It’s A Weekend Full of Festivals!

2018 Brady Street Festival. Photo by Jack Fennimore.

Brady Street will will be shut down all day Saturday for the annual Brady Street Fest, with three stages of stacked musical lineups. Also, watch out for cyclists this weekend – The People’s Holiday has returned! The Riverwest 24 is back to its regular formatting for the first time in two years as both casual and competitive racers stay up all night to rack up points in a fun, community-driven event. One of Milwaukee’s long running and beloved events, German Fest, staple is celebrating its 40th year.

July 29: Elliott Smith Tribute Show

Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith passed away in 2003, but his legacy and music continue to inspire today. In tribute to that music, the Cactus Club is hosting a show where local Milwaukee bands will cover Smith’s music. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee. Tickets to the event are $15, and the show will begin at 8 p.m.

“The People’s Holiday” is returning to its regular formatting for the first time in two years. Riders will race your way throughout Riverwest while tackling random scheduled challenges, whether for glory or just for fun. It’s too late to sign up, now, but there’s always next year. Plus, the whole neighborhood celebrates the event, so even if you’re not riding it’s still a great event to just hang out at and watch the insanity unfold.. The Riverwest 24 will start at 7 p.m. on Friday and run until 7 p.m. on Saturday. The Riverwest Co-Op is bringing back its cafe brunch from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday to celebrate the occasion.

July 29: Mishmash Fest 2022

Art Bar is hosting Mishmash Fest, featuring a live music circus variety show. The show will be put on by Professor Pinkerton’s Dead Man’s Carnival and will start at 7 p.m. The bar’s adjacent restaurant, Wonderland, will be serving food through its express window, and drinks can be enjoyed at the Art Bar sidewalk bar. The event will also be overlapping with the Riverwest 24, so it’s sure to be an eventful night.

July 30: Brady Street Festival

Live music and vendors will take over Brady St. on Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight for the annual Brady Street Festival. The festival will feature performances from Holy Pinto, GGOOLLDD, Paper Holland and more, scheduled across three different stages. Additional activities include an Adventure Rock climbing wall, a performance by the Division BMX Stunt Team, the Brady St. Babes Drag show and more. For a complete listing of performing artists and their corresponding time slots, click here.

There are plenty of weird events this weekend, but only one that calls itself Weird Fest. MobCraft Beer is celebrating nine years of existence as well as six years at its current Walker’s Point location. Starting at 12 p.m., Weird Fest will feature live entertainment, unique beer releases, local food vendors and more. The brewery will have a nine year anniversary beer as well: a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout finished in a port wine barrel for seven months. That beer will be available in cans. Throughout the day, Weird Fest will feature performances by Mondo Lucha, Ethan Keller Group, Taylor Flows Fire Dancing and more. For more information, click here.

July 29-31: German Fest 

German Fest, a Milwaukee staple, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend at Henry Maier Festival Park. After a two year hiatus, the festival will be back with plenty of schnitzel, strudel and German beer. The festival is celebrating its 40th birthday with a special wine: a Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riseling Spatlese. Each day, Lakefront Brewery will tap a different limited-edition Stichfass (cask). If you aren’t convinced yet that this is an event that should not be missed, there will also be a Dachshund Derby followed by an adorable dachshund costume contest. For a rundown of everything on the docket at German Fest, click here.