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Summer Festival Guide

Shepherd Express Summer Festival Guide 2023

2026 Summer Festival Guide

Here's your ultimate guide to all of the festivals and major events in the Milwaukee area this summer. Find something new to celebrate each week from art fairs to cultural festivals and concerts.

Know an event that should be here? Or see an event that needs updating? Reach out to caroline@shepex.com.

MAY

The Depot Beer Garden–Old Falls Village
  • Saturdays, May 16–Sept. 27
  • Old Falls Village
  • Pilgrim Road and Hwy. Q, Menomonee Falls
  • oldfallsvillage.com
Old Falls Revolutionary War Reenactment and School Day
  • May 1-3

The historical museum's grounds feature antique farming equipment and steam engines, hands-on pioneer activities, old-fashioned children's games, country market food vendors and live music. The beer garden is open Friday and Saturday. 

Cinco de Mayo Festival
  • Sunday, May 2, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
  • UMOS, Inc.
  • 2701 S Chase Ave, Milwaukee

Celebrate Mexico's victory over France with food, music, dance, and top taco trucks. Highlights include our annual Chihuahua Beauty Contest and Tamale Eating Contest.

Thursday Bike Night Concert Series
  • Thursdays, May 7–Sept. 24, 5-9 p.m.
  • Harley-Davidson Museum
  • 400 West Canal Street, Milwaukee
  • harley-davidson.com

All bike are welcom on the campus of the Harley-Davidson Museum for free live music, food and drinks.

Milwaukee Makers Market
Milwaukee Makers Market

50+ Local small business rotate the Markets throughout the season from April through December at venues such as Discovery World, The Ivy House and The Society.

Budweiser Wednesday Night Live

Wednesday Night Live is a free weekly summer concert series held at the Budweiser Pavilian on the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. 

Gateway to Asia - Asian Culture Festival Featuring AAPI Celebration- Bayshore

Live performances, food, marketplace, workshops and more. Try Chinese calligraphy, origami, lantern making, henna art, tea ceremony, a Bollywood mini dance class, and traditional instrument try-outs. Asian cultures come alive on the main stage. 

Cedarburg Art Museum Summer Beer Garden
Morning Glory Art Fair

Morning Glory Art Fair

Milwaukee's free and fine juried art and craft show and sale bring together outstanding artists from around the country.

Paint Cedarburg

Wisconsin's largest plein air painting event celebrates 25 years in 2026.

Bikerfest Block Party
Lager & Friends

Now in its 8th year, Lager & Friends has become the premier lager-only beer festival in Wisconsin.

Port Festival of The Arts
  • May 30
  • Downtown Port Washington
Crusherfest!
  • May 30-31
  • 1101 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee

A festival dedicated to the man that made Milwaukee famous, Da Crusher. Come celebrate SOuth Milwaukee's favorite son!

Brady Street Art Walk

Artists will line the sidewalks of BRady Street creating and selling their art. Grab a drink or a meal and enjoy walking Brady Street.

Locust Street Festival of Music & Art

This year's event includes the Locust Street Beer Run, four live music stages, local vendors, artists, food—and plenty of beer.

JUNE

Wild Ones: Vintage Motorcycle Rally
  • Harley-Davidson Museum
Pridefest

PrideFest

Music in the Park
Jazz in the Park
Jazz in the Park in Downtown Milwaukee

The popular evening music series returns to Cathedral Square Park for another summer.

Door County Contemporary Art Fair
Music at the Pavilion

Music at the Pavilion (2025)

  • Thursdays, June 4, June 18, July 2, July 16, August 6, & August 20, from 6-9 p.m.
  • Firemen’s Park
  • W162 N11870 Park Ave. Germantown
  • facebook.com/MusicAtThePavilion

Germantown's largest outdoor concert series. Music at the Pavilion is a free event featuring live music, a beer garden and local food vendors. In 2025, over 10,000 guests attended the 6-part concert series at Germantown’s Firemen’s Park.

Art 64

Art 64

A live performance bracket-style painting tournament.

