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It's a holiday weekend in Milwaukee! While it certainly could be a few degrees warmer for your weekend, there's plenty to do both indoors and outside around the city, with sports, concerts, and celebrations in every neighborhood. You're probably cooking out on Monday, but make your weekend plans today with the Weekend Preview, brought to you by Potawatomi Casino Hotel!
FRIDAY
The Beach Boys at Riverside Theater
You can capsulize most pop music acts by reciting how many hits they’ve had and how many millions of albums they’ve sold. But these conventional measurements fall short when you’re assessing the impact of The Beach Boys. This band has birthed a torrent of hit singles and sold albums by the tens of millions. But its greater significance lies in the fact that The Beach Boys’ songs have forever changed the musical landscape, profoundly influencing countless performing artists to follow.
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Milwaukee Admirals vs. Texas Stars at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
The Admirals are staying alive in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, and you can help make the home ice advantage even greater as they take on the Texas Stars in their best-of-five Division Finals series. Let's go Ads!
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Pabst Mansion Behind-the-Scenes Tour
Ever wonder what’s beyond a classic Pabst Mansion tour? Here is your chance to explore the areas behind the ropes and closed doors. This is in-depth look at the home, all the way from the basement to the attic, is for those who just want to see it all!
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Partner Pick
Walkers Point Churches Tour
Not only is Walker’s Point Milwaukee’s oldest neighborhood, but it is also rich with a palimpsest of intact nineteenth-century homes, businesses, and places of worship. The proximity to downtown meant that many immigrant groups put down roots in Walker’s Point, and each had an impact on church buildings and services. This tour, led by guide Judy Wimmer, will explore the architectural and ecclesiastical changes and contextualize the larger experience of religion for newly arrived immigrants.
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Ultimate Candle Making Experience at GreyHouse Creative Market
Choose from a variety of stylish vessels to pour your perfect candleBlend your own signature scent from our curated fragrance bar. Add a splash of color, dried flowers, or a shimmer of mica powder for that special touch. Learn fun facts about candle history, wax types, and the science behind the perfect pour. Personalize your label and give your creation a name that reflects your vibe. No experience needed!
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Wine & Paint at The Local Makery
Enjoy delicious wine, grab a paintbrush, and let your inner artist shine. An instructor will guide you step-by-step through creating your own masterpiece—no experience needed! Whether you're a seasoned artist or trying something new, this event is ideal for anyone looking to relax, create, and connect.
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Copper Turtle Book Club
Are you trying to get back into the practice of reading? Want to have stimulating conversations about literature? Join the Copper Turtle Book Club, held on Friday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. Participants will enjoy a discount of half-off all beers and wines. All books have been pre-selected by bartender Margaret Wilson who graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a degree in fiction writing.
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JV Harris & The Some, Would You Kindly?, Casual Sex at Anodyne Coffee Roasters
JV Harris' sound blends melodic grit with raw vulnerability, creating a space where listeners can find solace in shared experiences. His songs serve as emotional purges—reflections of heartbreak, addiction, and the dark spaces of the mind that often go unspoken.
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20 Years of The Delta Routine at The Cooperage
The Delta Routine have been at it for 20 Years and are celebrating with a special show with material spanning all of their 4 studio albums and more! They're releasing new music for the first time in 10 years to celebrate the occasion. They'll have special release vinyl and merch for a select few shows this year, available for the first time on Friday.
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Toni Romiti, Kara Marni at X-Ray Arcade
This is music for when you're done being chill and ready to be a problem. It's loud, it's confident, and it’s giving “tell your situationship to stay home.” Pull up ready to feel yourself.
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Equipment, Arcadia Grey, Doubter, Phasing at Cactus Club
Toledo, Ohio's own Equipment heads up a night of power pop at Cactus Club on Friday, alongside Chicago band Arcadia Grey. Milwaukee bands Doubter and Phasing will round out the bill.
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Groove Grease, Brendan Demet Trio at Linneman's
Groove Grease is a dynamic Milwaukee funk band blending old school organ grooves (a la Jimmy McGriff) with new school synthesizer based jams and electronic hooks.
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SATURDAY
Wiz Khalifa at The Rave
Wiz Khalifa's "Taylor Gang The World" tour will see Wiz visit more intimate venues, allowing for his fans to experience his new album in a special setting, connecting with Wiz and his music on a deeper level. With a carefully curated setlist featuring both new and classic hits, the personal atmosphere will make for an unforgettable experience.
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Kohl's Design It! Lab at Discovery World
Bring the whole family to the Kohl’s Design It! Lab to make wonderfully creative projects that you can take home. You’ll choose a project from the rotating menu and they’ll guide you through the creation process. Projects can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes.
