Go On a Dinosaur Safari at the State Fair Grounds

Dino Safari 2021. Photo by Imagine Exhibitions.

There’s plenty to do in Milwaukee this weekend while practicing safe social distancing. Join landscape designer Justine Miller for a walk through the Lynden Sculpture Garden grounds and learn about Wisconsin’s beautiful spring ephemerals. Check out what the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design seniors have been up to this year with the school’s Senior Exhibition, and grab a tasty popsicle during Pete’s Pop’s Grand Opening at its new West Allis location.

Ongoing: Florentine Opera Presents Shakespeare

The Florentine Opera Company is celebrating music inspired by Shakespeare with performances of Britten, Gounod, Verdi 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.

The Mitchell Park Domes is putting on its spring floral show titled “Seasons of Legend.” The show will look at the ways different cultures have crafted intricate stories to explain the changing of the seasons. The show will be divided into five sections, each exploring a different folklore legend. For safety purposes, the domes are now offering timeslot reservations. For more information on admission fees and reserving your time slot, click here.

Ongoing: Florentine Opera’s La Vie en Rose Digital Performance 

Florentine Opera has returned to the stage, but is maintaining some of its digital options from its experience with virtual performances. A digital copy of a recent sold-out performance is now available for purchase. The performance, titled “La Vie En Rose” after the famous song by Edith Piaf, can be purchased for $25. To purchase virtual tickets, click here. To read Urban Milwaukee’s coverage of the opera’s current season, click here.

April 29: Harley-Davidson Museum Virtual Gallery Talk

The Harley-Davidson Museum’s virtual gallery talk series continues with an exploration of the Harley-Davidson Owners Group, or H.O.G. The group, made up of thousands of dedicated Harley-Davidson riders from all over the world, officially launched in 1983. Join the museum’s H.O.G. team as they break down how the group came to be, and why it was so popular. Tickets to the event are $6 and can be purchased here. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and run for 45 minutes.

Traverse the globe in search of dinosaurs all from the comfort of your car with the Dino Safari at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds. See true-to-scale versions of over 40 colossal, moving dinosaurs and learn about their origins, how they evolved and their behaviors. Tickets are $49.95 for regular vehicles with up to seven occupants and $59.95 for larger vehicles. For more information on ticket pricing, click here.

April 29-May 8: MIAD Senior Exhibition 

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design is hosting its annual Senior Exhibition, where students will showcase their senior projects. The event will feature the work of 60 Illustration, New Studio Practice: Fine Arts & Product Design students. Preregistration to the event is required 48 hours in advance due to limited capacity. Click here to register.

April 30-May 1: The 2021 Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Jazz Festival

The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is inviting students of all ages to attend its virtual Jazz Festival. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from and perform with jazz artists and WCM Jazz & Contemporary Music faculty members. The event will also include information on non-performance-related musical careers The festival is being held virtually via Zoom Video Conferencing. The event is free but registration is required. Click here to register.

April 30: Florentine Opera’s Eric Ferring Performance Available Digitally

As part of its return to the stage, Florentine Opera welcomed young break-out tenor Eric Ferring to perform in Milwaukee for the first time accompanied by Laurann Gilley, a pianist and coach with the Ryan Opera Center. That performance will be available to stream digitally on April 30, and tickets are $25. Click here for more info.

May 2: Keg Stand Up at Lakefront Brewery

Lakefront Brewery is hosting another edition of its popular stand-up comedy show, where the brewery transforms its beer hall into a comedy club. Lakefront will be pouring its award-winning craft beer and serving food off of a specialized menu during the show. Due to social distancing guidelines, tables are spread apart and will be reserved by ticket purchasers. Tickets are $30 for a table for 2 people, $60 for a four-person table and $90 for a six-person table. The brewery is running two separate shows this week. The 6 p.m. show is already sold out, so if you’re considering attending, snag some tickets to the 8:30 p.m. show before they’re gone. Get tickets here.

The Lynden Sculpture Garden is hosting a plant walk with landscape designer Justine Miller, exploring the Lynden’s grounds with a focus on Wisconsin’s native spring ephemerals. These plants are the first to bloom but they are not around long. Participants will learn about their ecology and how they can promote the growth of these species in their own backyards. Tickets to the event are $20 for non-members and $15 for members. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 11:30 a.m. To register, click here.

May 3: Skylight Music Theater’s KidsWrites Available Digitally

Skylight Music Theater presents KidsWrites, a writing workshop for students ranging from third grade to eighth grade designed to inspire them to write lyrics and dialogue based on a theme. Those pieces of writing are then turned into musical numbers and performed by Skylight Music Theater actors. This year’s theme — Time Capsule — is pandemic-inspired. This year’s performances are entirely virtual and available for free streaming on Skylight Theater’s website.