Find something to do in the Milwaukee area this spring with this calendar of festivals, theater and music performances, author visits and more.
FAIRS, FESTIVALS & TRADE SHOWS
Old Falls Revolutionary War Days: May 2-3. Music, skirmishes, military vendors, historical demonstrations, and a beer garden. Old Falls Village Park, N96 W15791 County Line Road, Menomonee Falls. oldfallsvillagepark.org
Secret Market Show: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 2 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 3. Retro, vintage, antiques and collectibles. Brookfield Square Mall, 95 N. Moorland Road, Brookfield.
The Shops of Cedar Creek Settlement: Mother’s Day Weekend, May 9-10. Live music, gift basket drawings, wine, food and product sampling, sales and in-shop specials. N70 W6340 Bridge Road, Cedarburg. (262) 377-8020, cedarcreeksettlement.com
Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum: Birds & Plants, 9 a.m.-noon May 9. Native and ornamental plants for sale, bake sale, live music and bird walks. 880 Green Bay Road, Kenosha. hawthornhollow.org
Festival of Flowers: May 16. Live music, seasonal food, drinks and a curated flower market showcasing local growers and artisans. Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St. milwaukeepublicmarket.org
Maifest Germantown: May 15-17. Keg tapping, German music, dancing, food and beer. Fireman’s Park, W162 N11900 Park Ave., Germantown. maifestgermantown.org
Ozaukee County WWII Encampment: May 15-16. Experience life as a soldier in camp, and learn about the role of the USO stateside. Ozaukee County Pioneer Village, 4880 Highway I, Saukville. ochs.co.ozaukee.wi.us
Geneva Cheese Fest: May 15-17. Cheesemakers, artisans and vendors, wine and craft beer, with country, folk and bluegrass music. Lake Geneva House of Music, N3241 County Trunk H, Lake Geneva. cheesefestwi.com
Herb & Artisan Fair: May 16. Artisan vendors, tea room with homemade baked goods, and herb-related seminars. Boerner Botanical Gardens, 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. herb-society-wisconsin.org
Frothy Forage: Noon-4 p.m. May 16. Outdoor craft beer, wine and cider festival. Riveredge Nature Center, 4458 County Road Y, Saukville. riveredgenaturecenter.org/program/frothy-forage
Dan Jansen Family Fest: May 22-24. Live music, car show, carnival rides, food and beverages. Konkel Park, 5151 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield.
IKEA Family Kite Festival: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 23; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 24. Grand launch of more than 600 kites will fill the sky, with 100 free kites for kids, performances by The Fabulous Windjammers precision kite flying team, The Chicago Fire Kite Team, The Fabulous Wind Wolves, and the new IKEA Shark kite. Veterans Park, 1010 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive.
Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum: Memorial Day Observance, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. May 25. Chapel service, reenactors, and history tour. 2405 W. Forest Home Ave. foresthomecemetery.com
Milwaukee Tattoo Festival: May 29-31. Tattoo artists exhibiting their work, and merchandise vendors. Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. milwaukeetattoofestival.com
Port Festival of the Arts: May 30. Free art activities, vendors, music stage and performing arts, street food, and sidewalk sales. Franklin St., Port Washington. visitportwashington.com
Art & Farm Market: May 30-31. Local art, farm produce, live music and refreshments. Holy Hill Art Farm, 4958 Highway 167, Hubertus. holyhillartfarm.com
Morning Glory Art Fair: May 30-31. Juried fine arts and crafts from area artists hosted by Wisconsin Craft. Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. morninggloryartfair.com
Wisconsin State Polka Festival: June 5-7. Full weekend of polka music and dancing. Sterling Chalet, 1271 Highway 175, Richfield. wipolkaboosters.com
PERFORMING ARTS
Acacia Theatre Company: Angel Street, June 12-28. The Norvell Commons at St. Christopher’s Church, 7845 N. River Road. acaciatheatre.com
Bradley Symphony Center: Milwaukee Musician Showcase, 6 p.m. May 15. 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. (414) 291-7605.
Brookfield Congregational Church: Mariachi Monarchas de Milwaukee, 3 p.m. May 17. 16350 Gebhardt Road, Brookfield. (262) 786-4155.
