Milwaukee Museum Days

The Exploring Life on Earth area of the Milwaukee Public Museum. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Now that the city has thawed out a little, there’s no excuse to get out there and check out some of the happenings around Milwaukee this weekend. Thanks to Milwaukee Museum Days, you have no excuse to not get out and visit at least one museum this weekend – 30 museums in the area have a discounted admission fee (some are even free). The Lynden Sculpture Garden is hosting its Lynden Winter Carnival, featuring workshops, performances and educational talks, and Broken Bat Brewing is throwing it back to the ‘90s with a special beer release inspired by a character from The Sandlot.

January 25-28: Milwaukee Museum Days

Milwaukee Museum Days offers the chance to visit up to 30 museums at a discounted rate. This not only includes cheap access to Milwaukee’s larger museums, such as the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Milwaukee Art Museum, but also to smaller, niche museums such as the National Bobblehead Museum and Hall of Fame. Prices range between free and $15. For an interactive map that filters the museums by price, visit the VISIT Milwaukee website. Want to add a little extra fun to your Milwaukee Museum Days excursion? VISIT Milwaukee has also curated a scavenger hunt that includes 15 of the participating museums.

January 25: Los Magos en el Lago

The Sugar Maple is partnering with the award-winning Los Magos Sotol for an evening filled with cocktails, live music and Mexican cuisine. Los Magos Sotol is known for its Sotol – a triple-distilled spirit that hails from the Chihuahuan Desert and is made from plants of the Dasylirion family. Local Milwaukee group De La Buena will perform at 8 p.m., and Chef Gabriel Garcia, who runs the Ta’Con Madre Taquiera pop-up, will serve a variety of Mexican dishes. The event will also feature raffles where guests can win Los Magos Sotol bottles, merchandise, Sugar Maple gift cards and more. The event will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and general admission tickets are $5. There is also a $25 VIP ticket option that includes early access at 6 p.m., a Sotol tasting, education, a welcome beer, a raffle ticket and preferred seating for De La Buena’s performance. To purchase tickets, visit the Eventbrite website.

January 27: Volta Records x Music Go Round All-Ages Show

Volta Records and Music Go Round’s Greenfield location are teaming up to put on an all-ages show at Cactus Club. The collaboration started as a way to not only showcase newer and lesser-known acts but as a way to bridge the gap between the Milwaukee music scene and music scenes from other Midwestern cities. The show will feature performances by Tollbooth (Madison), Cult of Lip (Madison), Bad Crime (Milwaukee) and Winona Driver (Chicago). DJs from Volta Records will be spinning vinyl in before and after the show and in between sets. The show will start at 7 p.m. and admission is $15. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by visiting the Cactus Club website.

January 27: Back to the 90s Party and Beer Release

Travel back in time to the greatest decade ever (I’m biased) with Broken Bat Brewing as they celebrate a special beer release. The event will feature a DJ spinning everyone’s favorite ‘90s hits, and a ‘90s-themed costume contest will award two tickets to see Hootie & the Blowfish live at Alpine Valley to the winner. Guests who purchase a Broken Bat slap bracelet for $32 will receive a punch card with four 12 oz pours of any beer on tap and a throwback ‘90s cup. Guests who purchase the slap bracelet will also receive a six pack of Wendy, Broken Bat’s new traditional Hefeweizen that was inspired by Wendy Peffercorn from the 1993 film The Sandlot. The event will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

January 27: Lynden Winter Carnival

The Lynden Sculpture Garden is hosting a day filled with outdoor art-making, scavenger hunts, tree walks, workshops and more. The Lynden Winter Carnival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a packed schedule of participatory, artist-driven activities. Guests can learn how to make kites, chairs, or miniature winter tree sculptures, or learn about tree identification with Davey Tree Experts. Participate in the Reindeer Scavenger Hunt, or embark on a “sound walk” as part of the Out There experimental performance series. Pedro’s South American Food truck will be onsite from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a complete schedule of activities, visit the Lynden Sculpture Garden’s website.

January 28: Handcrafted: Lakefront Makers Market

Lakefront Brewery is debuting a new makers market series called Handcrafted that will feature over a dozen local artists and makers. The series is aimed at fully supporting local makers – entry is free, and vendors are not charged a booth fee, meaning that all proceeds go directly towards the artists.

Vendors include Milwaukee Candle Company, Fresh Prints of MKE, ClayMade and more. Lakefront Brewery’s kitchen and bar will be serving food and drinks and will have a special Bloody Mary bar set up for the occasion. There will also be new varieties of the brewery’s gluten-free New Grist available, such as a gluten-free pilsner with a splash of gourmet syrup. Handcrafted will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and aims to be a recurring event.