With so much going on in the City of Festivals, choosing the best fest for you can be hard. Whether you’re looking for delicious food, a late-night dance party or even a whole weekend dedicated to a local wrestling icon, you’ll find a festival that’s a perfect fit for your tastes. To give you a little sample of what to expect and help you decide which fests to check out this June (Hint: It’s all of them), we’ve put together a list of just one thing to check out at each fest. Here’s what you should see, do, drink and chew in Milwaukee this month.
Fest Italiana
May 30-June 1
While the food is of course sensational, with a variety of pastas, pizzas and delicious desserts situated throughout the Summerfest grounds, we’ll kick things off with a bang this month with the Festa Fireworks. Taking place at 10:30 p.m. on May 31, this dazzling display lights up the Milwaukee night sky along the lakefront, making for a special kickoff to summer.
Crusher Fest
May 31-June 1
Over in South Milwaukee, we have the celebration of local wrestling folk hero Reginald Lisowski, AKA The Crusher. And what better way to enjoy a festival that honors “The Wrestler Who Made Milwaukee Famous” than by taking in some live wrestling during this two-day festival?
Locust Street Festival
June 1
Forget a fun run, how about a beer run? In addition to a slate of outstanding vendors and live local music, this one-day festival includes the Locust Street Beer Run. Kicking off at 11:30 a.m. at Black Husky, this quick 1.6-mile run offers four beer stops, giving you a real taste of the Brew City.
West Allis A La Carte
June 1
This massive block party has all the makings of a great fest. Delicious food? Check. Live music? Check. But one thing that makes this one stand out is the fest’s Animal Avenue. Here, you can meet your new best friend, donate food, treats or litter, or pick up a new toy for your furry companion.
PrideFest
June 5-7
The state’s largest celebration of Pride has a little bit of everything. Of course, there’s a loaded lineup of music and entertainment, but from 5 p.m. to midnight all three days of this festival, the Dance Pavilion will host one of the city’s hottest dance parties, with 10 performers, DJs and hosts throughout PrideFest.
Tosa Greek Fest
June 5-8
It’s also a busy month for festivals in Wauwatosa, and we’ll kick things off with Tosa Greek Fest. The popular fest in the parking lot of the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is centered around delicious food offerings like lamb, gyros, loukoumades, saganaki, Greek pastries and so much more.
Art 64
June 6-7
That same weekend, over in the Wauwatosa Village, Art 64 claims to be the largest Midwest bracket-style live painting tournament. With live entertainment this artistically inspired, it should really be no surprise that our pick for this one is watching these artists paint their masterpiece in a race against the clock for a chance at $20,000.
WI + Beer Lovers Festival
June 7
You love Wisconsin (or you’re about to). And you love beer. Enter the Wisconsin and Beer Lovers Festival in Glendale. Hosted at the Bavarian Beer House, this fest boasts over 50 breweries, distilleries and wineries, giving you a taste of the local flavors found around the Fresh Coast.
Milwaukee Water Lantern Festival
June 7
Back along the lakefront, the Milwaukee Water Lantern Festival is set to illuminate the water in a beautiful ceremony of hope, happiness and fun for the whole family. Write something meaningful to you, like a personal dream or a loved one, then send it floating out onto the water in the hopes of a brighter tomorrow.
Brewtown Rumble
June 7
Revving up the summer fun in the Near West Side neighborhood, the Brewtown Rumble is bringing the excitement of motoculture to Davidson Park on the Harley-Davidson campus. What better way to take in the motorcycle mecca and the home of Harley-Davidson than at a bike show, with innovative designs and custom rides from across the land.
National Puerto Rican Day Festival
June 8
In the shadow of the Mitchell Park Domes, the National Puerto Rican Day Festival is a one-day fest that’s bringing a salsa dance contest, a pincho cookoff and the first Puerto Rican Parade in more than 30 years. Try your hand at dominoes, with a tournament filled with strategy and luck of the draw for your chance at domino glory.
HartFest
June 13-14
In the middle of the month, we head to Hart Park in Wauwatosa for this festival. This free, family-focused festival includes a Dave Matthews tribute band and tons of food trucks. But you want the smoke—smoky flavor anyway–that only top-notch BBQ can satisfy. Swing by for HartFest’s BBQ competition to savor these bold flavors during this two-day festival.
