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Milwaukee With Kids weekend guide: Fall, football and four Oktoberfests

(Clockwise from left) Wine & Harvest Festival in Cedarburg, a Packers tailgate in Davidson Park and Elm Grove Oktoberfest are all happening this weekend.
Festivals of Cedarburg; Harley-Davidson; Elm Grove Community Foundation
(Clockwise from left) Wine & Harvest Festival in Cedarburg, a Packers tailgate in Davidson Park and Elm Grove Oktoberfest are all happening this weekend.

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 picks

Opening of Domes Fall Show: Mythical Menagerie
Sept. 20-Nov. 9
The Domes’ Fall Floral Show features enchanting floral displays filled with autumn color, and the Education Center is preparing to welcome some new residents – frogs!

Super September Saturday Sidewalk Sale at Ruckus & Glee
Sept. 20 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Score up to 75% off toys, games, puzzles, and blind bags for extra surprises. Plus, don’t miss Sue’s Story Time for Tots at 10:30 AM!

Flight Day at Discovery World
Sept. 21 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Festivities include a paper airplane distance competition, interactive exhibitors with hands-on engineering and aerodynamics activities, and an animal presentation.


Free fun

Football Tailgate at Davidson Park 
Sept. 21 | Noon-3 p.m.
This Packer viewing party will be fun for all ages! Enjoy food, drinks, entertainment, games, giveaways, a wing competition, and more while you cheer on the green and gold.

Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin
Sept. 21 | 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Enjoy authentic Puerto Rican food, listen to live music, create air-dry clay taino art in the Kids Zone, and more at a new location: Henry Maier Festival Park.

Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival 
Sept. 20-21
This two-day festival features live music, grape stomping, pumpkin weigh-ins, a hilarious giant pumpkin regatta (Sunday, 2 PM), a classic car show, a Kids Korner with petting zoo, bouncers and barrel train, and more!

Bay View Bash 
Sept. 20 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
All proceeds from this community festival of food, art, music, crafts, books, and more are directly invested back into the neighborhoods.


Family-friendly Oktoberfests

Milwaukee is famous for its lively Oktoberfest celebrations, and you don’t have to leave the kids at home to enjoy them. All across the city and surrounding communities, families can take part in fall festivals filled with German food, live music, dancing and kid-friendly activities. Here are a few happening this weekend:


For younger kids

Pocket Park Reopens at Betty Brinn
Sept. 17-18
The Pocket Park exhibit at Betty Brinn Children’s Museum — designed just for kids 4 and under — is getting a magical tooth fairy garden theme refresh, complete with a brand-new treehouse, an expanded soft crawl area, and a larger nursing room with a changing table.

Discounted Sunday at the Zoo
Sept. 21 | 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Milwaukee County residents receive a reduced County admission rate for the last time this calendar year.


For older kids

DroneArt Show at Veterans Park
Sept. 20 | 7:30-9 p.m.
As night falls, hundreds of illuminated drones take off and create stunning shapes in the sky, moving in time with live classical music. Runtime: 45 minutes.

Batman 1989 Film With Orchestra
Sept. 19-20 | 7:30 p.m.
Relive the incredible performances of Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and the rest of the stellar cast, enhanced by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performing the legendary music by composer Danny Elfman.