7 things to do in Milwaukee this weekend, including Irish Fest and the Bloody Mary Festival
1. Milwaukee Irish Fest
Milwaukee's Irish Fest is back to a four-day schedule, running Aug. 18 through Aug. 21 at Maier Festival Park. The lineup includes more than 100 acts appearing on 16 stages, an array of Irish food and options (including at the Callen Celtic Kitchen and the Jameson whiskey bar), Irish culture (including the Literary Corner) and more. Irish Fest runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 18, 4 p.m. to midnight Aug. 19, noon to midnight Aug. 20 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 21. Admission is $5 Aug. 18, $17 Aug. 19, and $23 Aug. 20 and 21; $17 for seniors 60 and older; and free for kids 12 and younger. Info: irishfest.com.
RELATED: What to know about Irish Fest, from hours and dates to food and entertainment
2. Milwaukee a la Carte at the Zoo
At least 20 local food purveyors will be on hand for this year's Milwaukee a la Carte at the Zoo Aug. 18 through Aug. 21 at the Milwaukee County Zoo. In addition to the zoo's regular residents, there'll be bands playing on five stages, with the main stage headliners including the Spin Doctors (7 p.m. Aug. 19) and the Plain White T's (7 p.m. Aug. 20). Hours for Milwaukee a la Carte are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 18, 19 and 20, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 21. Admission, as has been at the zoo since April, is flex pricing, changing based on demand (advance tickets online are $16); see the website for details. (Also Note that food and beverage sales are cashless.) Info: milwaukeezoo.org/events/alacarte.
3. Bloody Mary Festival in the Deer District
The Deer District again plays host to the touring Bloody Mary Festival, with 17 Milwaukee-area spots serving up their Bloodys during two sessions Aug. 20, with attendees picking the winners. General-admission sessions, from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:45 to 6 p.m., cost $49.50; VIP sessions, which start 45 minutes earlier, are $64.50. Info: thebloodymaryfest.com.
4. J.R.R. Tolkien exhibit at Marquette's Haggerty Museum
"J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript," displaying original manuscripts by the author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," opens Aug. 19 at Marquette University's Haggerty Museum of Art, 1234 W. Tory Hill Road. Timed tickets, available through EventBrite, are $10 and $8 for seniors and active military members (not including fees), and free for kids 17 and younger, teachers with I.D., and members of the Marquette community. The exhibit runs through Dec. 23. Info: marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/tolkien.php.
6. 'Shakespeare in the State Parks' at Havenwoods and Kettle Moraine State Forest
The Summit Players' traveling outdoor production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" makes its final visits to Wisconsin state parks this weekend. Performances are in Kettle Moraine State Forest's Pike Lake Unit in Hartford at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 and Havenwoods State Forest in Milwaukee at 7 p.m. Aug. 20. Workshops, recommended for kids 8 and older, start at 5:30 p.m. on both days. The performances are free, with seating first-come, first-served; admission to state parks requires a separate fee (see dnr.wisconsin.gov for details). Info: summitplayerstheatre.com.
7. Wisconsin IPA Fest at Third Space Brewing
More than four dozen state craft brewers will be pouring at this year's Wisconsin IPA Fest, from 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 20 at Third Space Brewing, 1505 W. St. Paul Ave. Admission gives you "all the IPA you can reasonably sample," Third Space says. General admission is $65 plus taxes and fees; VIP admission, which gets you in an hour earlier and a collaboration brew 4-pack, is $99 plus fees. Info: thirdspacebrewing.com.
Contact Chris Foran at chris.foran@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @cforan12.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 7 things to do in Milwaukee this weekend, including Irish Fest
