Things to do and see in southern Wisconsin.
ART
ANDERSON ARTS CENTER: 121 66th St., Kenosha. 262- 653-048. The following exhibits will be on display through Aug. 2: “Works by the Coalition of Photographic Arts,” “Cameras from the Coalition of Photographic Arts,” “Paul Brnak Photography,” and “Central High School, Kenosha.”
LEMON STREET GALLERY: 4601 Sheridan Road, Kenosha. 262- 605-4745. Featured artists are Bettie Gong, Rob Hafferman, Steve Santamour through Aug. 30. Opening reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8.
MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM: 700 N. Art Museum Drive. 414-224-3200. Drop-in tours 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free for individuals and families (excluding groups) on the first Thursday of each month. “Van Gogh to Pollock: Modern Rebels Masterworks from the Albright” on display through Sept. 20. Works by the biggest names in art from the late 19th century to now — including Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Edgar Degas, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol — bring focus to those artists whose acts of creative rebellion shaped the course of modern art. Meet Susan Verde, author of the children’s book “The Museum,” during this special storytime in the Galleries at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 1. Attend her interactive presentation in Lubar Auditorium, and then join her in the Kohl’s Art Generation Studio for an art activity until 1:30 p.m. She will also be signing books, available for purchase. Free.
RACINE ART MUSEUM: 2131 N. Main St. 262- 884-7100. “Community Art Exhibition: Sci-Fi, Superheroes,” and “Steampunk” on display through Aug. 15. Featured artist John Kearney through May 12, 2016. Free First Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 7. The exhibit “Joan Backes: Falling Leaves and Painted Branches” on display Aug. 7 through July 24, 2016. Meet the artist at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7. August Art Sale from 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Aug. 7 and from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 8. One-of-a-kind, museum quality pieces donated by well-known, working artists and collectors will be offered.
MEDLEY
APPLE HOLLER: 5006 S. Sylvania Ave., Sturtevant. 262- 886-8500. Summer Fun on the Farm from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through August. Includes farm animals to visit, Golden Goat Bridge, Kids Corral Play Area, Crazy Corn Maze, Cool Cow Maze, fun tunnels, Straw Mountain, Music Garden, pedal carts, Jack & the Beanstalk Story Trail and more. Cost is $4 weekdays, and $8 weekends.
BRISTOL RENAISSANCE FAIRE: 12550 120th Ave., Kenosha. 847-395-7773. The Faire is 30 acres of pure fun open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 6, and Labor Day Monday, Sept. 7. The 20 stages offer variety entertainment all day long. In addition, be dazzled with a fully armored joust, the Queen and her glittering Court, amazing arts and crafts, delicious food, fine spirits, music, dance, parades, rides and games, and entertainers in the streets all day long. There will also be special events, including wine tasting, costume weekend, Tea with the Queen and more. Tickets are $23.95, $11.50 for children, and free for children 4 and under.
DOWNTOWN KENOSHA: 54th Street and the lakefront. 800-654-7309. Taste of Wisconsin from 4 to 11 p.m. July 31, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 1 and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 2. There will be live music, kids zone, demonstrations and more.
KENOSHA AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU: Visitor Information Center, 10519 – 120th Ave., corner of I-94 and Hwy. 165. 262-857-7164; VisitKenosha.com. Stop by between noon and 3 p.m. Aug. 7 for First Fridays, a free, fun, and informative monthly open house. Local attractions and businesses offer food samples, displays, prizes, and more. Travelers and local residents can collect ideas for things to see and do in the Kenosha Area and throughout Wisconsin this summer. Exhibitors expected on Aug. 7 include Mars’ Cheese Castle, Brat Stop, Culver’s of Pleasant Prairie, Robin’s Nest Cakery, Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kenosha County Fair with Wilmot Raceway, Kenosha History Center, Kenosha Public Museum, Civil War Museum, and Dinosaur Discovery Museum, and Value Inn.