Cedarburg Performing Arts Center: Michael Cavanaugh, 7:30 p.m. May 1. W68 N611 Evergreen Blvd., Cedarburg. cpactickets.com
Concord Chamber Orchestra: American Inspirations, 7 p.m. May 9. St. Sebastian Parish, 5400 W. Washington Blvd. concordorchestra.org
The Constructivists: Bug, April 25-May 9. Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. theconstructivists.org
CYT Milwaukee: Honk!, May 8-10. Germantown PAC, W180 N11501 River Lane, Germantown. cytchicago.org/milwaukee
Danceworks Mad Hot Rhythm: April 28. UWM Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave. danceworksmke.org
Danceworks Performance MKE: Terra Papagalli, May 29-30. Zelazo Center, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd. danceworksmke.org/performance
Early Music Now: The Newberry Consort – Revolution!, 5 p.m. May 9. St. Joseph Chapel, 1515 S. Layton Blvd. earlymusicnow.org
Festival City Symphony: Around the World – A Festival of Dances Spring Pajama Jamboree, 7 p.m. April 29. Bradley Pavilion, Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. festivalcitysymphony.org
First Stage: Disney’s Frozen, April 11-May 17. Todd Wehr Theater, Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. firststage.org
First Stage: The Neverending Story: Atreyu and the Great Quest, May 8-17. Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut St. firststage.org
Florentine Opera Company: Tosca, May 15 and 17. Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. florentineopera.org
Frankly Music: Piano quintets of Gabriel Fauré and César Franck, 7 p.m. May 4. Schwan Concert Hall, Wisconsin Lutheran College, 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave., Wauwatosa. franklymusic.org
Greenfield Concert Band: Spring Concert, 7 p.m. May 8. Greenfield High School PAC, 4800 S. 60th St., Greenfield. greenfieldconcertband.org
Greenfield Concert Band: Spring Concert, noon May 14. Greenfield Community Center, 7215 W. Cold Spring Road, Greenfield. greenfieldconcertband.org
Kettle Moraine Symphony: Informance, 3 p.m. May 16. Cedar Ridge, Grand Hall (Floor 2), 113 Cedar Ridge Drive, West Bend. kmsymphony.org
Lake Geneva Symphony: Appalachian Spring, 7 p.m. May 16. Big Foot High School Auditorium, 401 Devils Lane, Walworth. lakegenevaorchestra.org
Lakeland Players: Into the Woods, May 1-17. Sprague Theatre, 15 W. Walworth St., Elkhorn. lakeland-players.org
Marcus Performing Arts Center: Nova Linea Contemporary Dance, May 1-2. Makin’ Cake, May 7. ARTEMIS, May 14. 929 N. Water St. marcuscenter.org
Master Singers of Milwaukee: Night and Day, 4 p.m. May 17. Crossroads Presbyterian Church, 6031 W. Chapel Hill Road, Mequon. mastersingersofmilwaukee.org
Milwaukee Ballet: Alice (in wonderland), May 1-10. Uihlein Hall, Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. milwaukeeballet.org
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre: A Raisin in the Sun, May 8-24. Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. milwaukeechambertheatre.org
Milwaukee Concert Band: Concert, May 3. Oak Creek Community Center, 8580 S. Howell Ave., Oak Creek. mkeconcertband.org
Milwaukee Musaik: Innocence and Wonder, 7 p.m. May 18. Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, 2366 N. 80th St. milwaukeemusaik.org
Milwaukee Repertory Theater: Frida … A Self Portrait, April 3-May 17. Mrs. Christie, April 14-May 10. George & Gracie: A Love Story, May 1-June 14. And Then There Were None, May 26-June 28. 108 E. Wells St. milwaukeerep.com
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra: Copland & Twain: America 250, May 8-10. America the Beautiful: Patriotic Pops, May 22-24. Stravinsky’s Firebird, May 29-30. Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. mso.org
New Berlin Community Band: Spring concert, 7:30 p.m. May 13. New Berlin West PAC, 18695 W. Cleveland Ave., New Berlin. newberlinband.com
Next Act Theatre: Dinner with the Duchess, April 22-May 17. 255 S. Water St. nextact.org
Oconomowoc Arts Center: Studio One Dance Company Spring Showcase, May 9. Luca Stricagnoli & Meg Pfeiffer, May 16. 641 E. Forest St., Oconomowoc. theoac.net
Polish Center of Wisconsin: Arias & Art Songs featuring soprano Dominika Zamara, 6 p.m. April 30. 6941 S. 68th St., Franklin. (414) 529-2140.
Racine Theatre Guild: Pippin, May 15-31. 2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine. racinetheatre.org
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts: Sam Grisman Project, May 1. Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra presents Of The Earth, May 3. Valjean, Cosette & A String Quartet, May 13. 3270 Mitchell Park Drive, Brookfield. (262) 781-9520.
Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra: America@250, May 16. Weill Center for the Performing Arts, 826 N. 8th St., Sheboygan. (920) 208-3243.
Suburban Concert Band: A Hometown Celebration, with Swing Street Big Band, 7:30 p.m. May 1. Nathan Hale HS Auditorium, 11601 W. Lincoln Ave., West Allis. suburbanbands.com
Sunset Playhouse: All Shook Up, April 23-May 10. 700 Wall St., Elm Grove. (262) 782-4430.
