Are you a Milwaukee PrideFest Virgin? Yes, there is a first time for everything! Be brave! Be open! Be strong! And, of course, expect the best. Practically speaking, I hope this overview will encourage you to check it out for yourself. Is this going to be the year? You are going to love it!
Milwaukee's gay and lesbian community has been active and doing things for decades. They have had a free-standing LGBT center for 10 years. Cream City Foundation has been actively supporting Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin's LGBT needs and organizations for over 25 years. SAGE Milwaukee has been serving lesbian and gay seniors for over 14 years. It's a little ironic that Chicago's LGBT community is just achieving some of those goals. But let's focus on Milwaukee's PrideFest celebration, now celebrating 21 years.
The only thing that Milwaukee's PrideFest and Chicago's Pride have in common is that they are both LGBT-focused! Milwaukee's PrideFest is a totally different experience, and so is its Pride Parade, which is on Sun., June 8, 2 p.m. It lasts about an hour, and has about 40 entries with high energy and fun. See www.prideparademke.org
PrideFest is user-friendly. It takes place on the fabulous Meier Festival Grounds ( home to Summerfest ) right on the lakefront with several stages for entertainment, a mixed marketplace with LGBT-specific and general vendors for shopping, and those tram gondola rides. There are also lots of food choices that you would expect at a summertime fair ( turkey legs, lemonade, fresh donuts, brats, etc ) . Attendance has been growing steadily; it is now up to 27,000 for the whole weekend! Imagine: Wrigley Field holds twice that for one game. So PrideFest is definitely low-density.
PrideFest is not just one day. This year PrideFest is Fri.-Sun., June 6-8 ( three weeks before our Pride, so no conflicts ) . Choose one day or go for the weekend. It opens Friday evening with top entertainer Wanda Sykes; features Natasha Bedingfield Saturday night; and spotlights the Indigo Girls Sunday evening. These are just the top headliners; there are also 120 more entertainers and special events. Great fireworks are a fun and romantic bonus late Saturday evening. Visit www.pridefest.com .
In Milwaukee, you can park your car and use the shuttle trolley back and forth to PrideFest. Milwaukee offers a plethora of museums, shopping and good restaurants ( with a slightly lower price point for what you get ) . PrideFest's sponsoring hotel this year is, once again, DoubleTree Milwaukee City Center; call 414-273-2950 or see www.doubletree.hilton.com . Bring your swimsuit for the outdoor heated swimming pool, but keep in mind that early June is a long shot for outdoor swimming in Milwaukee; however, you might get lucky.
PrideFest is easy to get to. You don't even have to drive—take the Amtrak Hiawatha train, or take a MegaBus or a Greyhound bus. If you do drive, it is just 90 miles north, so you can do the whole weekend for less than a tank of gas if you are lucky. Parking costs around $10 a day, even close to the entrance.
PrideFest is fun. Picture yourself there on the lakefront, hearing great music, talking with the folks at the other end of the picnic table and making new friends, and you realize you are surrounded by the panorama of LGBT life—all types, ages, sexes, races, interests and more, enjoying being proud. This is how it should be. Life is good. And it wasn't hard at all.
After a few hours or days at PrideFest, you may have a desire to be inside four walls ( you will know what I mean ) , to eat a real meal with plates and silverware and/or have a real cocktail in a glass. Milwaukee has dozens of gay- and lesbian-friendly bars to select from. One newer option is M's at 1101 S. 2nd ( continuing some of the traditions of the M&M Club that closed last year ) ; ask for Melissa or Janet. There's also the Milwaukee Pump House at 2011 S. 1st, ( a video bar a la Chicago's Sidetrack but on the river with boat slips ) . Specifically, for the lesbians ( although men are welcome ) there are Walker's Pint and Mona's ( good food there, too ) , and then La Cage for lots of dancing. C'est LaVie, Switch, the Harbor Room, Fluid and at least a dozen more are out there for the men ( and women are welcome ) . A different mixed bar is the Art Bar in River West—ask for Kraus! Lots of art are all around this bilevel bar along with great music. When the music is over and you want more than pizza, my favorite late-night kitchen is Elsa's on the Park ( www.elsas.com ) .
If you do get up to Milwaukee PrideFest, you will be glowing and thinking about who you know that is still a PrideFest virgin on your way back home—and you will be making plans to get them to Milwaukee PrideFest next year! And that's why I wrote this article: to help the virgins. Do you have more questions about attending Milwaukee's PrideFest? E-mail suzanne@windycitymediagroup.com . Have fun!
