 16: Veterans Park, Milwaukee — Captain America: Brave New World, 8:30 p.m.
Back to School Field Days & Ice Cream Social
Havenwoods State Forest | 6141 N. Hopkins St. | Milwaukee
Saturday, Aug. 16 | 1-4 p.m.
Celebrate the last days of summer vacation with a day of fun at Havenwoods! Enjoy outdoor yard and playground games, and ice cream (while supplies last). All ages welcome.
Red Magic Art Festival
3580 W. Kinnickinnic River Pkwy | Milwaukee
Sunday, Aug. 17 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Gather the family for this one-day festival celebrating Native American arts and culture. The event features local and regional Native American artists showcasing and selling both traditional and contemporary forms across a variety of disciplines. Enjoy food, drinks, live entertainment, games, face painting and free art activities for all ages.
Other fun ideas
A La Carte at the Zoo
Milwaukee County Zoo | 10001 W. Bluemound Rd. | Milwaukee
August 14-17 | 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. (Thursday-Saturday), 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. (Sunday)
The zoo comes alive with music, food, and fun for this annual tradition. In addition to the stellar collection of animals, popular Milwaukee restaurants offer delicious fare throughout the park, while top national and local entertainers perform for guests on six stages.
Wicked
Uihlein Hall | 929 N. Water St. | Milwaukee
Now-Aug. 17 (various showtimes)
This Broadway sensation looks at what happened in the Land of Oz — but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin. She’s smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships, until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.”