UWM Kenilworth Square East: Short Play Festival, May 6-10. Kenilworth Five-O-Eight, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place. (414) 229-4308.
UWM Mainstage Theatre: The Three Sisters, April 29-May 3. 2400 E. Kenwood Blvd. (414) 229-4308.
Waukesha Civic Theatre: Calendar Girls, May 1-17. 264 W. Main St., Waukesha. (262) 547-0708.
Wisconsin Singer/Songwriter Series: Garnett Rogers, May 8. Unitarian Church North, 13800 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon. wsss.org
LECTURES / AUTHOR VISITS
Boswell Books: Jim Landwehr “All That It Seems,” 6:30 p.m. April 29. James DeVita (writing as James Cleary) “Sanctuary,” 6:30 p.m. April 30. Claire Swinarski “The Supper Club Saints,” 6:30 p.m. May 5. Cory Haala “When Democrats Won the Heartland,” 6:30 p.m. May 6. Sarah Dessen “Change of Plans,” 6:30 p.m. May 7. Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck, author and illustrator, “Uh-Oh, Hugo!,” 3 p.m. May 10. Mark A Johnson “American Bacon,” 6:30 p.m. May 12. Kirk Deeter “A Fishable Feast,” 6:30 p.m. May 13. Michael Gebert “The Chicago Way,” 6:30 p.m. May 15. Dane Bahr “The Dead Ringer,” 6:30 p.m. May 19. Bill Schweigart “Dirty 20,” 6:30 p.m. May 20. Caro Claire Burke “Yesteryear,” 6:30 p.m. May 21. 2559 N. Downer Ave. boswellbooks.com
MPL Centennial Hall: Joy Harjo “Poet Warrior,” 6:30 p.m. May 20. 733 N. 8th St. boswellbooks.com
North Point Lighthouse: Lecture series, 7 p.m. Admission $10; senior/student $5; members, free. 2650 N. Wahl Ave. (414) 332-6754; northpointlighthouse.org
- May 13: Native American Effigy Mounds in Wisconsin
Prairie Springs on Park: Kathryn Stockett “The Calamity Club,” 5 p.m. May 20. 1420 E. Park Place. boswellbooks.com
Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens: Kenneth Dahlin “Frank Lloyd Wright and the Path to Beauty,” 6:30 p.m. May 14. 2220 N. Terrace Ave. boswellbooks.com
HOME & GARDEN
Boerner Botanical Gardens: The Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens (FBBG) offer a variety of year-round classes for adults and children. Whitnall Park, 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. General Information and FBBG: (414) 525-5653, boernerbotanicalgardens.org
- May 3: Art in the Gardens 2026
Ebert’s Greenhouse Village: Free seminars with Melinda Myers. W1795 Fox Road, Ixonia. ebertsgreenhouse.com
- May 2, 9-10, 16-17: Ask the Plant Doctor
Historic Milwaukee: Tour Milwaukee with guides identifying architecture and sharing history and stories from city’s past. historicmilwaukee.org
- May 2: Spaces & Traces 2026
Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center: Self-guided walking tours and special events. N7725 Highway 28, Horicon. horiconmarsh.org
- May 8-10: Bird Festival
Milaeger’s Racine: Farmer’s Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Greenhouse workshops and store events. 4838 Douglas Ave., Racine. (262) 639-2040; milaegers.com
- April 24-May 4: Spring Open House
Mitchell Park Domes: The Horticultural Conservatory is open year-round, with permanent collections in the tropical and desert domes, and temporary themed displays in the Floral Show Dome. 524 S. Layton Blvd. milwaukeedomes.org
- Through May 25: Bees! Spring Show
Old World Wisconsin: Spring hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 2 to June 7. Explore working farmsteads and gardens, meet heritage animal breeds, and experience historical crafts and skills. W372 S9727 Highway 67, Eagle. (262) 594-6301; oldworldwisconsin.org
- May 30-31: Decoration Day
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center: Visitor Center open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Nature preserve with an art gallery, interactive exhibits, boardwalk, hiking trails and birding. 1111 E. Brown Deer Road. schlitzaudubon.org
- May 3: May Market
- May 9: World Migratory Bird Day Celebration
Stone Bank Farm Market: Working farm and market offering seasonal foods, cooking classes and brown bag dinners. N68 W33208 County Road K, Stone Bank. (920) 355-4021, stonebankmarket.com
- May 7-10: Spring Plant Sale
- May 16: Composting 101
Urban Ecology Center: Year-round educational programs for kids, families and adults of all ages. Workshops and activities are offered at three locations. urbanecologycenter.org
- May 9: World Migratory Bird Day, Washington Park
Wehr Nature Center: Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Nature trails, educational events and environmental programs. 9701 W. College Ave., Franklin. (414) 425-8550, wehrnaturecenter.com
- May 30: Friends of Wehr Plant Sale
MORE EVENTS AND THINGS TO DO IN MILWAUKEE
Polish Center of Wisconsin: Polish Constitution Day Remembrance, May 7. 6941 S. 68th St., Franklin. (414) 529-2140.
