Milwaukee Summer Bucket List

People often ask "What is there to do in Milwaukee?" And honestly, most of the fun stuff occurs during the summer. Below is a bucket list of things I have done in the past (and will be doing again this summer), and there's some additions on the list as well. This is a list of downtown activities, so it doesn't encompass much outside of the downtown/eastside.

- Tour downtown Milwaukee churches (I don't recommend visiting the Cathedral to see something that's aesthetically pleasing, but the interior of the Cathedral is something every Catholic must see, as a reminder of how NOT to make your parishioners feel like they're attending Mass in a masonic temple). And you must, must, must visit the basilica; it is quite amazing. The basilica is even on the Badger Catholic's list!:) Interior of the basilica, above.

- Jazz in the Park: Thursday evenings through September.

- East Town Market: Farmer's Market on the east side, Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

- Festa Italiana (four days dedicated to Italian awesomeness... how could you resist?): July 21-24. I'll be there!

- Irish Fest (great bands, great fun with a group of people!): August 18-21. Ride the lift!!

- Downtown Dining Week (sadly, it has already passed this year, in early June): Always a great reason to try out a new restaurant or visit an old favorite for cheap.

- Milwaukee Art Museum: Lakefront Festival of the Arts is this weekend. The MAM also has a China exhibit running through September that is supposed to be excellent.

- Milwaukee architectural tours: You can do walking or boat tours. Kinda cool, if you're interested in architecture and history and all that.

- Summer Fest: "World's largest music festival." There's usually something for everyone, whether you're a fan of rock, indie, pop, country, etc. Runs June 29-July 10; closed July 4.

- German Fest is another popular festival on the Summer Fest grounds, and you would probably find the Badger Catholic there if he lived in Milwaukee.

- How could I forget Milwaukee Brewer baseball games? Tickets are relatively inexpensive still and you can bring unopened food and beverages into the stadium still. Rumor has it this is their year!

- Walk the lakefront. Even if you don't own a boat or know someone who owns a boat... it's still fun!

And there's obviously a plethora of breweries to tour, if that interests you -- Pabst, Lakefront, Miller, Sprecher, etc. List here.

Feel free to comment/email with additions or suggestions! There are also a number of parish festivals, street fairs and street festivals that are fun. The south side of Milwaukee has great Mexican restaurants with patios for dinner on a warm night.