Be MKE: A guide to fall in the Milwaukee area, favorite supper clubs and Biden's visit

Who we are. Where we go. What we need to know.

For you, what makes fall ... well, fall?

Visiting an apple orchard or pumpkin farm. Kids heading back to school. Sipping on a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. Wearing flannels every day of the week. Cozying up to a campfire while snackin' on s'mores. Watching the leaves change. Football season.

Maybe it's the dates. Meteorological fall began Sept. 1. The first official day of fall, marked by the autumnal equinox, is Sept. 22.

In honor of my favorite season's return, here's a quick guide to fall in the area, from when colors are expected to peak to Packers gameday shuttles.

Trees generally begin changing in northern Wisconsin in mid-September, reaching their peak toward the end of the month or the beginning of October. Central Wisconsin follows a week after that, and southern Wisconsin colors usually are at peak in mid-October. Here's a look at what impacts both the timeline and the colors' vibrancy.

Without venturing too far from home, here are 15 spots to take in the changing leaves, from Holy Hill to Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve.

Another pillar of fall as a cheesehead: The kickoff of Packers season.

Sunday will mark Week 1 of the regular season for Green Bay. They'll be traveling to Minnesota to take on the Vikings.

The Packers' home opener comes a week later against another neighboring rival: The Chicago Bears. Here are a handful of local bars that have shuttles that travel to home games.

Sure, we may be thousands of miles away from Munich. But that doesn't mean we can't get our Oktoberfest celebration on. The Milwaukee area has more than 21 Oktoberfests going on this year.

If your kiddos are in school, there will still be plenty of time to celebrate the season with them on the weekends, afternoons and evenings. Apple picking, corn mazes and Halloween events: Here are some ideas.

Let’s talk business

On Labor Day, hundreds of union members and workers gathered at Zeidler Union Square Park to support each other’s causes and gather in solidarity as workers. President Joe Biden spoke at the city's Laborfest. "I'm here because of you — the middle class built America, but the unions built the middle class — that's a fact," Biden said. "Laborers are the single greatest technicians in the world. People forget, you go four, five years to school, in an apprentice, build a better product, it lasts longer, it's cheaper for the business, it's better for the country." Here are five takeaways from his speech.

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is now offering Clear brand expedited lanes at its security checkpoints. Clear members get to bypass the identification step of the security checkpoint during which a traveler's driver's license or Real ID is checked by a TSA officer. With Clear, a traveler pays an annual fee for the company to store their biometric information (namely fingerprints and eye scans). At participating airports, members are identified at a Clear kiosk, then they get escorted through a dedicated lane and "directly to TSA physical security, reducing the amount of time spent waiting in line at the security checkpoint," the company said in a statement. A membership costs $189 a year; Discounts are available, including through some airlines and for American Express members.

The former Bay View Llewellyn Library is being prepared for sale  — creating a new redevelopment opportunity. The plan to request development proposals for the property, 907 E. Russell Ave., comes as the city is updating its long-term comprehensive plan for the neighborhood. An appraisal to determine the property's estimated value is to be completed in October, and the building could be listed for sale by early 2023.

Out and about

If you haven't already noticed, scooters are back. The Department of Public Works' third "pilot" study is set to last until December 2023. Operators Lime, Spin and Veo are each able to deploy 600 scooters. To use one, riders must download the operator's app and pay a fee. The city generates about 25 cents per scooter ride in revenue, the DPW said. Making the scooters permanent in the city is still on the table.

The Milwaukee area is hosting all of these film festivals this fall: The Milwaukee International Short Film Festival, Cultures & Communities Festival, Twisted Dreams Film Festival and Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival. Here's a guide, from when they're happening to where to get tickets.

Don’t go hangry

The new Turning Tables Tavern, located under Turner Hall Ballroom, is more than a restaurant. The establishment offers a free program that teaches select up-and-coming chefs different cooking methods, how to prepare a profitable menu, and other important factors of running a restaurant. “The chances for a Black-owned business to succeed in the restaurant industry is slim to none,” owner Emerald Mills said. "And so this concept Turning Tables, which provides mentorship and hands on training for food-based entrepreneurs, is designed to mitigate a lot of risk before they start." The restaurant — featuring an expansive, ever-changing menu — is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, with extended hours for events at Turner Hall and Fiserv Forum.

Flavorful pizza crust with airy pockets, a salad with everything-bagel seasoning, and something called "magic butter"? I'm in. The Third Ward's Brute Pizza features four 'zas: Three cheese, margherita, The 414 and the PPPP. Customers also can design their own. And every month, there's a pizza special, often with seasonal toppings. September's has ham, peas and leek over ricotta sauce. Brute also offers salads: The Bibb and the Caesar. The restaurant, 316 N. Milwaukee St., is a counter-service operation that's primarily for takeout. Its hours, which may expand soon, are 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; and 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

I know what I wanna do this weekend: Try Buttermint's brand-new brunch. The menu — expected to change frequently — includes brunch faves, '60s-inspired dishes such as chicken a la king, smaller plates including avocado toast, warm doughnuts with chocolate sauce and brandy creme anglaise on the side, coffee drinks, bloody Marys, mimosas and more. The restaurant — in the Mosaic building at 4195 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood —  serves brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations can be made through buttermintrestaurant.com on OpenTable or by calling 414-488-2587. About 30 seats will be available for customers dropping in without a reservation.

If you asked someone to list off Wisconsin-y things, it probably wouldn't take too long to get to supper clubs. Journal Sentinel readers were asked on Facebook and Instagram to share their favorites, and more than 90 supper clubs across the state received votes. Here's a compilation of the top answers, along with some staff picks.

Here are the talkers

Last week, we talked all things Shrekfest. So it's only fair that this week, I give ya the recap. The celebration — held at Bay View's Humboldt Park — drew hundreds, including a "Shrek Jesus" and even someone from France. There were vendors, live music, a roaring contest, a screening of "Shrek," and more. This was the first time the fest was held in Milwaukee. It was put on on Madison from 2014 to 2019, then went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic the past two years. "I love all things weird," said Vincent Kapitanski, 18, who was attending the event for the first time. "I think it's a place for people to express themselves and it's just an accepting festival. ... I'm super glad they moved to Milwaukee this year and came back after COVID, it's been awesome, such a cool opportunity,"

Last summer, the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship. This summer, the organization's esports team won the 2022 NBA 2K League championship — and $500,000. The Bucks Gaming team defeated Wizards District Gaming, 3-1, in the best-of-five Finals held Aug. 27 in Indianapolis. "Together we made this possible," said 2022 NBA 2K League Finals MVP Artreyo “Dimez” Boyd. "We couldn't have done it without y'all, without Milwaukee. Nobody else had us but us, but the city of Milwaukee. We did it." In addition to Boyd, Bucks Gaming is made up of Jeremy “Seese” Seese, Dawson “dawsix” Thomas, Michael “Cooks” Campbell and Mason “Johhny” Bracken, head coach Lance Sessions and general manager Patrick Glogovsky.

Be MKE,

Hannah

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To see what I'm up to around the city, follow me on Instagram @hannahhopekirby. Always keeping it pretty profesh over on Twitter @hannahhopekirby. Be MKE love or comments can be sent to hannah.kirby@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Be MKE: A guide to fall in the area, fave supper clubs, Biden's visit