Green Lake Festival of Music

Enjoy discovering music by contemporary composers in a variety of genres, along with familiar classics beautifully performed in a variety of attractive venues.

2026 Summer Concert Series
  • June 5 - Aug. 28, Fridays from 4-7 p.m.
  • Michelob ULTRA, Deer District

Free concerts in the heart of Milwaukee's Downtown.

Milwaukee Highland Games

Bagpipers, Scottish athletics including the caber toss, sheep herding dogs, Highland dancing and more.

St. John Vianney Parish Festival
Lolo Blvd Custom Car & Bike Show
Pet Palooza
  • June 6
  • Greendale Gazebo Park

Let your dog run the agility course, test their speed in the doggie dash, strut their stuff in the pet fashion show or get some insight on what your pet is thinking from the pet psychic.

Puerto Rican Festival and Parade
  • June 7 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Humboldt Park
  • 3000 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee
West Allis A La Carte
Chill on the Hill

Attendees enjoy a performance by the American Legion Band during Chill on the Hill in Humboldt Park.

Live music by local musicians in the South Side park’s natural amphitheater, an idyllic setting. A baker’s dozen shows that includes a wildly varied lineup from Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Hot & Dirty Brass Band, Diet Lite, Sleepersound, Los Mitoteros and more.

World Cup Watch Party at Zócalo Food Park 

Zócalo Food Park will be showing matches throughout the tournament with a focus on Mexico, USA, France, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina, creating a fun, high-energy atmosphere with great food, drinks, and community viewing.

Tosa Greek Fest
Thiensville-Mequon Lions Fest
Summer Sounds at Cedar Creek Park
Polish Fest 

Celebrating Polish arts, culture, and traditions and sharing the gift of heritage with future generations on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

Lakefront Festival of Art

A weekend of art, food, music, and activities for all ages at the Milwaukee Art Museum with paintings, ceramics, fiber, metalwork, and jewelry from more than 120 artists from across the country.

Summer Soulstice Music Festival

Summer Soulstice Music Festival

Six stages of top talent including, The Urbanites, NilexNile, Robot Witch, Ladybird and The Hallelujah Ward.

Sip & Savor Wisconsin
Milwaukee Water Lantern Festival
Midwest Fire Fest

A demonstration-heavy celebration of all things created with fire, heat, and smoke including but not limited to clay, metal arts, welding, forging, hot glass, food, and performance.

Metro Jam
  • June 19-20
  • Washington Park, S. 12th and Washington streets, Manitowoc
  • metrojam.org

Slide guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth headlines on Saturday. Derek Pritzl, Elephonic and more, round out the lineup for this hidden gem of a free, two-day music festival.

Summerfest

Summerfest

  • June 18-20, June 25-27 and July 2-4
  • Henry Maier Festival Park
  • summerfest.com

The Big Gig returns with its three, three-day weekends format—nine days and 600 artists. Artists include The Dream Syndicate, The Roots, Spoon, Amyl and the Sniffers, Kim Gordon, The Beths, The Family Stone, Alejandro Escovedo, Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band, The Jayhawks and Garth Brooks.

Juneteenth Jubilee Parade & Street Festival
  • June 19
  • From 18th and Locust Streets through Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Locust Street.
  • juneteenthmilwaukee.com

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s Greek Fest
Milwaukee Night Market
  • June 24, July 22, August 19 and September 16
  • West Wisconsin Avenue between Second Street and Vel R. Phillips Avenue
  • www.mkenightmarket.com
Strawberry Festival

Everything strawberry, from strawberry shortcake to strawberry wine, Art on the Avenue, contests, festival foods, shopping and live music.

Clocktower Classic
Drexel Town Square Night Market

JULY

Wimmer Communities Concerts in the Garden
Washington Park Wednesdays

See Vincent Van Great and Amanda Huff, Orquestra Rumba, Ladies Must Swing and more at the Washington Park Bandshell Summer Concert Series. Early evening event with live music in the bandshell and local food trucks.

