A Weekend of Laughs

Milwaukee Comedy Festival.

In between watching tense Brewers post-season games, there’s plenty for you to check out this weekend around the city. Jurassic Quest, a traveling life-size dinosaur interactive exhibit, is coming to the Wisconsin State Fair. Milwaukee Comedy Festival will bring some of the country’s best comedians to the city for a weekend of performances, and the Milwaukee Public Market is celebrating its anniversary with its annual Harvest Festival.

October 9-11: Jurassic Quest

Experience all of the fun of a Jurassic Park film without any of the danger at Jurassic Quest, an event that will bring life-sized dinosaurs to the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Guests can gaze upon a giant T-rex, participate in interactive raptor training, dig for fossils and more. An entry ticket also grants access to two additional experiences: Ancient Oceans and Frozen Frontier, so there’s much to see and do. Jurassic Quest will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Jurassic Quest website.

October 8-11: Milwaukee Comedy Festival

Comedians from all over the country will make appearances at The Laughing Tap throughout the weekend as part of the Milwaukee Comedy Festival. While the festival technically started on October 5, there’s still plenty of shows to check out. Featured comedians include Josh Burstein, Diya Basrai, Noah Savage and many more. For more information on each show, visit the Milwaukee Comedy Festival website.

October 10: Milwaukee Comic Con

Over 200 vendors dealing in comic books, figurines, board games and more will gather at the Wisconsin Building at the Wisconsin State Fair park for Milwaukee Comic Con. Hardcore nerds and casual comic book enjoyers will all find something at Milwaukee Comic Con as the event is promising more vendors, guest artists, floor space than previous events. General admission is $10 and children ages 12 and under will be admitted for free. Milwaukee Comic Con will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Wisconsin State Fair website.

October 10: Milwaukee Public Market’s Harvest Festival 

The Milwaukee Public Market is once again celebrating its anniversary with its Harvest Festival, an annual event that brings fall-themed festivities to the market. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., guests can enjoy live music while painting pumpkins, shopping local vendors and enjoying free Lakefront Brewery Pumpkin Ale poured straight from a giant pumpkin. Guests can also see the market’s antique cider press in use while enjoying fresh apple cider. For more information, visit the Milwaukee Public Market’s website.

October 10-11: Bayshore Fall Fest 

The shopping at Bayshore will be a lot more festive this weekend thanks to the Bayshore Fall Fest. Dozens of artists and vendors will set up shop at the outdoor mall and families can participate in face painting and yard games while enjoying apple cider. There will also be a pet costume contest that will nominate winners of various categories such as “funniest costume” and “best duo.” The fest is free to attend and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

October 10: Flannel Fest

The ninth annual Flannel Fest is once again inviting music lovers to don their favorite flannel and head down to Boone & Crockett for an evening of outdoor live music. This year’s headliner is Langhorne Slim and the lineup also features performances by Buffalo Nichols, Ellie Jackson, Gold Steps and more. The event will also feature family-friendly activities, food and beverages. A portion of the proceeds of this event will be donated to Courage House MKE. Flannel Fest is free to attend and will run from noon to 10 p.m.