Warm Up With These Fun Events

El Toro Loco monster truck in 2012 Monster Jam. Photo by b0jangles, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Other than the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Bucks, there hasn’t been much cause for celebration hereabouts due to the below-freezing weather and snow storm warnings. But things are slowly starting to warm up, and there are plenty of reasons to double down on your layers and get out to some events this weekend. Winter Gallery Night will see art galleries around town offering special shows for the weekend, with opportunities to purchase various artworks. The Winter Train Show at the Mitchell Park Domes is debuting this weekend, with a new theme titled “Toyblocks: Tiny Toy Towns.” And if you like watching big metal trucks do backflips, the Fiserv Forum is hosting Monster Jam, where the world’s best monster-truck drivers will pull off gravity-defying stunts.

January 19: Pints with a Purpose Release Party

Third Space Brewing is releasing its first Pints with a Purpose beer of 2024. Each quarter of the year, the Pints with a Purpose series aims to raise funds and awareness for a different local non-profit. For the first quarter of 2024, Pints with a Purpose will raise money for Almost Home Cats Rescue MKE. At the release party, 20% of all draft beer proceeds will be donated. Yummy Bones BBQ will also be on site, and there will be various raffles for guests to participate in. The Pints with a Purpose Release Party will start at 5 p.m. Friday and run until close. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

January 19-20: Winter Gallery Night

For two days, art galleries will be open with interesting shows and nearby restaurants, bars and other local businesses will be part of the fun. The Winter Gallery Night MKE will showcase a variety of mediums, including sculptures, paintings, drawings and more, with many pieces being available for purchase. Galleries will be hopping in the Historic Third Ward, Walker’s Point, East Town and Downtown areas. The Gallery Night MKE website has a helpful interactive map to help you plan your visits. Winter Gallery Night MKE will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

January 20-March 17: Winter Train show

The Mitchell Park Domes is hosting a garden train show titled “Toyblocks: Tiny Toy Towns.” Guests will explore tiny toy towns made from iconic children’s toys. Tiny trains will travel along tracks that run through vibrant groups of flowers and plants, giving guests the opportunity to experience the domes in a whole new way. Guests who show up on Wednesdays throughout the show’s run will receive a commemorative sticker, and a special event on January 25 will feature a light show accompanied by music. For more information on “Toyblocks: Tiny Toy Towns,” visit the Milwaukee County website.

January 20: Monster Jam

Embrace chaos and destruction at the Fiserv Forum with Monster Jam, where the world’s best monster-truck drivers will pull off jaw-dropping stunts. Big names like Grave Digger and Megalodon will be in attendance, and those who go the extra mile and purchase the Pit Pass will have the opportunity to meet the drivers and see the trucks up close. Monster Jam will put on three shows: On Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m.

January 20: “Napoleon Dynamite’ 20th Anniversary

There was a time when you couldn’t escape hearing quotes from the 2004 absurdist comedy film Napoleon Dynamite. It has now been 20 years since the film’s release, and the cast is celebrating with an anniversary tour around the country. The Milwaukee date of the tour is being hosted by the Pabst Theater, where a screening of the film will take place at 8 p.m. followed by a Q&A session with the cast. Tickets range from $35.50 to $45.50 and can be purchased on the AXS website.

January 21: Winterfest

While winter weather hasn’t been very kind to us this past week, the Boerner Botanical Gardens aims to cheer us up with Winterfest, an event featuring indoor activities for all ages, guided winter walks and more. The event will also feature live music courtesy of Kai Simone and free hot chocolate. Winter walks will begin at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and will last about 45 minutes. Winterfest will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Boerner Botanical Gardens website.