Kayak to Support Milwaukee Riverkeepers

Kayaking through the Historic Third Ward. Photo courtesy of Beth Handle.

There’s plenty to do in the Milwaukee area this week while still maintaining social distancing.

Each week, Urban Milwaukee is curating a list of events that are taking the necessary safety precautions provided by the CDC in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This week, the annual Bay View Bash is pivoting to a parade, so you can still get a taste of Milwaukee street festivals while social distancing. There’s new art coming to Black Cat Alley, and a family-friendly treasure hunt will take participants on an adventure around downtown Milwaukee.

September 11: COVID Couch Series Presents Almighty Amanitus

The Cooperage (822 S. Water St.) is hosting a weekly virtual concert series called the COVID Couch Series, and this week’s performance is from Almighty Amanitus, a temporary quarantine project from the minds of members of Astral Hand. Almighty Amanitus will begin its psychedelic electronic journey at 9 p.m. and the performance can be streamed via The Cooperage’s Instagram page. Donations can be made to the band’s Venmo account @AMANITUS, and all proceeds will be matched by the band and then donated to the ACLU.

Broken Bat Brewing (135 E. Pittsburgh Ave.) and MobCraft Beer (505 S. 5th St.) are teaming up for a two-month long pop-up beer patio event. Every weekend from Sept. 4 until Oct. 25, Broken Bat Brewing will host local food vendors and musicians and have plenty of safe outdoor activities. The event aims to highlight as many Milwaukee breweries and artists as possible for the duration of its two months. This weekend it’s celebrating a tradition Wisconsinites didn’t get to partake in a whole lot of this year – tailgating. The beer patio will feature plenty of sports-themed fun and tailgating-inspired food. Those who wish to attend must purchase a $30 ticket that translates to a $30 beer voucher upon arrival. Guests have a choice between a 100-square-foot plot (bringing your own chairs is a must) or a picnic table. Each option only allows for six guests. Reservations are good for 90 minutes, and spots will be sanitized in the 15 minutes between reservations spots. To purchase tickets, follow this link.

September 11-12: Milwaukee Ghost Walks Tours the Third Ward

Halloween is still over a month away, but it’s never too early to indulge in some Milwaukee spookiness. Milwaukee Ghosts (400 N. Water St.), a company that celebrates local folklore and Milwaukee ghost stories, is taking guests on a tour of the Third Ward, which they describe as an “art district once a mysterious 19th century ghetto known as the ‘Bloody Third.’” The walk is entirely outside and runs for an hour-and-a-half along a 1.5-mile route. Tickets are $25 a person and can be purchased here.

September 12-13: Brew City Biscuits Pop-up Extends its Stay

Last week, we reported that it was your last chance to try Brew City Biscuits, a brunch pop-up that was taking over Smoke Shack (322 N. Milwaukee St.) Well, false alarm – the pop-up was so successful that Brew City Biscuits has decided to continue throughout the month of September (you can read more about that on last week’s Now Serving column). The pop-up is specializing in southern-style biscuit sandwiches, such as the Marty McKlucken, which is a biscuit sandwich topped with Nashville hot chicken, sweet and spicy pickles, lettuce, tomato and buttermilk mayo. Some Smoke Shack favorites will also be available. The pop-up will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers curbside pick-up.

September 12: Downtown Milwaukee Treasure Hunt

A treasure hunt hosted by Scavengee, a city-wide treasure hunting event group based out of Florida, is coming to downtown Milwaukee this weekend. The family friendly event will have participants helping Cap’n Graybeard find his missing treasure map using an app on their smartphones through a series of fun and challenging puzzles. Teams of up to six people can participate, and prizes will be awarded to those with the best team name, best costumes and highest point totals. Tickets per-team are $50. The event allows for teams to start their treasure at their own pace anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. And teams can choose their own route in order to avoid heavily congested areas within the city. The event is also a benefit for the Hunger Task Force. To purchase tickets, follow this link.

Every Saturday until Oct. 17, the Wauwatosa Farmer’s Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon. In accordance with guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and local health officials, the market has added new safety precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some important guidelines include limiting families to one healthy adult shopper (leave the kids at home if possible), one-way walking traffic routes and pre-ordering for quick pick-up. For a full list of guidelines, check out the Facebook event page. The market is located at Hart Mills Parking Lot at 7720 Harwood Ave.

September 12: Bay View Bash Pivots to Parade 

Like every other street festival this summer, Bay View Bash will not be happening. At least, not in the way Milwaukee has come to know it. Bay View Bash is teaming up with Rushmore Records (2635 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) for what they’re calling a mini “porch parade.” From 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., a convoy consisting of four trailers will travel through the Bay View neighborhood. The parade, which will begin at the intersection of Lincoln and Howell, will feature live music from local acts such as The Nasty Boys and The Quilz. The event is weather permitting, and will be rescheduled to Saturday, September 19 if forecast calls for rain.

