That incredible sound booming overhead can mean only one thing: the absolutely amazing, utterly fantastic, and completely beyond reproach Milwaukee Air & Water Show is back! The awesome annual shindig will take place this weekend, July 22-23, in the skies above Milwaukee and Lake Michigan. And no, we’re not feigning excitement because last year when we said we weren’t fans of the Air Show we were called a “piece of shit,” a “liberal pansy,” a “whinner” [sic], and an “un-patriotic fucker.” And no, we’re not still concerned about the real patriot who plastered our face on various threads (“He looks exactly as I would have thought”) and threatened to harm us! God bless the Air Show!

Anyway, the big event is free to attend at Bradford Beach and parts of McKinley Beach. Reserved seating and parking can be purchased HERE. Here’s the schedule:

FRIDAY, JULY 21

Air Show practice: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

SATURDAY – SUNDAY, JULY 22-23

Parking lots open: 8 a.m.
Gates open: 9 a.m.
Water Show: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Air Show: 12 – 4 p.m.
Navy Blue Angels: 3 p.m.

And in case you aren’t a fan of the Milwaukee Air & Water Show—which you absolutely should be please don’t hurt us—here’s info on a planned protest from the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee—which we absolutely do not condone please please please don’t hurt us. It’s scheduled to take place on July 22 at 2 p.m., next to that big orange “The Calling” sculpture (which is currently under wraps for cleaning and painting) on the east end of Wisconsin Avenue:

Milwaukee Anti-war Committee Hosts Rally Against Annual Air & Water Show

Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Anti-war Committee (MAC) will hold a rally to protest the annual Milwaukee Air and Water show at 2pm on July 22nd, 2023, at The Calling sculpture in downtown Milwaukee. The Air and Water Show is well-known in the city, where the noises from the planes can be heard many miles away, and practices are in session days before the actual show. Though presented as a harmless family event, its presence is a polarizing one.

The MAC is protesting The Milwaukee Air & Water Show because they understand that it is not harmless. Rather, it is a glorification of U.S. militarism that harms people around the globe. There will be military recruiters present at the Air Show, predatorily attempting to turn awe over the planes and their technology into a commitment to furthering the U.S. war machine. The U.S. military is also the largest polluter in the world, and yet, even after seeing some of the worst air quality in Milwaukee in recent times, the show goes on.

Once gathered at The Calling, the audience will hear speeches from representatives of local organizations such as the Wisconsin Cuba Coalition, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), in addition to a speaker from the Milwaukee Anti-war Committee. There will also be more info on how to get involved in MAC’s ongoing work.

Help the MAC demand an end to the support of U.S. imperialism and keep the air show out of our skies! The Milwaukee Anti-war Committee says, “Save our skies! The Air Show has to go!”

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