Center Street Daze is Back

Center Street Daze Festival. Photo taken August 2nd, 2014 by Dave Reid.

It’s the final weekend for the Wisconsin State Fair. But if you’ve already had your fill of cream puffs, fried food and farm animals, there are plenty of other events to check out around Milwaukee this weekend. The Milwaukee Black Theater Festival returns for a third year. The official Locust Street Festival was cancelled this year, but another Riverwest street festival, Center Street Daze, will return. The Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival will see teams racing their extravagant boats while celebrating Milwaukee’s Chinese community.

August 10-14: Milwaukee Black Theater Festival

The third annual Milwaukee Black Theater Festival returns for its largest-to-date celebration of Black culture and arts with a week full of programming. This year’s theme is The Black Family: Generations Speak! The festival features concerts, full-production and staged reading plays, spoken word and dance performances as well as talk backs and panels. For the first time ever, the festival will spread across a number of venues, including the Marcus Performing Arts Center and Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. Highlights for this year’s festival includes the world premiere of two plays: Milwaukee Voices of Gun Violence and Khloe’s Beautiful Blues. For a full list of scheduled programming, click here.

The Riverwest street festival that takes over Center Street returns after a two-year hiatus. Center Street Daze brings back all of the quirky goodness that people have come to love about the festival, including as a lineup of diverse vendors, music stages and the Art Cart race. Beginning at 12 p.m., the race will pit human-powered carts against one another. The festival will also feature the Unique Classic Car Club car show starting at 1:30 p.m. and a challenge held by the Riverwest Street Hockey Club. Center Street Daze will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Center Street from Humboldt to Holton.

August 13: Enlightened Block Party

Enlightened Brewing Company is throwing a block party that will feature three tasty new collaboration beers, food from several food trucks and live music. The brewery has partnered with Bigshot Robot to design and direct three new beers for its Rough Draught Series. Those beers include Forest Friend (session pale ale brewed with spruce tips and cascade), Campsite Lite (session pale ale brewed with Sultana and Bru-1 hops) and Dole Face (session pale ale brewed with pineapple puree and Falconer’s Flight hops). Those beers will be limited to six-pack quantities and are only available while supplies last. Sweet Smoke BBQ will be debuting its food on the street for the first time, and Aaron Brenton’s Shutter Step and High Tide will provide the tunes. The party will run from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

August 13: Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival

Milwaukee’s Chinese community celebrates and shares its traditions and culture with the Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival – featuring dancing, folk music, martial arts and more. The main attraction – the Dragon Boat Races – will feature over 40 teams racing their boats at the Lakeshore State Park. The festival will also feature hands-on family-friendly activities, such as mask making, lantern making and learning to write and speak Chinese. The festival will start at 7 a.m. and run until 5:30 p.m.

One of the top art fairs in the Midwest returns! Featuring over 130 artists from all over the country, the Morning Glory Art Fair will set up shop in the Deer District and will feature ceramics, paintings, jewelry and any other artistic medium you can think of. The fair will also feature a juried arts and crafts show. Morning Glory Art Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.

August 14: Bobcat Goldthwait at The Laughing Tap

The comedian known for his acerbic black-comedy standup, his recurring role in the Police Academy franchise and directorial efforts such as God Bless America is coming to Milwaukee. The comedian will perform at The Laughing Tap, 706 S. 5th St., giving fans a chance to see the legendary comedian in an intimate venue. The event has added a second performance due to popular demand, with shows beginning at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. Click here for more info.