Ice Sculpting and Live Music at Bayshore

Winter Blooms. Image courtesy of Bayshore.

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

This week, take a virtual custard tour of Milwaukee and learn about the historic stands that have established Milwaukee as the “Custard Capital of the World.” Explore the winter gardens of Bayshore with the Winter Blooms event, where guests can watch live ice sculpting and music. Dust off your chef’s apron and learn how to make handmade ravioli with Glorioso’s Italian Market. Virtually travel to France with the Florentine Opera and support local businesses through a virtual Giving Fest.

Ongoing: Visit Milwaukee’s Giving Fest

Because of COVID-19, this year’s Giving Fest will be entirely virtual. It will be a series of over 50 events hosted by local businesses that help them raise money. The first 50 businesses to sign up will be awarded $1,000. All that sign up will be entered to win a $5,000 prize. For more information visit this website.

The new winter chalets at South Shore Terrace in South Shore Park (2900 S. Shore Dr.) are open for reservation. This is the county’s first winter beer garden season. The cozy chalets can fit up to six people and nearby fire for warming up. Up to six people from the same household or two people from different households can share a chalet for $75, which includes a $50 food and beverage credit and a 90 minute time slot. The chalets are reservations only, and are available seven days a week. To reserve, follow this link or call 414-257-5616.

Ongoing: Florentine Opera Presents Shakespeare

The Florentine Opera Company is celebrating music inspired by Shakespeare with performances of classics from Britten, Gounod, Verdi, Finiz and more. The hour-and-a-half long program will take place in a secret room in a Milwaukee landmark home with ties to England and bootlegging. Historian John Eastberg will make an appearance to provide some historical background. The performance is digital only and can be purchased for $25 by following this link.

January 21: Harley-Davidson Virtual Gallery Talk 

Harley-Davidson’s new Virtual Gallery Talk series continues with its virtual gallery talk titled Clubs and Competition — Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday. This week’s gallery talk will discuss board track racing, exploring the Factory Race team and the awards it won, examples of promotions and advertising at the time and the apparel that was worn for racing. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and will run until 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased here.

January 22: Travel to France with The Florentine Opera’s Voyages

The Florentine Opera is putting on a virtual performance as part of Giving Fest that will allow listeners to immerse themselves in the history and tastes of Chalon-sur-Saône in the Burgundy region of France. The show will feature Anna Reinhold, mezzo, and Jory Vinikour on harpsichord playing Baroque pieces. Preorders for the French-style meal that accompanies this journey have ended, but viewers tickets can still be purchased for the performance here.

Head over to The Yard at Bayshore for Winter Blooms, a free winter garden experience. The event is presented by Art Below Zero and will feature floral ice sculptures, a live ice sculpting demonstration and live music from Jake Williams, a Milwaukee-based musician that transforms modern pop music into piano ditties. The event will run from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and the garden will remain up afterwards for those who can’t make it within that time frame but wish to check it out.

January 23: Custard Capital of the World Virtual Tour

Experience a virtual tour entirely dedicated to Wisconsin’s favorite treat: frozen custard. Find out why Milwaukee is the “Custard Capital of the World” with a live, one-hour long interactive workshop where you’ll hear highlights from the book Milwaukee Frozen Custard by Bobby Tanzilo and learn custard trivia about historic Milwaukee custard stands. Add a Creamy Dreamy Custard Lovers Gift Box for extra cost which includes a copy of the aforementioned book, $5 gift cards to Gilles Frozen Custard and a $5 gift card to Kopp’s Frozen Custard as well as a 4 ounce container of Mint Chip Fudge from Milwaukee Fudge Company. The gift box will also include a Custard Capitol of the World tea towel highlighting the historic custard stands of Milwaukee. The event will cost $10 to participate and will begin at 2 p.m. To register, follow this link. This event is also part of Giving Fest.

January 23: Winter Whales a Virtual Beer Fest

Ten Milwaukee breweries are teaming up for Giving Fest with Winter Whales, a virtual beer fest celebrating the breweries of Drink Brew City. Breweries will showcase their “whales,” known in the beer world as rare, hard-to-come-by specialty beer. Preorders for the accompanying beers have ended, but beer enthusiasts can still follow along with the virtual event and learn about the different beers. The event will begin at 7 p.m. For more information, follow this link.

January 23: Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market

There may be snow on the ground, but there are still farmers markets to enjoy, such as the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market. The market, which is celebrating its 12th season, takes place on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Greenhouse Annex at the Mitchell Park Domes (524 S. Layton Blvd.) until March 27th. The market will feature 30 vendors offering fresh local produce, baked goods, cheeses, handmade soaps and more. COVID-19 safety precautions and guidelines will be enforced, including a mandatory mask policy and restrictions on eating and drinking in the market.

Ever wanted to learn how to make ravioli at home? Who better to learn from than the folks at Glorioso’s Italian Market during an event they’re holding for Giving Fest. The class will run for one-and-a-half hours and will include a $5 coupon good for online purchases at gloriosos.com. The event requires you to have certain kitchen tools and ingredients before the event, so consult this list before committing. Most of it is standard kitchenware, but a pasta wheel and cutter is likely to be one that you’re missing. For the complete list, visit this link. The event will begin at 5 p.m. Register here.

January 27: The History of Lakefront Brewery

Join Lakefront Brewery for a free virtual event as part of Giving Fest that will explore the history of the brewery through photos, videos and conversations. The webinar will feature interviews from brothers Russ and Jim Klisch as they reflect on their journey from a house in Riverwest to the purchase of the building that is now a major tourist destination for those visiting the city. While the event is free, the brewery is taking donations that will then be donated to the Eastshore Humane Association. The event will begin at 7 p.m. For more information, follow this link.