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.
Featured event
MPM Greatest Hits: Dino Days of Summer
Milwaukee Public Museum
July 11-Aug. 6
Dig up discovery as you travel 65 million years into the past to the age of dinosaurs. Examine real fossils, compete in a T. rex trivia contest, meet a paleontologist and more at this event for dino lovers of all ages. Don’t miss Saturday’s kickoff celebration (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), featuring interactive stations.
Fun festivities
Bastille Days
Cathedral Square Park
July 9-12
One of the nation’s largest French-themed celebrations, this four-day bash in Cathedral Square Park features live music, an international marketplace, French and Cajun cuisine, roaming busker entertainment, family-friendly activities, French language lessons and more.
Festa Italiana
Henry Maier Festival Park
July 10-12
Enjoy authentic Italian cuisine and desserts, experience live music from national and local performers, and take in fan-favorite activities like the bocce ball tournament, soccer matches and the Italian Idol competition. Families will find plenty to enjoy, including a kids’ pizza-making contest and other interactive activities, and the festival concludes with a spectacular fireworks display.
Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival
Henry Maier Festival Park | South Gate Plaza
July 11 | 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Watch the dragon boats on Lake Michigan while enjoying a variety of Chinese culture, food and traditions, including performances in traditional dance, Chinese folk music and martial arts. Make opera masks and lanterns, play games, participate in a dragon parade, and even learn to speak and write Chinese.
The Allis Fiber Festival
Charles Allis Art Museum
July 11 | Noon-4 p.m.
Included with your museum admission, this event gives you the opportunity to watch demonstrations of weaving, knitting, spinning, fiber processing, quilting, lace-making, crochet and felting, and try your own hand at the craft! Don’t forget to stop by the courtyard and interact with some fiber-bearing animals, including llama, alpaca and rabbit.
All Goods Fest
West Allis Farmer’s Market
July 12 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
All Goods Fest is more than just a shopping experience; it’s a full-on celebration of vintage culture, community and creativity. One of the most exciting vintage festivals in the Midwest includes 60+ vendors, thousands of vintage t-shirts, sneakers and streetwear from the ’70s to today, and food vendors serving all day long.
Step into the past
Optimist Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park
Wisconsin Lutheran College
July 11 | 1-6 p.m.
Compete in Renaissance-era games, try your hand at bard-themed trivia, make your own garland, and watch live performances of Richard III (puppet edition) and The Merry Wives of Windsor: Falstaff’s Tale with live music accompaniment.
Bristol Renaissance Faire
Kenosha
July 11-Sept. 7
It’s the opening weekend for 30 acres of pure fun just south of Milwaukee! Take a rollicking romp through Elizabethan England, complete with 16th-century arts, crafts, games, rides, food, music and one-of-a-kind encounters with a colorful cast of characters. Open rain or shine every Saturday and Sunday, plus Labor Day.
Find time to play
Community Field Day
Kletzsch Park | Glendale
July 12 | 1-4 p.m.
Bring the kids or channel your own inner child for a classic outdoor field day, led by the play experts at Playworks. Part of the Healthy County Challenge, this event features timeless favorites like the three-legged race and new games like rainbow tag for a full afternoon of outdoor play that’s guaranteed fun for all ages.
Milwaukee Milkmen Homestand
Franklin Field
July 10-12
One of Wisconsin’s best baseball rivalries returns to Franklin Field as the Lake Country DockHounds visit for a three-game weekend series packed with fireworks (Friday), a special Milwaukee Bucks theme night (Saturday) and Free Donuts for Kids (Sunday).
Movies in the Park @ The AMP
Konkel Park | Greenfield
July 11
On Saturday evenings throughout the summer, the AMP at Konkel Park (5151 W. Layton Ave.) hosts a variety of family-friendly movies that begin at dusk. Bring a comfy chair or blanket for this Saturday’s selection: the new Disney/Pixar movie Hoppers!