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
Haggerty Museum of Art: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Marquette University campus, 1234 W. Tory Hill St. (414) 288-1669; marquette.edu/haggerty-museum
- Through May 16: This Side of the Stars
- Through Aug. 1: Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America
Jewish Museum Milwaukee: Open Sunday-Friday. History and culture museum. 1360 N. Prospect Ave. (414) 390-5730; jewishmuseummilwaukee.org
- Through Sept: 48 Jews: Layers of Identity
Kim Storage Gallery: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Marshall Building, Suite 404, 207 E. Buffalo St. kimstoragegallery.com
- April 17-May 23: Katherine Steichen Rosing: Reflections and Undercurrents
Latino Arts: 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Showcasing the work of Hispanic and Latin American artists. 1028 S. 9th St. latinoartsinc.org
- Through June 5: Cosechando Historias
Lily Pad Gallery West: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. 215 N. Broadway. (414) 509-5756; lilypadgallery.com
- April 16-June 7: Liminal Worlds: France Jodoin’s Contemporary Romanticism
Milwaukee Art Museum: Open Wednesday-Sunday. Milwaukee’s first art gallery, founded in 1888 by Frederick Layton. 700 N. Art Museum Drive. mam.org
- April 29-May 3: Used Book Sale
- May 15: MAM After Dark: The Blue Room
- Through July 19: Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World Is a Mystery
Milwaukee County Historical Society: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday. Permanent exhibits highlighting Milwaukee and Wisconsin history. 910 N. King Drive. (414) 273-8288, milwaukeehistory.net
- April 29: Satin Jazz
- Permanent exhibit: Meet MKE
Milwaukee Public Museum: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. 2026 is the final full year in the current building before the move to the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin. The natural history museum houses cultural exhibitions, hosts educational programs, and showcases the natural wonders and diverse cultures found throughout Wisconsin. 800 W. Wells St. (414) 278-2728; mpm.edu
- May 2: Streets Alive!
- May 7-June 6: Rainforest & Butterflies
North Point Lighthouse: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. View exhibits and artifacts that depict the life of a keeper and maritime history on the Great Lakes. 2650 N. Wahl Ave. (414) 332-6754; northpointlighthouse.org
Ploch Art Gallery: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Exhibits curated by Wisconsin artists. Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 3270 Mitchell Park Drive, Brookfield. (262) 781-9520; wilson-center.com
- April 15-June 30: Jessica Meuninck-Ganger and Christiane Grauert: Wandering Folds
- May 8: Artist Talk
RAM (Racine Art Museum): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Contemporary craft collection and regional works on paper. 441 Main St., Racine. (262) 638-8300, ramart.org
- Through July 4: Wisconsin Made
Spectrum School of Arts & Community Gallery: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, or by appointment. East Building of the DeKoven Center, 2050 Wisconsin Ave., Racine. (262) 634-4345, spectrumschoolandgallery.org
- May 9-June 7: Black & White Invitational
Tory Folliard Gallery: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 233 N. Milwaukee St. (414) 273-7311, toryfolliard.com
- April 17-May 30: Here’s Looking at You: The Portrait in Contemporary Art
Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Italian Renaissance-style villa and garden is Milwaukee’s historic home for contemporary craft and material exploration. 2220 N. Terrace Ave. villaterrace.org
- April 29, May 13: Garden Lectures
- May 14: Book Talk: Frank Lloyd Wright
- Through May 24: Michael Newhall: Facing It
- Through July 26: Sasha Kinens: Momenti
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts: Community art showcased in gallery exhibitions and educational programming. 839 S. 6th St. wpca-milwaukee.org
- April 17-May 22: Annual Members Show
Waukesha Art Crawl: 2-8 p.m. May 2. Visit galleries and studios featuring over 100 artists, live music, food and beverages, gifts and antiques. Downtown Waukesha. waukeshaart.com
Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Events, classes, exhibitions and workshops. N50 W5050 Portland Road, Cedarburg. (262) 546-0300, wiquiltmuseum.com
- Through May 31: Warmth, Comfort, Style, Fashion, & Fine Art: Quilts from the Pilgrim / Roy Collection
- June 11-13: Fiber Rummage Sale Days
Please submit your event three weeks before the event or registration deadline to jsenter@journalsentinel.com, with “Attention Entertainment calendar” in the subject line.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Festivals, arts, more things to do in the Milwaukee area in spring 2026
Reporting by Elaine Rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