Polish Fest
June 13-15
The final festival primer at the Henry Maier Festival Park Grounds before the world’s largest music festival takes center stage for three weekends of live music, this fest is a grand celebration of Polish culture. Beyond the delicious Polish eats, you should check out the dance performances and polka music.
Lakefront Festival of the Arts
June 13-15
The three-day arts festival at the Milwaukee Art Museum is an incredible display of the creative spirit that flows throughout our state and country, with more than 30 artist booths displaying art from 145 jury-selected artists. Stoke your inspiration and marvel at the beauty of these works.
Summer Soulstice Music Festival
June 14
Each year, a massive street festival takes over the East Side neighborhood for a one-day festival in celebration of the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. Here, you’ll find live music from a wide array of local performers all day, and even well into the evening after the sun goes down. Rove the stages and find your faves.
Juneteenth MKE
June 19
Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebration is the nation’s oldest and longest-running celebration of this national holiday. The festival takes over several city blocks, sprawling with local vendors, artisans and food trucks. But the highlight of the day is the Juneteenth Day parade, an incredible display of local pride, talented musicians, dances and fun for the whole family.
Summerfest Weekend 1
June 19-21
We’ve got three weekends, 12 stages and over 600 performances. It’s the world’s largest music festival. So, where should we start? Probably with a summer staple, the Saz’s sampler platter, a taste of summer in a bite, complete with mozzarella sticks, cheese curds and chive fries, all on one plate. After all, we’ve got three weekends, so we’ll start with the basics.
2nd Annual Juneteenth Gospel Fest
June 21
After you’ve had your sampler platter and checked out some of your favorite artists at Summerfest, your next stop is the Granville Connection in Brown Deer for this fest. Kicking off with live Gospel music at 1 p.m., stop in to hear beautifully orchestrated renditions from Gospel Groups, choirs and more.
Wild Ones Motorcycle Rally
June 21
The third weekend of June is loaded with fests. We’ve got Summerfest. We’ve got the Juneteenth Gospel Fest, now we rumble on into the Wild Ones Motorcycle Rally at the Harley-Davidson Museum. If you’re a Harley-Davidson history buff, this one’s for you. The fest celebrates the iconic bike brand’s ever-evolving design with a vintage motorcycle rally. Take a trip through H-D history just by walking around the Harley-Davidson Museum campus (and be sure to stop inside to take a tour, too!).
Summer Solstice Music Festival
June 21
We celebrated the summer solstice on the city’s East Side last weekend, so why not do it again? This time, we’re headed to Drexel Town Square in Oak Creek for this afternoon and evening of live music, food vendors and family-friendly activities. Revel in the light of this fest from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the second longest day of the year.
Bloody Mary Festival
June 21
Did we mention it’s a busy weekend? Happening alongside the Wild Ones Motorcycle Rally on the Harley-Davidson Museum Campus in the Menomonee Valley, this one honors a local delicacy and a specialty cocktail staple, the Bloody Mary. With more than 15 Bloody Mary makers to try, sample them all and pick your favorite!
VeganMania Milwaukee
June 22
If you’re planning a weekend in Milwaukee, you can fest from Thursday through Sunday non-stop, before finishing the circuit with a vegan feast at this festival at Greenfield Park in West Allis. While Bloody Mary Festival may not have been your jam, this is a vegan oasis, complete with food trucks and vendors, bakeries, beverages and so much more, sure to satisfy your craving.
Summerfest Weekend 2
June 26-28
You had the sampler platter on weekend one. This weekend, it would only stand to reason that we would check out some of the artists performing at the world’s largest music festival. Throughout the weekend, you can see national touring artists, including Megan Thee Stallion, The Avett Brothers, The Killers and so many more at one of the 12 stages throughout the 75-acre grounds.
Cedarburg Strawberry Festival
June 28-29
Can you guess what we’re going to recommend for our last fest in June? It’s strawberries. The entire fest is dedicated to the fruit and you can find it in a variety of foods and drinks throughout this two-day street festival in Cedarburg. Stop by Strawberry Alley to find everything from fresh strawberries to strawberry art and probably, somewhere, the song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Explore more in the City of Festivals! Map your fest summer yet and plan your stay today!