Iola Old Car Show
Bastille Days

Bastille Days

Bastille Days, Milwaukee’s popular French festival and one of the nation’s largest French-themed celebrations, is held in Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square Park. The free, four-day bash attracts over 250,000 visitors annually who enjoy live music, an international marketplace, French and Cajun cuisine, and roaming busker entertainment. Storm the Bastille 5K Run/Walk on July 9 at 9 p.m.

Festa Italiana

Italian cuisine and desserts, La Cucina showcase, national and local live music, cultural performances and heritage exhibits, bocce ball tournament and more. Fireworks on July 10-11.

Dominic Days 
Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon boat races, Chinese culture and traditions including dance performances, folk music, martial Arts and hands-on opportunities for the young and young-at-heart to make opera masks and lanterns, play traditional games, participate in a dragon parade, and even learn to speak and write Chinese.

Bristol Renaissance Faire

Where Can Party Like it’s 1599? Every Faire day recreates a time when knights were noble, maids were merry and turkey legs were titanic

Whitefish Bay Art Fest

Start your day with breakfast at your favorite Whitefish Bay spot, then immerse yourself in thousands of paintings, sculptures, photographs, jewelry from 100 juried artists.

Riverwest Secret Garden Tour

It’s no secret anymore! Discover and enjoy some of the finest urban gardens in Milwaukee.

Musical Mondays at Lake Park

Season 28 brings another gumbo of top-flight acts including New Orleans’ Flow Tribe, the annual R&B Cadets groove-a-thon, “Buckets of Prine: The Songs of John Prine,” Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band and more. Also, check out Wonderful Wednesdays for children and their families.

Waukesha County Fair

This year’s main stage acts include 38 Special, Hoobastank and Sebastian Bach.

Port Fish Days
Falls Lavender Fest
  • July 18 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Village Park
  •  N87W16749 Garfield Dr, Menomonee Falls
  • fallslavenderfest.com

Paint the Falls purple at the sixth annual Lavender Falls Fest which celebrates this versatile plant with food, art and music.

Midsummer Festival of the Arts

Free admission with 100 artist booths, live music, exhibitions, demonstrations, art making, and food trucks.

Armenian Fest

Armenian Fest

  • July 19
  • St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church
  • 7825 W. Layton Ave.       
  • armenianfest.com

What began in the 1930s as a summer picnic for Milwaukee's Armenian community has grown into a popular attraction for Milwaukee festival with live music and food including kabobs, bureks, and unique Armenian dishes and flavors.

South Milwaukee Heritage Days

Friends of the Grant Park Art Fair July19, Veterans Appreciation Dinner July 21, South Milwaukee Farmers Market May 28-Oct 1, and Saturday Heritage Days Parade July 25.  

EAA Airventure

Travel to Oshkosh for an international gathering of some 800,000+ aviation enthusiasts. Attend a workshop or catch a lecture from a notable flight pro, then take in the daily afternoon air show with top-flight pilots dazzling onlookers with aerial acrobatics.

Washington County Fair
Taste of Wisconsin
  • July 24-26
  • Celebration Place at Kenosha’s Harbor
  • 54th Street and 1st Avenue (east of the museums), Kenosha       
  • tasteofwi.com
Prairie Dog Blues Fest

The Prairie Dog Blues Festival is held every year on historic St. Feriole Island, on the Mississippi River and nestled between jagged cliffs and green hills untouched by the Ice Age.

German Fest
  • July 24-25
  • Henry        Henry Maier Festival Park
  • germanfest.com

German Fest Milwaukee brings the spirit of Germany to life each summer with authentic food, lively entertainment and a vibrant community atmosphere.

Brady Street Festival

The annual Brady Street Festival features three stages of entertainment for all ages, local food vendors, makers and nonstop energy throughout the day. A longtime tradition, the festival continues to be a must-attend event for residents and visitors alike.

Milwaukee Brewfest
Scenic Shore Ride for a Cure

Blood Cancer United is sponsoring a two-day, 150-mile, fully supported cycling event open to riders of all ages and abilities along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. The goal is a cure for blood cancer; please visit the website to register.

