Wisconsin State Fair Headlines Busy Weekend

Wisconsin State Fair. Photo taken August 1st, 2019 by Jeramey Jannene.

Summer might feel like it’s slipping away, but at least the Wisconsin State Fair is here!

Check out big-name acts like REO Speedwagon and Salt-N-Pepa while enjoying cream puffs and your favorite deep-fried oddities. Black Arts Fest MKE will celebrate African heritage and entertainment at the Summerfest grounds, and Soberfest will offer a lineup of nonalcoholic vendors, live music and motivational speakers.

August 3-13: Wisconsin State Fair

The Wisconsin State Fair is celebrating 172 years of tradition with another 11-day run of cream puffs, live music, farm animals and more. This year marks the 10th anniversary of The Sporkies, the fair’s food competition that pits bizarre menu items like deep-fried apple pie against dill pickle donuts. New to the fair is The Drinkies, a non-alcoholic beverage competition that highlights drinks like a sweet potato iced latte and cotton candy lemonade. On the fair’s main stage, big-name acts like Salt-N-Pepa, REO Speedwagon and Ludacris will perform. Admission to the main stage is not included with general admission to the fair. There’s lots to do and see at the fair this year, so plan out your visit by checking out the Wisconsin State Fair’s website.

August 4-6: USA Triathlon at Discovery World

The USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships is teaming up with the Youth & Junior Nationals for one big event – all taking place here in Milwaukee on the lakefront. Each day of the race will host various age and gender groups competing against one another in a new multi-day event format. This marks the third consecutive year that Milwaukee has had the honor to host the USA Triathlon’s marquee national championship. For a complete schedule of races, visit the USA Triathlon website.

August 5: Black Arts Fest MKE

The annual Black Arts Fest MKE will take place at the Summerfest grounds this year, featuring family-friendly entertainment, live music, food and more. Black Arts Fest MKE embodies a theme of “Doing it for the culture,” putting a spotlight on the deep roots of African heritage and the diverse lineup of Black artists that call Milwaukee home. Two stages will host live music all day, featuring performances by Klassik, Emmitt James, Tha Dope Music Crew and more. The Family Village & Kids Area will feature family-friendly interactive events, such as a Tik Tok Dance Challenge. The fest will run from noon to 10 p.m. Tickets range from $12 to $20, and can be purchased on the Black Arts Fest MKE website, or in person at the event.

August 5: Caribbean Festival 2023

A free celebration of Latin American and Caribbean culture and heritage will take place on the south side Saturday. Caribbean Festival will feature live cultural entertainment, contests, live music and more. Try your hand at the limbo dance contest, or just enjoy live sets from Monchy, Frankie Ruiz Jr., Carlitos Rossy and more. Caribbean Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 4531 W. Forest Home Ave.

August 5: Soberfest

It is the year 2023, where those who stick to N/A beverages no longer only have one or two options to choose from. Soberfest makes its third return to Milwaukee, celebrating the abundance of nonalcoholic beverages that are now readily available. Soberfest will take place at Pere Marquette Park, and will feature live music, motivational speakers such as Ed Hennings, recovery groups on site and plenty of food and nonalcoholic beverages to try. Soberfest will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is free to attend.

August 5: Cream City Vintage Fest

Wisconsin’s largest vintage clothing, flea and maker’s market is coming to the Baird Center. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., over 200 vendors will set up shop and sell vintage clothing, handmade goods, jewelry and more. There will also be food and drink available to order.

August 5-7: Bronzeville Week Part One

Milwaukee’s annual celebration of African-American culture, history, art, commerce and entertainment is here, and will transpire over the course of two weekends. This weekend will kickoff with the HaRUNbee 5k Walk/Run on August 5. On August 6, the Bronzeville Cultural & Arts Festival will take place on North Avenue between N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and N. 7th Street. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Various panels and events will take place throughout the day on August 7, including a conversation with Milwaukee musician Shonn Hinton at America’s Black Holocaust Museum. For the complete Bronzeville Week schedule, visit the City of Milwaukee’s website.