23-Foot-Wide Moon Will Hover Over Third Ward
Traveling art exhibit also making stops in United Kingdom, Spain and Abu Dhabi.
Preparing to raise a replica of the moon in Catalano Square in 2019. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
The Museum of the Moon is returning to the Historic Third Ward, this time as the centerpiece of a new three-day festival celebrating the neighborhood’s 50th anniversary.
The Historic Third Ward Association and Joy Engine announced Tuesday that they will launch the Third Ward Moon Festival from Aug. 7-9, transforming the area around Catalano Square into an open-air arts and cultural experience centered on the massive illuminated moon installation by British artist Luke Jerram.
The 23-foot sculpture, which uses high-resolution NASA imagery and a synchronized soundscape to recreate the appearance of the moon, previously drew large crowds when it appeared in Catalano Square in 2019 during the “Under One Moon” festival organized by Black Box Fund, the arts organization now known as Joy Engine.
“This marks a full-circle moment for the neighborhood,” the association said in announcing the festival, noting Milwaukee is expected to be the installation’s only Midwest stop on its current international tour, which also includes appearances in the United Kingdom, Spain and Abu Dhabi.
“The Third Ward Moon Festival is about creating a sense of wonder, bringing people together under a shared experience that feels both intimate and expansive in the heart of the neighborhood,” said Historic Third Ward Association executive director Jim Plaisted in a statement.
Festival programming will extend well beyond the moon sculpture. Organizers said Catalano Square, Menomonee Street and Broadway will host live music, dance performances, fashion programming, wellness activities and family-friendly events throughout the weekend. Friday’s schedule will emphasize celebration, Saturday will focus on the neighborhood’s cultural roots and Sunday will center on wellness and community activities.
The event comes as Catalano Square itself prepares for a significant redesign. Third Ward leaders and their partners are currently advancing plans to reconfigure the heavily used park, including removing the existing fountain and terraced seating area to create a more flexible public gathering space while preserving much of the park’s tree canopy.
The moon installation has become one of Milwaukee’s more recognizable temporary public art pieces in recent years. During its 2019 appearance, the sculpture hung above the fountain as part of a festival commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and was accompanied by live music, poetry readings and an appearance by retired NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence.
Since the initial Third Ward moon landing, Joy Engine has produced a series of large-scale immersive art events across Milwaukee, including the ArtBlaze beach festivals in 2024 and 2025, giant illuminated sea creature installations at Bradford and South Shore beaches, and the installation of oversized bird sculptures at Lakeshore State Park in 2021. Two of the five-foot-tall birds remain perched near the Milwaukee Public Market along N. Water Street. The organization also produced the Nitelight projection festival on Historic Mitchell Street. The organization has funded several other artistic endeavors. Philanthropist Deb Kern and MOD GEN CEO Doug McDonald created Joy Engine.
Additional details on performers and programming for the Third Ward Moon Festival are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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