The days are getting longer and warmer, and there’s tons of kid-friendly fun to be found around Milwaukee! Here are this weekend’s top picks:
Saturday, May 20, 2023, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Featuring more than a dozen big rigs from the Department of Public Works, Milwaukee Fire Department, and Milwaukee Police Department, this free event at Red Arrow Park offers children a unique opportunity to explore the various trucks and meet the people who operate them.
Family-friendly activities will include a book sale, truck-themed arts and crafts, bubble and sandbox playtime, free face painting, the Betty Brinn Wonder Wagon and a variety of food trucks.
New this year: free safety vests for the first 750 kids (ages 2-10), and a sensory-friendly hour (1-2 p.m.) with no horns or sirens.
May 20-October 7, 2023 (open during Zoo hours)
Admission: $4 per person (in addition to Zoo general admission)
This weekend, the Milwaukee County Zoo will open their special summer exhibit, Dino Don’s Journey to the Ice Age. Come face to face with animals that are now extinct but share some interesting similarities to animals found inside the Milwaukee County Zoo.
Experience the Ice Age, when large mammals like the woolly mammoth roamed the earth. You don’t need a jacket for this adventure, but be ready to feel chills of excitement.
Tickets are $4 a person, but Zoo Pass members can use their electronic coupons for free entry.
Saturday, May 20, 2023, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Wisconsin illustrator Renée Graef’s latest work, “Gertie, the Darling Duck of WWII,” brings to life the historic tale of one plucky Milwaukee duck.
In 1945, the attention of the United States, along with the rest of the world, was focused on World War II. After more than five years of fighting, downcast, war-weary people were looking for signs of hope of a better future. One April morning, a duck searching for a nesting spot lands on a tall post sticking out of the Milwaukee River.
Situated near a busy drawbridge and the noisy city, this was an unlikely, precarious spot for a soon-to-be-mama duck to build her nest. But that is exactly where Gertie (named by a local reporter) decided to make her home and lay her eggs. Crowds begin visiting the bridge to watch Gertie and speculate how she will safely hatch her babies. Soon, news outlets around the world were carrying the hopeful tale of the plucky duck, raising spirits, and giving readers a shared sense of community.
Saturday, May 20-21, 2023
Admission: Adults $13; Children 12 & Under $8
Pet owners, Roger and Anita, live happily in London with their Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita, stalwart dogs devoted to raising their puppies. Everything is quiet until Anita’s former classmate, the monstrous Cruella De Vil, plots to steal the puppies for her new fur coat. The Dalmatians rally all the dogs of London for a daring rescue of the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen.
Saturday, May 20, 2023, 5-8 p.m. (Mukwonago location is 6-9 p.m.)
Admission: $20 per child ($15 for members)
Need a night out without the kids? Let the YMCA help! A night of fun and age-appropriate activities await your children (ages 6 months-12 years) at the following Y locations: Mukwonago, Southwest, Waukesha, West Suburban. Dinner is not provided; please send a meal with your child.
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There’s so much more happening this weekend! Our Events Calendar is packed with daily events for kids and families. And it can be sorted by location!
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Check out “101 Best Things to do in Milwaukee With Kids“.