Milwaukee Air and Water Show

Since its launch, the WaterStone Bank Air & Water Show has grown into one of the Midwest’s largest free events, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators every year.

Ozaukee County Fair

Begun in 1859 and billed as one of the last free fairs in the Midwest, it has all you'd hope for in a county fair, including a full midway, fair food, multiple stages of live entertainment, magic and kids' shows, animal judging, truck and tractor pulls, lumberjack show, demolition derby and fireworks

AUGUST

Black Arts Fest MKE 

A cultural festival celebrating and showcasing African and African American culture. Various genres of music on tap, performances and workshops for children, dance performances and activities focused around African heritage are in store. A Market Square will feature wares and products aligned with the culture and produced by black owned businesses

MOWA Art and Chalk Fest

Experience chalk artists creating large-scale works of chalk art right before your eyes, watch a glass-blowing demo in a mobile hot shop, or see clay sculpted into handmade vessels on a pottery wheel all while listening to live music.

Peninsula Music Festival
  • August 4-22
  • Door Community Auditorium, Fish Creek
  • Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
  • wistatefair.com

Our great Wisconsin State Fair boasts 30 entertainment stages featuring local and national acts, a host of exhibits and enough food and shopping to keep you busy for days. Did we mention the cream puffs? Almost anything on a stick!?

Racine Starving Artist Fair

This juried fair features the work of over 130 artists from Racine County and all over the Midwest.

Luxembourg Fest
Summer Park Jam Weekend
Center Street Daze Festival

Two carts line-up for the Center Street Daze Festival's annual Cart Race

Center Street Daze Festival, held in Milwaukee’s vibrant Riverwest neighborhood between Holton and Humboldt on Center Street, has been happening annually since 1997.

Hank Aaron State Trail 5K Run/Walk
Milwaukee Irish Fest

Milwaukee Irish Fest

  • August 13-16
  • Henry Maier Festival Park
  • Milwaukee Lakefront
  • irishfest.com

The world's largest Irish festival features nonstop Celtic music from traditional to rock, Irish dance, cultural area, theater performances, food, drink and more.

Taste of Egypt
  • August 21-23
  • St. Mary & St. Antonius Coptic Orthodox Church
Mexican Fiesta

Mexican Fiesta is much more than three days of tamales, Mariachi music and dancing. It's an education in Mexico's rich culture and history encouraging people of all backgrounds to share in the beauty of Mexico's culture.

Country in the Burg

The two-day country music festival is held in Cedarburg.

Walk for Wishes 

Proceeds from the 5K or one-mile run/walk will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin and grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses.

Mexican Fiesta
 

SEPTEMBER

Wisconsin Highland Games
  • Labor Day Weekend: September 4-6
  • Waukesha County Expo
  • 1000 Northview Rd, Waukesha
  • wisconsinscottish.org\

Opening Ceremonies Friday night, followed by two days of competitions in bagpiping, heavy athletics, Highland dance, and more, plus the Clans Area, Celtic Canines, Pub Tent with live music and more.

Third Ward Art Festival

Showcasing the work of nearly 200 juried artists in a variety of mediums, including ceramics, fiber, glass jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, wood and furniture.

Tosafest

Celebrating 50 years this year, Tosafest is a community festival with live music, art, food and children's activities including pony rides, a petting zoo and face painting. All proceeds go to area charities.

Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin
IKEA Frank Mots International Kite Festival
Bay View Bash

This one day community festival celebrates local food, music, art, crafts, books and community organizations. Proceeds from the Bash are invested back into the community through grants to local nonprofits.

Wine and Harvest Festival

This festival fills the historic town. Sample food and wine, much of it locally made, as you enjoy many family activities and live musical performances.

Doors Open Milwaukee

More than 160 buildings open their doors in this annual citywide celebration of history, architecture and neighborhoods organized by Historic Milwaukee. Expect performing arts events and children's activities.