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Partner Pick
Time Travelers Vintage Expo at Baird Center
Time Travelers Vintage Expo is the largest traveling retro vintage market in the United States, currently visiting 16 cities from coast to coast. Attendees can expect to find a retro wonderland with the absolute best in vintage clothing, home goods, retro-inspired handmade, and more! Vendors are carefully selected from across the country for a highly curated shopping experience and offer a wide range of styles and price points.
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Women's Milwaukee Torrent vs. Milwaukee City AFC and Milwaukee Torrent vs. Wisconsin Conquerors FC
Come see Milwaukee's professional soccer club in Hart Park! FC Milwaukee Torrent stands as a pillar of soccer excellence in the Milwaukee area, supporting athletes from youth to professional levels.
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Draft & Vessel Tosa Anniversary Celebration
Draft & Vessel are celebrating their 4th year of beers in Wauwatosa! They'll have brats, cake and the acoustic sound of Ben Plaisted from the Panoptics. The Swan Chapel will be open for tours, and you can learn about future plans for the house next door. A carefully curated list for the celebration includes beers from Hop Butcher, Young Blood, Supermoon, Working Draft and more plus a special 4-year-old barrel of KBS!
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Bilingual Story Time in the Galleries: Mandarin Chinese and English at Milwaukee Art Museum
Join for a special bilingual Story Time in the Galleries with Lily Buschkopf from Mason’s Reading Space, a traveling education program that shares Chinese language and stories with the Milwaukee community.
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Jackie Venson at Vivarium
ackie Venson has established herself as one of the most commanding performers to come out of Texas. An Austin native, Venson has shared the stage with icons like Gary Clark Jr and Melissa Etheridge and even performed with Alanis Morissette and Lainey Wilson at the 2023 CMT Awards.
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Tophy at The Wicked Hop
Every Saturday night, Milwaukee's own Tophy curates the sounds at The Wicked Hop in the Third Ward. Join at the Jackalope Lounj for a free night of dancing to all of your favorites including throwback pop, hip hop and much more.
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Hangouts, SSAANN, Mas Verde, Bowvee at Falcon Bowl
Riverwest's Falcon Bowl is the place to be on Saturday, with an intimate indie show inside the Falcon Nest. Check out sets from Milwaukee's own Hangouts, SSAANN, Mas Verde and Bowvee.
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Partner Pick
H1Z1, Cobra Czar, Drillbit, Age of the Fallen at X-Ray Arcade
This night of heavy metal insanity is part of X-Ray Arcade's series of fundraiser events, featuring performers who've chosen to do their thing for free — every dollar in ticket sales goes toward an accessible entryway construction project. All you gotta do is show up.
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Combustor, Shadows taller Than Souls, Electricity Kills at Linneman's
Combustor is a Milwaukee-based combo formed in 2022, made up of veteran indie/punk/alternative musicians Clancy Carroll, Marc Graves, and Bobby Mitchell. With influences as varied as Ramones, Prince, Stooges, James Brown, Buzzcocks, Miles Davis and Grand Funk Railroad, Combustor’s focus on songwriting and heady mix of old skool rock, melodic punk, powerful pop and funk is certain to engage.
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Pissed Jeans, Misprints, Sex Scenes at Cactus Club
Philadelphia-based indie band Pissed Jeans are headed to Milwaukee, and a pair of local acts will welcome them in to Bay View. Don't miss an exciting night of up and coming bands!
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SUNDAY
Funny on Sunday's 2 Year Anniversary at the Miramar Theatre
Head to the East Side for a hilarious night of comedy this Memorial Day weekend! Join for Funny On Sunday, a night of standup featuring headliner Kelly Kellz, as well as D-Rock, Promise, and music from DJ Gee-A!
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Milwaukee Admirals vs. Texas Stars at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
(If necessary)
The Admirals are staying alive in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, and you can help make the home ice advantage even greater as they take on the Texas Stars in their best-of-five Division Finals series. Let's go Ads!
Event Info
Reiki 1 Attunement with EB Heartwrok at Tosa Physical Therapy and Wellness
Reiki is a Japanese healing technique that uses gentle touch to help balance and increase energy levels, and promote relaxation and well-being. Reiki energy has its own consciousness and moves intuitively to realign the recipients’ energy (kind of like energetically unkinking a hose). The Reiki Practitioner is a witness and a facilitator, but it’s the recipient’s own energy that is realigning itself.
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Present Music Presents “Baroque POP!”
