Begin Black History Month with ABHM

America’s Black Holocaust Museum. Photo courtesy of the Dr. James Cameron Legacy Foundation.

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, Visit Milwaukee’s Giving Fest continues, presenting opportunities to take a behind-the-scenes tour of Major Goolsby’s and to learn how to sail. Black History Month begins February 1st, and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and America’s Black Holocaust Museum have informative and engaging virtual events. Find out just how long winter will be with the Milwaukee County Zoo’s virtual Groundhog’s Day event — will there be six more weeks of winter or will be get an early spring? That’s up to Gordy the Groundhog.

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.

Ongoing: 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.

Ongoing: The BelAir Ice Bar

Bel Air Cantina’s Brookfield location (250 High St.) has unveiled its new 30-foot ice bar, made with over 10,000 pounds of ice, located in Market Square. The bar will serve specialty cocktails and there will be fire pits, ice sculptures and photo opportunities. A small food menu featuring Tortilla Soup and Gringo Nachos will also be available. The ice bar will remain until the weather starts getting a little warmer. For more details, visit the BelAir website.

Harley-Davidson’s new Virtual Gallery Talk series continues with its virtual gallery talk titled Custom Culture — Harley-Davidson and Pop Culture. Explore Harley-Davidson’s impact on popular culture like and its involvement in Hollywood over the years — one example is the motorcycle Captain America rode in the popular Marvel films. Viewers will get an up close view of artifacts with an opportunity to view historical footage pulled from the Harley-Davidson archives. A Q&A session will also be held at the end of each talk. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and run for 45 minutes. Tickets for the event are $6 and can be purchased here.

January 28: Milwaukee Public Museum Night In

The Milwaukee Public Museum is putting on an adults-only interactive virtual event where participants will get tested on their knowledge of the museum’s exhibits and learn some secrets as well. Tickets to the event are $10 per member household or $15 per non-member household. The event will run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Get your tickets here.

January 29-30: Braise on the Boulevard Comes to Zocalo

Braise on the Boulevard, a food truck offshoot of the popular Milwaukee farm-to-table restaurant Braise, will be operating at the Zocalo Food Park, 636 S. 6th St., for two days this weekend. The food truck offers a wide range of international street food such as pork buns, vegetarian bao buns and chicken tikka masala. Braise on the Boulevard will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

January 29: Learn to Sail with the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center

Ever wanted to learn how to sail? The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center is offering a one-hour virtual lesson that will teach your family the basics of sailing. The event will also hold a Q&A session to answer any questions participants might have. Tickets cost $10 and space is limited to 20 people, so reserve your spot quickly. The event will begin at 7 p.m. You can purchase your ticket here.

January 30: 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.

Have you missed getting together at Major Goolsby’s to watch a Brewer’s Game? The historic downtown sports bar is offering an extensive look at the inside of the bar, discussing all of the memorabilia and other items on display. The free virtual event will give participants the opportunity to see parts of the bar normally off-limits to customers and will dive into some of the bar’s food and drink recipe secrets. The event is free and will start at 3 p.m., more information here.

February 1: Milwaukee Rep Celebrates Black History Month

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater is celebrating Black History Month with four virtual events that are part of a series called “We Rise: MKE’s Celebration of Black History Month.” The series will take a look at the contributions that black artists, administrators and audiences have made to the Milwaukee Rep and the city of Milwaukee. The first event is titled “To Be Young, Gifted and Black: A Celebration of Lorraine Hansberry.” The event will feature poetry reading, interviews with Phyllis Yvonne Stickney and Valisia LeKae and a reunion of the artists from Milwaukee Rep’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The free events will be streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Follow this link for further information.

February 1: Black History Month with America’s  Black Holocaust Museum

America’s Black Holocaust Museum is kicking off its celebration of Black History Month with a panel discussion moderated by the Effective Communication Coach Denise Thomas. The discussion will feature members of ABHM staff and will talk about the museum’s role in honoring and sharing Black history year round. The event will also will give an update on the museum’s re-emergence and a look ahead at what’s to come. A Q&A session will be held at the end. The event is free and will run from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Click here to register.

February 2: Groundhog’s Day Virtual Event 

The Milwaukee County Zoo is celebrating Groundhog’s Day with a virtual event that will feature the zoo’s resident groundhog Gordy as he makes his expert weather prediction. If it’s sunny and Gordy sees his shadow, then we have six more weeks of winter. Families can prepare for the event by downloading a “Gordy the Groundhog Coloring Sheet” on the Zoo’s website. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and will stream on Facebook Live. Visit the zoo website for more information.