WPR

September Writing Challenge at Manitowoc Public Library
2025-08-18 09:00 - 2025-09-30 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Manitowoc Public Library, 707 Quay Street, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, 54220, United States
Have you always wanted to write but can’t find the right time to start? How does Monday, September 1 sound? That’s when the September Writing Challenge kicks off at Manitowoc Public Library for Teens and Adults. Pick up your handy Tracking Calendar from the Front Service Desk starting Monday, August 18, and then write every day for the month of September! Jumpstart your writing habit, discover your poetic side, or finally put all those family recipes in a notebook. All writing counts and all writing will be rewarded. Turn in your completed calendar to the front desk after Tuesday, September 30, for a prize. A Grand Prize will be awarded to the writer that turns out the most words!

Great River Folk Festival
2025-08-22 17:30 - 2025-08-24 17:00 | Riverside Park, 100 State St, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601, United States
Come celebrate folk music, art, and community at the Great River Folk Festival in La Crosse, WI. The fest takes place over three days with an incredible line-up of musicians. Thanks to the La Crosse Arts Boards, Sunday is FREE this year.
Since 1976, the Great River Folk Festival celebrates the folk arts in the Driftless Region, including music, dance, original artwork, crafts, and performance. We recruit talents from across the Midwest and throughout the country to create an exceptional experience in a relaxed atmosphere.
Learn more about the fest, daily schedule, and purchase tickets at: https://www.greatriverfolkfest.org

Music for a Summer Afternoon at the Little Brown Chruch
2025-08-24 14:00 - 15:00 | The Brown Church, 29864 Brown Church Dr., Lone Rock, Wisconsin, 53556, United States
The Quartessence String Quartet will perform a concert at the Brown Church featuring Classical and American Traditional Music. The musicians are members of the Madison Chamber and Symphany Orchestras.
The Brown Church is an historic church that has been restored back to its 1875 decor. It is celebrating its 150th Anniversary on October 12, 2025.
The church is located at the intersection of Hwy 130 and Brown Church Dr. approximately 5 miles north of Lone Rock.

Apollo Music Festival
2025-08-24 14:00 - 15:30 | Rochester Art Center, 30 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, Minnesota, 55904, United States
The Apollo Music Festival proudly announces its 13th annual season, taking place August 14–24, 2025, with eight chamber music concerts at three venues throughout southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin. This year’s festival features nine nationally recognized musicians performing a rich blend of classical repertoire — and, thanks to generous community support, all events are completely free and open to the public.

CWSO at the Wausau Conservatory of Music
2025-08-24 14:30 - 15:00 | Wausau Conservatory of Music, 404 Seymour Street, Wausau, Wisconsin, 54403, United States
Join CWSO musicians Anna Cromwell, Mary Moran, Christine Kralik, and Michelle Wenzel for a summer chamber concert at the Wausau Conservatory of Music!
Tickets:
$10 for 18+
$5 for children under the age of 18

Historic Lantern Tour
2025-08-24 16:30 - 17:30 | Cave of the Mounds, 2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd., Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, 53517, United States
Every Sunday August – except 8/31
Discover the cave like the first explorers. Walk through the cave using only lanterns and flashlights that are provided. Feel as though you are one of the first people to ever see the cave. Your guide will take you on an adventure while sharing the history & the geologic wonders of Cave of the Mounds.
Cave of the Mounds was accidentally discovered during a quarry blast. The first who entered were quarry workers, a farmer, and a 17-year-old boy. They were the first to ever lay eyes on the cave as there are no natural entrances. No animal or human had ever seen the cave until 1939.
Today there are more than 400 known caves in the state of Wisconsin but often found in people’s backyards like this one. In fact, cave explorers find hundreds of caves in America each year! Get a glimpse into the spelunking world!

**FREE** Gemstone Mining Talk & Demo
2025-08-25 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-25 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-26 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-26 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-27 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-27 13:00 - 14:00, 2025-08-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-08-28 13:00 - 14:00 and 2 more dates | Cave of the Mounds, 2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd., Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, 53517, United States
Monday – Friday
10:00am & 1:00pm
July & August
Join us for a hands-on educational experience as we explore the world of gemstone mining! This free talk and live demonstration offers a behind-the-scenes look at how gemstones and are uncovered, identified, and preserved. Perfect for curious minds of all ages, this program combines storytelling, geology, and a live demo of gemstone mining in action.