Baroque composer François Couperin time travels to the present to meet Alex Temple’s extraordinary suite for voice and string quartet, "Behind The Wallpaper." Julia Holter performs her own unique blend of baroque pop and experimental music with members of Present Music, and LA-based avant-garde composer Tashi Wada brings bagpipes, ecstatic drones, and unconventional tunings to the mix in the iconic Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion.
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Free Swim Sundays: Surrealist Poetry Workshop at Cactus Club
Led by Milwaukee Poet Antonio Vargas-Nieto, this generative poetry workshop is open to writers of all experience levels. Explore surrealist poets from around the world—Joyce Mansour, Will Alexander, Chika Sagawa, Frank O’Hara, and more—and use their techniques to unlock the creative potential of the trivial, the personal, and the deeply specific.
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Candlelight: Neo-Soul Favorites at St. James 1868
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Milwaukee. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Neo-Soul Favorites ft. Songs by Prince, Childish Gambino, & More at The Abbey at St. James 1868 under the gentle glow of candlelight.
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Charming Disaster, Mercury Trio at Anodyne Coffee Roasters
Brooklyn-based musical duo Charming Disaster was formed in 2012 by Ellia Bisker and Jeff Morris. Inspired by the gothic humor of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton, the murder ballads of the Americana tradition, and the dramatic flair of the cabaret, they write playfully macabre songs that tell stories about death, crime, myth, magic, folklore, science, and the occult. In their theatrical live performances, they combine vocal harmonies and clever lyrics with ukulele, guitar, and virtuosic foot percussion.
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Grupo Liberacion, Bryndis X Siempre, Grupo Mojado, Hermanos Leon at The Rave
Four amazing regional Mexican acts will play The Rave on Sunday night, with a night full of of traditional music.
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Wilmette, Glory Days, When The Sun Sets, The Up & Up, Buena Cara at X-Ray Arcade
Pop-punk with emo edges and Midwest attitude. Wilmette’s tracks are catchy, a little dramatic, and exactly what your inner emo kid signed up for.
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Rocky Horror After Barge at Cactus Club
Goth Barge and Sensual Daydreams present a party at Cactus Club with a Rocky Horror Picture Show theme. Join in the fun!
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ALL WEEKEND LONG
Milwaukee Milkmen vs. Sioux Falls Canaries
Take yourself out to the ballgame! The Milwaukee Milkmen are home at Franklin Field all weekend for their third homestand of the 2025 season, and they'll take on the Canaries of Sioux Falls.
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Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! at Discovery World
In a new exhibit, Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! will introduce young children to Curious George’s world and lead visitors on a fun, meaningful, interactive math, science, and engineering-based adventure
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Tea and Tulips at Mitchell Park Domes
Inspired by the classical beauty of English gardens, “Tea and Tulips,” the spring floral show at The Domes, features stunning tea-inspired garden art. The Show Dome is filled with hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils galore. Garden vignettes display hydrangeas, Asiatic lilies, and an assortment of popular tea herbs. Treat yourself to spring with a floral show that’s sure cause a stir!
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Choices of Consequence: Denmark and the Holocaust at Milwaukee Jewish Museum
Explore "Choices of Consequence: Denmark and the Holocaust" at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee from February 14 to May 25. This exhibit, featuring powerful photos, artifacts, and personal stories, highlights how ordinary Danes saved 95% of Danish Jews through courage and resistance.
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D.J. Demers at Milwaukee Improv
D.J. Demers is a steady provider of laughs. His clever stand-up is both personal and universal and has earned him multiple appearances at Just For Laughs, a nomination for Best Comedy Album at the Junos (i.e. the Canadian Grammys), and a growing legion of fans around the world.
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Nick Vatterott at The Laughing Tap
You've seen Nick Vatterott on Comedy Central, Conan, Amazon Prime and more! Now you can see his standup in person this weekend at The Laughing Tap.
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Parallel Play: The Art of Science
Parallel Play was created as an integral component of Marquette’s Biology class, Creative Problem Solving. This cross-disciplinary course teaches STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students to embrace divergent thinking as a path to innovative problem solving. Through art-based activities and small group interactions with artists and STEM faculty, the class emphasizes the similarities between the creative processes of scientists and artists.
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It's beer garden season!
Beer garden season has arrived in Milwaukee! Here's the dish – or should we say, the pour – including when they're open and more.
Beer Garden Guide
Try a new restaurant!
Regularly supporting our locally owned restaurants is among the most impactful things we can vow to do. Lori Fredrich's list of 52 Restaurants for 2025 is here!
#52Restaurants