September 12: Vegan BBQ Pop-up at X-Ray Arcade 

X-Ray Arcade (5036 S. Packard Ave.) and SteMartaen, a Chicago-based vegan caterer, are teaming up once again to bring a vegan pop-up to the Cudahy live-music venue. On the menu is a variety of wings, mac n’ cheese, sandwiches and nachos – all meat and dairy free. Don’t forget to pair your food with beer, cocktails or mocktails to go, and maybe even pick up some X-Ray Arcade merch to support a local music venue during a time when they need it most. Orders can be placed through this link and can be picked up between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday.

September 12: Gathering Place Beer Release and Oktoberfest Bundles

Gathering Place Brewing (811 E. Vienna Ave.) is celebrating the release of its Munich-style Festbier – a 6.1% ABV beer based on the most popular beer consumed at Munich’s Oktoberfest celebration. The Festbier has notes of toasted bread and biscuits with a hint of floral, tangerine and black tea aromas. The Festbier will be available on tap and four-packs of cans can be purchased for $12. Gathering Place is also offering an Oktoberfest Bundle, which includes a four-pack of the Festbier, a half-pound of Usinger’s Landjager sausage and a 16 oz. Milwaukee Pretzel Company pretzel for $20. Pre-orders can be made through this link, and pick-up will begin on Saturday at noon. The event will run until 8 p.m.

Every Saturday until the end of October, the Oak Creek Farmer’s Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market has new safety precautions in place and added an online ordering option that includes a drive-thru. Vendors start taking orders for pickup each Monday. The market is located at the Drexel Town Square, at 8040 S. 6th St.

September 12: Welcome Home Celebration for Washington D.C. Marchers

Milwaukee activist Frank Nitty, accompanied by a small group, marched from Milwaukee to Washington D.C. for the 57th anniversary of the 1963 Civil Rights march where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Now, an event is being held at Wilson Park (1601 W. Howard Ave.) to welcome them home and celebrate their accomplishment. It will run from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. A DJ will be present and food will be available, and the event is calling for everyone to wear masks and to bring chairs if possible.

September 12: South Shore Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday until the end of October, the South Shore Farmer’s Market at South Shore Park in Bay View will be open from 8 a.m. until noon. The market is following a new social-distancing format that will allow for safe, fast and easy transactions. Pre-orders can be made from the online store Monday through Thursday.

September 12-13: The East Side Art Market 

Every Saturday and Sunday throughout September, the East Side Art Lot (a new outdoor hangout spot that Urban Milwaukee previously reported on) will host a socially distanced art and maker market presented by The Waxwing, Milwaukee Makers Market and The East Side BID. From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., guests can browse 12 vendors while enjoying live local music. Masks are required for this event.

September 12-13: Paddle for Our Rivers Milwaukee Riverkeeper Fundraiser

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Fall, but there’s still time to enjoy a kayak ride out on the Milwaukee river. This weekend, Milwaukee Kayak Company (318 S. Water St) is renting canoes in four-hour increments to raise money for the Milwaukee Riverkeeper to keep supporting its mission of improving and advocating for Milwaukee’s water quality. The rentals are not a guided tour, so paddle at your own pace. Milwaukee Kayak Company will provide participants with a kayak, tandem, canoe or paddleboard, plus a life jacket, paddles, dry-bags, and water and snacks if needed. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Milwaukee Riverkeeper.

September 12-13, 15, 17: Fondy Farmer’s Market

Every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday until early November, the Fondy Farmers Market will be set up at 2200 W. Fond du Lac Ave. Fresh vegetables, baked goods, wellness products and more will be sold. The event is taking precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as requiring masks and prohibiting eating on-site. Free masks are available at the information booth. SNAP benefits are accepted, and some vendors also accept WIC and Senior vouchers. The market will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

September 13: Gallery Night at Black Cat Alley

The Black Cat Alley, the one-block art installation located behind The Oriental Theatre (2230 N. Farwell Ave.) is receiving some new art. Beverages will be provided by the Crossroad Collective’s Pharmacy Bar and Milwaukee Fuzzy Logic will be spinning some tunes. QR codes are set up by each mural, which can be scanned for more information on the artists and their visions.

Every Sunday up until the end of October the Greenfield Farmer’s Market at Konkel Park, 5151 W. Layton Ave., will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market encourages social distancing and mask wearing. And there are one-way traffic arrows to help prevent crowded spaces. The market is accepting cash, Visa, Mastercard and SNAP benefits for payment. For more information, visit the market’s website.

September 13: Riverwest Farmer’s Market

Every Sunday until Oct. 18, the Riverwest Farmer’s Market will take place on N. Pierce Street between E. Center Street and E. Hadley Street  (next to the basketball court). Fresh produce, flowers and baked goods are just some of the stuff for sale at the market. Vendors will be set up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

September 15: Lao BBQ Pop-up Comes to Iron Grate BBQ Co.

Iron Grate BBQ Co. (4125 S. Howell Ave.), a restaurant known for its traditional wood-smoked BBQ, will feature Lao BBQ cuisine for one day only. On September 15, SapSap, a Laotian pop-up based out of Racine, will take over Iron Grate and serve Laotian dishes that utilize Iron Grate’s meats (look forward to menu items like a Bahni Mi made from Iron Grate pork). The pop-up will run from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and orders can be made safely at Iron Grate’s walk-up window.

See something we missed? Email info@urbanmilwaukee.com with information about your event.