Concerts by the Lake
2025-08-26 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-08-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Bayfield Memorial Park, 2 Rittenhouse Avenue, Bayfield, 54814, United States
Bayfield’s Concerts by the Lake occur every Tuesday and Thursday, from June 17 through August 28, 2025 in Memorial Park. The music runs from 6-8 p.m.
The concerts are free and open to the public.
Guests are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs to the park. Dogs are also welcome on a leash.
The concert could be moved indoors if the weather does not cooperate. A location will be announced the day of the event on the Concerts by the Lake Event Facebook Page, and on signage around Bayfield.

Anytime Anywhere Meditation Course
2025-08-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Tergar Meditation Community of Madison, 301 S. Blount St, Madison, WI, 53703, United States
Join Tergar Madison for a 5-week hybrid workshop designed to make meditation enriching and accessible from anywhere. This program will guide you through the essential topics of awareness, compassion, and wisdom, blending traditional teachings with modern insights. The workshop will be led by Scott Anderson, an experienced meditator and teacher who combines his expertise in meditation with a background in kinesiology to help participants integrate meditation with daily life to support well-being.
Meets on Wednesdays, April 2 – April 30.
In person and Zoom options available.

Jazz @ Cutler Park
2025-08-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Cutler Park, 321 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha, Wisconsin, 53186, United States
Rescheduled from a July rainout. Join us Wednesday August 27, for The Ellen Winters Group rescheduled concert under the August stars.
Ellen Winters, an award-winning jazz singer and educator, bringing her unique energy to the stage! With a voice that breathes new life into every note, Ellen’s performance will captivate you and take jazz to thrilling new heights. Join us for a night of unforgettable melodies and soulful rhythms in the park!

Book Sale at the Grohmann Museum
2025-08-28 09:00 - 2025-08-30 18:00 | Grohmann Museum, 1000 N Broadway, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202, United States
Library books no longer in circulation are looking for a new home! Fill a bag of books for a flat fee of only $5 per bag. You can bring your own bag or purchase a Grohmann Museum tote featuring art from the collection!
August 28: 9:00am-5:00pm
August 29: 9:00am-5:00pm
August 30: noon to 6:00pm

Haberman Local Luminaries: “Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts”
2025-08-28 18:15 - 19:15 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, 53202
Join notable Milwaukee voices from the fields of art, education, and language as they reflect on the works in “Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts.” Through their varied lenses, we’ll explore themes of transformation, perception, and the spaces between seeing and understanding. Rooted in mixed media, Shirreff’s work invites us to slow down, to notice what shifts across materials and moments, and to reflect on what is preserved, altered, or lost in translation. Together, we’ll consider how both art and language mediate our experience of the world and reveal the complexity beneath its surface.

Natalie Sue and The Steed - Live at the Cactus Club
2025-08-28 19:00 - 22:30 | Cactus Club, 2496 S Wentworth Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53207, United States
Natalie Sue and The Steed make their Cactus Club debut this month with a special performance in celebration of their first EP “Patchouli and Tobacco”, releasing in August. Featuring early singles “Love Burns Hot” and “Country Man,” the project delivers a dreamy, newfangled twang rooted in alt-country grit. Don’t miss your chance to catch this rising act, alongside openers Valley Fox and Derek Pritzl, live in one of Milwaukee’s most iconic venues.

