Be MKE: What to know about State Fair, a big win for this museum and goodbye Hader
Who we are. Where we go. What we need to know.
The taste of a cream puff. The smell of, well just about everything and anything deep fried. The sound of live music, laughter, moos, oinks and neighs.
And people-watching. Oh, the people-watching.
It's time for the Wisconsin tradition that is the State Fair. It runs Thursday through Aug. 14.
Here's a quick guide.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. Fairgoers under age 18 entering after 6 p.m. must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years of age or older. Proof of age is required.
Where it is: Wisconsin State Fair Park, 640 S. 84th St., West Allis
The food: From a Gummy Bear Brat to Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes On-a-Stick, there will be more than 80 new foods to try.
This week, I got to attend the live judging of the 2022 Sporkies food competition.
Out of 28 entries from State Fair vendors, eight finalists were announced at the end of June. On Tuesday, a panel of local celebs and a Sporkies Fairgoer Judge judged the finalists on appearance, presentation, creativity, originality and taste.
The winner? The Peño Pretzel Popper Brat from Gertrude’s Pretzels. The Sconnie Slugger from Miller Lite Sports Bar & Grill was awarded second place and the Brandy Old Fashioned S’more On-a-Stick got third.
The entertainment: There's Charlie Berens. There's Nelly. There's Brett Young. Here's a top act to check out for each of the fair's 11 days.
Of course, there's always Spin City, the amusement ride and carnival game area.
Here's a compilation of kid-friendly things to do at the fair, from The Giant Slide and Pig Slide to dog shows and demonstrations.
The crew: From printing signs to inspecting rides, this is how the fair's staff is getting ready for opening day. Bonus: This story also has some recs from Shari Black, the fair's CEO and executive director. Her No. 1 pick? Agriculture shows.
And, info on tickets, discount deals and the fair's carry-in policy.
Follow along with the Journal Sentinel's State Fair coverage at jsonline.com/entertainment/state-fair.
Let’s talk business
By spring of 2024, two new Milwaukee venues — less than a mile apart — are expected to host up to 235 concerts a year. A $50 million concert complex with an 800-person-capacity club and 4,000-person-capacity ballroom — run by Madison's FPC Live — is planned for Deer District. A few months later, a 3,500-person-capacity, ballroom-style concert venue on the west side of downtown — partially run by Pabst Theater Group — is planning to open. It would be a part of Iron District MKE, a development that would include a professional soccer stadium. Both venues are still pending approvals from city officials. Factoring in the city's current live music spaces, could Milwaukee support that many new concerts? Here's what live-music industry experts had to say.
The Milwaukee Public Museum — which plans to debut a new, five-story building in 2026 — had a major win this week. It has been reaccredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The reaccreditation, the recent unveiling of the new museum's design and the launch of the next phase of its fundraising campaign "will continue our momentum toward a museum that future generations can enjoy," Ellen Censky, museum president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. The American Alliance of Museums had delayed a decision on granting the museum accreditation in 2021 because of significant problems with the current building. The County Board in March approved $45 million in county funds for the $240 million new museum development, located at West McKinley Avenue and North Sixth Street. They expedited that vote in part to provide a cushion ahead of the accreditation report's submission deadline.
Mikayla Enriquez, the driving force behind the Moe Kickz web store, hand-paints and sells sneakers that honor and are inspired by her Mexican-American heritage. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee fine arts grad has 36,000 followers on Instagram and 40,000 on TikTok, with some videos hitting a half-million views. “I've always wanted to be a famous artist, but I never felt like my type of work would fit into a museum," Enriquez said. "Now, seeing people actually want to wear my artwork on their feet is just an amazing feeling.” Her online shop, moekickz.bigcartel.com, also features T-shirts, hand-dyed socks, key chains and sticker packs.
Thoughts on the Bucks' new "statement" edition uniforms for 2022-23? These new uniforms — filed under the team's "Fear The Deer" series — feature an all-black look. They have cream antlers running up the side of the jersey and shorts, with the intended effect of a buck charging at its opponent. Lighter colors will act as trim. This new uniform joins the fray with the standard white "Association" and green "Icon" jerseys that the Bucks use regularly. "Classic Edition" and "City Edition" uniforms will be unveiled later. The full retail collection will be available at the Bucks Pro Shop.
Out and about
Fun fact: Wisconsin's first drive-in theater opened in Brookfield in 1940 (and closed in 1981). Here's a guide to the 10 drive-in movie theaters still operating in Wisconsin, from the Milky Way Drive-In in Franklin to the Big Sky Drive-In Theatre in Wisconsin Dells.
The Milwaukee County Zoo is the first zoo in the country to have the Gorilla Trek Virtual Reality Experience, a 360-degree live action VR film with motion platform seating. Participants enter a 40-person theater in the Otto Borchert Family Special Exhibits Building and put on virtual reality headsets. When the film starts, people can turn their heads to see everything going on around them. The setting? Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The journey — which involves a story, complete with conflict — is narrated by primatologist Tara Stoinski of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. "When I first saw one of the baby gorillas, my reaction was to hold out my arms because it got so close, you feel like you can pick the gorilla up," said Andrew Stockel, business operations manager at the zoo and the person responsible for bringing the experience to Milwaukee. Here's more info on the experience, its pricing and hours.
Don’t go hangry
Upstart Kitchen, a food business incubator in the Sherman Park neighborhood, is planning to expand to a nearby second location. Demand for space in the shared commercial kitchen has grown quickly, with more than 400 people on its waiting list. The additional site, at 3725 N. Sherman Blvd., would be used to house entrepreneurs who have outgrown the first space; be the site of a culinary training program aimed at people ages 14 to 18; and provide space to operate a program that prepares free meals for community members. The Sherman Boulevard space is owned by Parklawn Assembly of God Church, which sponsors Prism Economic Development Corp., the operator of Upstart. The proposed development needs Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals approval.
Here are the talkers
What a *insert any amount of time, really* it's been for Wisconsin politics, amirite? Last week, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry and State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski dropped out of the Democratic U.S. Senate race. All three have endorsed front-runner Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
If you already voted for a candidate who dropped, here's how you can void your ballot and change your choice.
With the international outbreak of monkeypox now in Wisconsin, here's what to know about the disease and how to avoid it. State health officials are asking people to be aware of their personal risk factors and quickly seek medical advice if exposed. Who should get vaccinated? Gay, bisexual, trans and any other men who have sex with men who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days, and people with known exposure to the virus, according to health officials.
Goodbye, Josh Hader (insert crying emoji here). The Brewers' perennial all-star closer was traded to the San Diego Padres on Monday. Like everyone else, Hader had seen the reports over the past few years that other teams had been expressing interest in him. The writing had been on the wall for a while as far as he was concerned. "It sucks to leave Milwaukee and everybody here and all the relationships that I've built over the years," he said. "I obviously started my career off here and the opportunities that have gone with that. So, it sucks in that aspect of things. But I look at it as something I can't control, and being able to have a new chapter in my journey, that's something I'm looking forward to — getting over to San Diego to join their team." The Brewers got a four-player haul out of the deal that helps them both in the now as well as in the future.
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: What to know about State Fair, big win for MPM, goodbye Hader
