There's your basic dinner and a movie date, and then there's dinner and a movie done Milwaukee style. And trust us, the City of Festival's take on this old classic combo is guaranteed to be more fun than someone else's night out at Applebee's and the budget cinema.
Friday, July 10 marks the official kick off of your new favorite summer activity: Fish Fry and a Flick. The concept is simple -- it involves everything its name alludes to -- but it's all the little extras that make it an entertaining way to spend a night.
To start, there's the food. We're talking authentic Wisconsin fish fry featuring beer-battered fried cod, whole lobster boils, lobster dinners as well as Johnsonville brats on the grill, salads, sides and desserts all presented by Bartolotta.
Then there are the movies, carefully selected for their high scores in hilarity ("The Big Lebowski," "Old School), timelessness ("The Wizard of Oz," "Easy Rider") or general entertainment value ("Pulp Fiction," "Night of the Living Dead in 3D.")
"We chose all the movies based on what we thought would make a fun and unique atmosphere for all in attendance," says Ryan Matteson of The Pabst Theater, one of the event's sponsors. "We took plenty of time and outside suggestions before we came up with the list for this year. As a result, I think the movie selections cover a wide variety of genres that hopefully appeal to a wide variety of people in the Milwaukee community."
Because it's an outdoor event, all movies begin at dusk. Fish Fry and a Flick takes place along Milwaukee's lakefront at Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Dr. The giant screen is set up just north of Discovery World with the lake as the background.
Before the movies, guests can enjoy the retail bazaar beginning at 5: 30 p.m. Dozens of Milwaukee retailers set up shop to offer their goods, including Alterra Coffee, Crank Daddy's, Eco Hatchery, Juju Gifts, Rush-Mor Records and Sparrow Collective.
"We have heard from about 30 different organizations that will be participating and we would like to encourage any other businesses or retailers to contact us if they would like to be involved on future dates," adds Matteson, who says Fish Fry and a Flick will be an annual event.
They can also take a swing at the golf driving range for a buck a ball until dusk.
The full lineup:
July 10 -- Double Feature: "The Big Lebowski" & "Kingpin"
July 24 -- "Animal House"
Aug. 14 -- "Pulp Fiction"
Aug. 21 -- Double Feature: "Easy Rider" & "MadMax"
Aug. 28 -- "Old School"
Sept. 4 -- "Wizard of Oz" (with the "Dark Side of the Moon")
Sept. 11 -- "Caddy Shack"
Sept. 18 -- "Night of the Living Dead" in 3D
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