Yoga in the Park
2025-08-30 09:00 - 12:00 | Graham Park, Sturgeon Bay, United States
EVERY SATURDAY
This FREE all-levels class will invite you to tune in with nature and yourself through accessible
breathing techniques, poses (or asana) and meditation.
MAY 31st- AUGUST 30th

Paoli Art in the Park
2025-08-30 09:00 - 16:00 | Paoli Park, 6901 Paoli Rd, Belleville, 53508, United States
Paoli Art in the Park marks its 4th year
August, 2025, Paoli, WIS. – Paoli Art in the Park, organized by the Southern Wisconsin Art Guild, Inc. (SWAG), is scheduled for Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Paoli Town Park. This annual event, held Sat. & Sun. of Labor Day weekend, is a quality juried art fair featuring local and regional artists who create in a variety of mediums, including painting, metal and wood sculpture, glass, fiber, photography, ceramics, and more.
The Southern Wisconsin Art Guild, SWAG, a 501(c)(3) organization, consists of local artists and art supporters who are dedicated to organizing this event to display the art of both up and coming and well-known artists in this relaxed park setting. Located in historic Paoli, Wisconsin, the park is on the west end of the village, across from the Paoli Road Mercantile. “Each year we discover new artists to feature in addition to those whose art has impressed the public in past years. Paoli is a perfect backdrop for this event, and we are planning another exceptional event,” stated Shirley Duerst, chair of the Paoli Art in the Park Committee and member of SWAG.

Paoli Art in the Park
2025-08-30 09:00 - 16:00 | Paoli Park, 6901 Paoli Rd, Belleville, 53508, United States
Paoli Art in the Park 2025, organized by the Southern Wisconsin Art Guild, Inc. (SWAG), is scheduled for Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Paoli Town Park. Now in its 4th year, this annual event has become one of the area’s premier art fairs. Each year we discover new artists to feature along with returning favorites in a variety of mediums. Come find that truly unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art, at Paoli Art in the Park. Come enjoy the art fair, then check out this historic community. Paoli is located just 14 miles south of Madison.

Riverfront Jazz Festival
2025-08-30 14:00 - 2025-08-31 19:30 | Pfiffner Bandshell, 1100 Crosby Ave, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, 54481, United States
Stevens Point hosts the largest FREE jazz festival in Central Wisconsin. Local jazz musicians and nationally renowned acts perform at the Pfiffner Pioneer Park amphitheater every Labor Day Weekend! Performances 2:00-7:30pm.

Symphony in the Park: An American Celebration
2025-08-30 17:00 - 18:30 | Old Falls Village Historical Park, N96W15791 County Line Rd, Menomonee Falls, 53051, United States
Join the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra directed by Alexander Mandl in a magical evening celebrating summer and the spirit of America. Enjoy music by great American Composers like Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein, Sousa and John Williams. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, grab a bite at the onsite Grill and drinks from the Beer Garden and experience the power of live music with family and friends in a beautiful outdoor setting.

Symphony in the Park - An American Celebration
2025-08-30 17:00 - 19:00 | Old Falls Village Historical Park, N96W15791 County Line Rd, Menomonee Falls, 53051, United States
Join the symphony for an evening of summer favorites. Limited reserved seating with details to follow. Bring your own chair or blanket to enjoy the show on the lawn. Old Falls Village offers food and beverages in addition to their museum. No carry-ins allowed, food or drink. It’s a wonderful venue for an evening of fine music.
Conductor – Alexander Mandl
Program – John Smith Star Spangled Banner, Morton Gould American Salute, Rogers & Hammerstein Selections from “The Sound of Music,” George Gershwin Selections from “Porgy and Bess,” Leonard Bernstein Selections from “West Side Story,” George
Gershwin Selections from An American in Paris, Ward/Carmen Dragon America the Beautiful, John Philip Sousa Stars and Stripes Forever

Menomonee Falls Symphony Summer Concert at Old Falls Village
2025-08-30 17:00 - 19:00 | Old Falls Village Park, N96W15791 County Line Road Menomonee Falls, WI 53051, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 53051, United States
Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra invites the community to join its American Celebration 2025 concert under the open sky at Old Falls Village Park on Saturday, August 30, at 5:00 PM. This festive summer performance showcases beloved American masterworks and patriotic favorites, perfect for families, friends and all music lovers.
Music Director Alexander Mandl will conduct selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, to mention just some of the great works to be performed.
Attendees can bring their own blankets and chairs and enjoy the concert for free, while there are a limited number of picnic tables available for a nominal charge. Food and drink are available.