JELLY BELLY: 10100 Jelly Belly Lane, Pleasant Prairie. 866-868-7522. Free tours are offered daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
RACINE ZOO: N. Main Street and Walton Avenue. 262-636-9189. Ride the Zoo Choo Express 10 a.m. 7 p.m. daily, weather permitting, through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Children ages 2 and younger travel for free with a paid adult. Tickets are $2. Racine Concert Band performs at 7 p.m. Aug. 2. Animal Crackers concert with Cyrille Aimee at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 5. Family Campout at the Zoo from 5 p.m. Aug. 7 to 10 a.m. Aug. 8. Amphibian Awareness Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 8.
RECPLEX: 9900 Terwall Terrace, Kenosha. 262- 925-6747.
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SIMMONS ISLAND BEACH: 5001 Simmons Island Drive, Kenosha. 262-653-4140. Pike River Rendezvous from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 2. Reenactors encamped on Simmons Island add to the atmosphere of the Colonial through Western Fur Trade era of the 1650s through 1850s at the annual event. Visitors will be able to step back in time to an era when Native Americans and fur traders gathered to exchange goods and services and to celebrate. Costumed reenactors talk about what life was like at a rendezvous during the fur-trading era and will demonstrate the crafts and trades of the time. Period foods, snacks and souvenirs will be available from vendors, and people are welcome to participate in games, create crafts and try their hand at period household chores. Free parking is available at Kennedy Park (40th Street and 5th Avenue). Park your car and climb aboard a horsedrawn wagon for free shuttle service This family-friendly event is free.
WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK: 640 S. 84th St., West Allis. 414-266-7000. The annual Wisconsin State Fair, the state’s largest agricultural showcase offering family entertainment, opens Aug. 6 and runs through Aug. 16. Hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 16. The state fair features the SpinCity Amusement Ride and Game Area, more than 30 free entertainment stages, numerous educational exhibits, shopping, and hundreds of food — 72 of them new — and beverage options. Tickets are $12, $7 for seniors (60 and over) and military/veterans with ID, $6 for ages 6-11 and free for children 5 and under. Ticket sales and fair entry end an hour prior to park closure.
MUSEUMS
CIVIL WAR MUSEUM: 5400 First Ave., Kenosha. 262- 653-4141. “Civil War Journey: The Maps and Sketches of Private Robert Sneden” on display through Aug. 31. Eyewitness accounts and images from the memoir of Union soldier, cartographer, and Confederate prisoner of war, Robert Knox Sneden, are showcased in 45 watercolor maps and drawings that provide a unique and mesmerizing perspective on the Civil War. Organized by the Virginia Historical Society.
DINOSAUR DISCOVERY MUSEUM: 5608 Tenth Ave., Kenosha. 262- 653-4450.
DISCOVERY WORLD: 500 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee. 414-765-9966. Spend hours of hands-on fun exploring the world of technology and the world of water. Explore Les Paul’s House of Sound, step into the Reiman Aquarium, enjoy the digital theaters and more.
KENOSHA HISTORY CENTER: 200 51st Place. 262- 654-5770. “A Tribute to Our Veterans” exhibit will be on display through September. The exhibit features medals and other relics from Kenosha veterans. Specifically the medals of James Lee VanBendegom (Vietnam veteran whose partial remains were returned to Kenosha in 2014) will be on display along with other artifacts given to the VanBendegom family at the funeral this past fall. In addition to these artifacts, also on display will be the “mascot” (a bottle of whiskey) and flags belonging to the Last Man club, a group of World War II and Korean War veterans that met for the last time this past December, as well as a selection of medals donated to the History Center by veterans over the years.
KENOSHA PUBLIC MUSEUM: 5500 First Ave. 262- 653-4140. The Transparent Watercolor Society of America displays paintings by artists from across the country through Aug. 2. “The Things that Remain — A Veteran Print Project” will be on display through Nov. 15. Together, veterans and artists express historical experiences through traditional methods of fine art print, opening an ongoing dialogue.
MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM: 800 W. Wells St. 414-278-2728. Visit Africa, Asia, Europe, the Arctic, South and Middle America, the Pacific Islands and a Costa Rican Rainforest. Take a small step back in time to the turn-of-the-century Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village and to ancient Mediterranean civilizations by viewing the permanent exhibit “Crossroads of Civilization.”
SOUTHPORT LIGHT STATION MUSEUM AND LIGHTHOUSE: 4th Avenue, Kenosha. 262- 654-5770. The historic lighthouse and the new Museum will be open weekends through Oct. 25, weather dependent. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $10.
MUSIC
BRAT STOP: I-94 and Highway 50, Kenosha. 262-857-2011. Matt Meyer at 7 p.m. Aug. 4.
HAWTHORN HOLLOW NATURE SANCTUARY & ARBORETUM: 880 Green Bay Road, Kenosha. 262-552-8196. Kai Andersen and the Pickups will perform at 6 p.m. Aug. 7. Fine food, wines, beers, and beverages will be available for purchase. Admission is $7. All proceeds go to Hawthorn Hollow.
PABST THEATER: 144 E. Wells St., Milwaukee. 414-286-3205. Rob Bell: Everything is Spiritual Tour at 8:30 p.m. July 30. Tickets are $25-100. The Tallest Man on Earth at 8 p.m. July 31. Tickets are $30.
RIVERSIDE THEATER: 116 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. 414-286-3205; pabsttheater.org. Wendy Williams’ “‘Sit Down Tour …Too Real for Standu” at 7:30 p.m. July 30. Tickets are $50-175. Miranda Sings at 7 p.m. Aug. 7. Tickets are $28.75-71.25. Diana Krall at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8. Tickets are $59.50-75.
SESQUICENTENNIAL BANDSHELL — PENNOYER PARK: 3601 7th Ave., Kenosha. 262-653-4080. Kenosha Pops concert titled “Pops Rewind” at 7 p.m. Aug.5. Free.
TURNER HALL BALLROOM: 1040 N. 4th St., Milwaukee. 414-286-3205; pabsttheater.org. Lissie at 8 p.m. Aug. 4. Tickets are $18.
THEATER
FIRESDIE DINNER THEATRE: 1131 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson. 800-477-9505. “Pump Boys and Dinettes” will be performed through Sept. 6. Travel down Highway 57 to the land of fishin’ holes and homemade pie, to the Double Cupp diner for a double helping of fast-paced, good-natured, foot-stompin’ hand-clapping fun. Tickets are $79.07.
MARCUS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: 929 N. Water St., Milwaukee 414-273-7206. KidZ Days at the Center is held at 10 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays throughout the summer months. It showcases a variety of performing arts presented by local Milwaukee groups. “The Mighty Ducks” will be shown outdoors at 7:15 p.m. July 31. Free. Tosa Jazz, a 20- to 25-piece big band, performs a free concert at 2 p.m. Aug. 2. Xalaat Africa Drum and Dance performs at 6 p.m. Aug. 4. Free. Dasha Kelly performs “Crimson Summer” at 7 p.m. Aug. 4. Tickets are $34.30. Back to the Future will be shown outdoors at 7:15 p.m. Aug. 6. Free. The Florentine Opera Company will perform at noon Aug. 7 and 14. Free. Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 and 9. It showcases the talents of regional and national fine craft artists. The fair features fine craft artists working in ceramics, fiber, jewelry, leather, metal, sculpture, photography, glass, wood, printmaking, and mixed media.
RHODE CENTER FOR THE ARTS: 514 56th St., Kenosha. 262- 914-1252. “Macbeth” and “The Tempest” will be performed through Aug. 2. See two of Shakespeare’s classics all in one performance. This production presents a one-act version of “Macbeth” and a one-act version of “The Tempest.” Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $5. Free public performance at noon Aug. 1 at Kenosha Public Library Park, 711 59th Place. “The Kenoshow” at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Aug. 7 and 8. An evening of sketch comedy and live music… Kenosha style. For adult audiences. Tickets are $15.
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