Irish Fest and State Fair Bookend Busy Weekend

Milwaukee Irish Fest. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Irish Fest.

It’s been a stress-inducing week with the Wisconsin primary election happening on Tuesday, so we owe it all to ourselves to get out there and have some fun this weekend. Luckily, there’s plenty to do!

The Wisconsin State Fair is in its final days of the year, and Milwaukee Irish Fest will bring traditional Irish food, music and dance to the Henry Maier Festival Park. Center Street Daze Festival continues the Milwaukee summer street festival run and Bombshell Theater Co. is putting on a hilarious production of “Disaster!”

August 13-16: Milwaukee Irish Fest

Milwaukee Irish Fest will pack 17 stages full of live music, dance and cultural entertainment for one of the city’s most popular cultural celebrations. Guests can expect over 35 food locations with most offering traditional Irish cuisine such as shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash. Swing by the Gaeltacht Stage to experience a showcase of the traditional Irish language, and learn about Irish history through presentations, interactive displays, exhibits and more at the Cultural Pavilion. New to the festival this year are sheep herding demonstrations that will be held on Saturday and Sunday. The festival will take place at the Henry Maier Festival Park. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Milwaukee Irish Fest website.

August 13-16: Wisconsin State Fair

Last call for cream puffs! It’s your last chance to check out the Wisconsin State Fair and indulge in unique fried food, catch some live music and cheer on your favorite pig at the races. Try the first place Sporkies winner, the Birria Flamin’ Bombs from Fiesta Grill & Cantina, and swing by the various agricultural events and competitions. And don’t forget to check out free performances by local bands such as Wire & Nail. For more information, including a full schedule of the fair, visit the Wisconsin State Fair website.

August 14-30: ‘Disaster! A 70s Disaster Movie…Musical!’

Relive the disaster movies of the 1970s in the comedic jukebox musical “Disaster!” Bombshell Theatre Studio is putting on the production, utilizing popular 70’s tunes to tell the story of a group of New Yorkers who visit a floating casino, only for the trip to be ruined by earthquakes, killer bees, tidal waves and more. Standard tickets are $40 and Saturdays will feature a discounted ticket price of $25. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Bombshell Theatre website.

August 15: Center Street Daze Festival

We’ve already celebrated on Locust Street in Riverwest this year, so now it’s time for Center Street to shine. The festival, which has been running annually since 1997, will close down the stretch of Center Stretch that runs between Humboldt Boulevard and Holton Street and will feature stages of live music, vendors, art activities and more. Center Street Daze Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is free to attend.

August 15: Mela Festival of India

The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for Arts is hosting the Mela Festival of India, a free celebration of Indian food, art, music and more. Guests can enjoy traditional Indian classical, folk and Bollywood-style music while tasting food from all across the region and shopping at a variety of vendor booths. There will also be family-friendly activities throughout as well as a parade. The festival will run from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

August 16: Community Arts & Funk Festival

Davison Park will be filled with funky tunes and beautiful works of art as part of the Community Arts & Funk Festival. The festival will feature live music by D’aych & The Next Level Band, Peace Love Hope and Songbird, and will showcase art from a lineup of artists like Tyrone Randle and Mia Emerson. The festival is free to attend and will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.