Multiple Harvest Events To Check Out This Weekend

Harvest Fest. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The weather has been gloomy all week, but fear not – the forecast for this weekend includes lots of laughs, great beer and fall-themed treats. The Harvest Fair will take over the Wisconsin State Fair grounds this weekend, where attendees can try Pumpkin Spice Cream Puffs and participate in Pumpkin Bowling. The  Milwaukee Comedy Festival is bringing big-name comedians to a variety of venues across the city and the Riverwest neighborhood is putting on its inaugural Riverwest Jazzfest.

September 29: Riverwest Jazzfest

The Jazz Gallery Center is hosting the inaugural Riverwest Jazz Fest, an homage to the gallery’s historic background as a happening jazz venue in ‘70s and ‘80s. Riverwest Jazzfest will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with a traditional New Orleans-style march that sees the Big Style Brass Band marching and performing from the Jazz Gallery to Company Brewing. Starting at 6 p.m., the Jazz Gallery will host performances by Jazz Flux and The Erotic Adventures of the Static Chicken starting at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, also starting at 6 p.m. Bar Centro will host performances by Heirloom and the Tael Estremera Quartet. The evening will wind down at Company Brewing, where the Eric Jacobson Quartet and the Brian Lynch Quartet will perform starting at 9:30 p.m.

September 29-October 1: Harvest Fair

Pumpkin Bowling and Scarecrow Making are just a couple of the Fall-themed activities you can participate in at Harvest Fair, a weekend-long free event taking place at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Attendees will have the chance to try Fall-themed treats, like the special Harvest Fair Cream Puff flavors Pumpkin Spice and Latte. The fair will also feature plenty of live entertainment, such as lumberjack shows to performances by Too Hype Crew and Here Come the Mummies. Be sure to try some of Elegant Farmer’s award-winning pies, and grab a pumpkin on your way out from Craigland Farms’ pumpkin patch. Harvest Fair will run from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

September 29: Friends of the Milwaukee Public Library Fall Book Sale

There’s nothing quite like hunkering down during the cold weather months and getting cozy with a new book. Find that new book at the Friends of Milwaukee Public Library Fall Book Sale, where thousands of books will be sold off for $1 or less. Kids and Young Adult books will be on sale for four books for $1 and adult paperbacks will be on sale for two for $1. The sale will be held in the Rotary Community Room and the Bookseller store at the Milwaukee Public Library’s Central Library location. The sale will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

September 30: Next Act Theatre’s Black Out Night

Next Act Theatre is hosting Black Out Night, a theater event that aims to create an environment in which an all-Black-identifying audience can experience and discuss a production. This year’s Black Out Night features a production of Splash Hatch on the E Going Down. The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. with a catered reception starting at 6:30 p.m. A spirit talk will take place after the performance. Discounted tickets are available to Black-identifying audience members at a rate of $10. Those tickets can be purchased on Next Act’s website. Next Act Theatre encourages non-Black audience members to attend any other date of the show, which runs until Oct. 15 with a buy-one-get-one discount on tickets.

September 30: Harvest Day Festival

Walnut Way is celebrating 22 years of community revitalization with Harvest Day, one of Lindsay Height’s largest gatherings. Harvest Day will feature live music, local food, retail vendors, resource sharing and activities for children. The event will also host a Youth Talent Show and a performance by the Milwaukee Flyers Tumbling Team. Live music will kickoff at 10:40 a.m. with a performance by Cigarette Break and will conclude with a set by the Watch Me Shine Youth Performers at 2:05 p.m.  Harvest Day is free and open to the public and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Johnson’s Park.

September 30: Oktoberfest at 1840 Brewing

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding 1840 Brewing lately. The brewery recently took home a gold medal from Colorado’s Great American Beer Fest, and the brewery has plans to open a new taproom in West Bend. But before that opens, 1840 Brewing is throwing an Oktoberfest party. The celebration will feature the brewery’s Oktoberfest and Festbier, as well as special 2023 Oktoberfest 0.3 liter steins available for purchase. Stick around for Stein Holding and Stein Racing competitions, and snack on pretzels or food from Tots on the Street. There will also be live music courtesy of Polka Fusion. 1840 Brewing’s Oktoberfest will run from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

October 1-8: Milwaukee Comedy Festival

Comedians from all across the country will visit Milwaukee this coming week for the Milwaukee Comedy Festival – Milwaukee’s biggest live comedy event of the year. Comedians will perform across a variety of venues, including at Lakefront Brewery, Shank Hall, Turner Hall Ballroom and more. This year’s headliners include Kelly Ryan, Todd Barry and Kyle Kinane. Be sure to check out The Roast of Milwaukee on October 2, where you can hear some of your favorite local legends make fun of each other. For a complete list of shows and to purchase tickets, visit Milwaukee Comedy Festival’s website.