Photo Via Visit Milwaukee
Harvest Fest Block Party & Pumpkin Spirit Release
BCCA CANvention
- Baird Center
- 400 W. Wisconsin Ave.
- September 11-13
The world’s largest gathering of “breweriana” collectors, those interested in items related to the brewing industry, meets here in Milwaukee for their 54th annual event. The convention moves around, but has been held here thrice, more than any other city, which makes sense with our history as the Brew City.
Presented by the Brewery Collectibles Club of America (BCCA), people from around the world will be here to check out the trade floor where vendors will sell antique cans, advertising poster art, and other memorabilia. There will be seminars on topics like “A History of Oshkosh Brewing,” and Saturday features a “Rusty Bunch Chapter beer can dump” where collectors can “frantically wade into a giant pile of thousands of beer cans to gather as many as their hands, boxes or bags can hold.”
The event is open to BCCA members only on Thursday, open to the public Friday and Saturday. Admission is $20 for Friday and Saturday, $10 Saturday only. More info: bcca.com.
China Lights
- Boerner Botanical Gardens
- 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners
- September 12-November 2
With a “magical forest” theme, China Lights impresses with colorful, vivid, larger-than-life lantern displays. Over 40 exhibits have thousands of hand-painted components illuminated with light spread across approximately nine acres. Asian and Western foods are available and there’s an entertainment stage with live performances at 6:30, 7:30, and 9 p.m.
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Ticket prices start at $16 for children, $23 (12 and over) but vary depending on day of the week, there’s also VIP and season passes available. More info on tickets here: chinalights.org/tickets.
Argren Faire
- Black Husky Brewing
- 909 E. Locust St.
- Saturday, September 13
Riverwest’s own Renaissance Faire returns, and for their second annual event, they’ve expanded significantly. Locust Street, outside of Black Husky Brewing, will be shut down to accommodate 60 vendors and a variety of activities, including a scavenger hunt, live action roleplaying, costume, beard, and feats of strength contests, food and drink, and fantasy authors. On the latter point, Argren is a world featured in the books of The Spirit Song Saga, by local fantasy authors Ross Hightower and Deb Heim, who brainstormed the event with Black Husky to bring their fantasy world to life.
Argren Faire is 12-8 p.m. and free to attend.
The History of Milwaukee’s Gugler Lithographic Company
- Central Library
- 814 W. Wisconsin Ave.
- Tuesday, September 16
Central Library’s archives hold over a thousand posters printed by the Gugler Lithographic Company, founded in Milwaukee in 1878. The printing company made everything from stationary to billboards to posters and labels for the Pabst Brewing Company. This presentation will show slides of items from the Gugler collection, including examples on display for attendees to examine after the presentation.
The presentation takes place in Central Library’s Frank P. Zeidler Humanities Room from 5-6:30 p.m. and is free to attend.
Harvest Fest Block Party & Pumpkin Spirit Release
- Great Lakes Distillery
- 616 W. Virginia St.
- Friday, September 19
Great Lakes Distillery celebrates their Pumpkin Seasonal Spirit (distilled with Lakefront Brewery’s Pumpkin Lager) with special cocktails and food from Fox Den, Chuco’s Red Tacos, and The Iron Pig. There will be a mini-maker market of creators and live music from The Last Bees.
The party is 6-10 p.m., free admission.
