Milwaukee is known as the “City Of Festivals” for good reason. The city and its surrounding suburbs routinely play host to dozens upon dozens of ambitious undertakings that range from festivals, block parties, conventions, ethnic celebrations, recurring music series, and various other events that help make Milwaukee a special place to live, work, and visit.
While the vast majority of happenings that land under the broad “festival” umbrella occur in the summer months, the spring season is far from lacking when it comes to fests and fest-like events. With winter officially ending this week, we’ve already assembled a massive list of standout spring shows. Now we’re following that up with a guide to Milwaukee-area festivals taking place between mid-March and the end of May. Think spring and check out these events!
(Editor’s note: Though we know June 20 is the first day of summer, we’re going to feature all festivals that begin in June in our upcoming Summer Festival Guide, so hold those comments!)
March 17-23
MSO Bach Fest @ Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Celebrate the birthday and the timeless works of Johann Sebastian Bach with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s second annual “MSO Bach Fest,” which is going on now! Beyond large-scale MSO performances at Bradley Symphony Center on March 19 and March 21-23, Bach’s music can be heard at a wide variety of performance sites throughout Milwaukee (most of which are free and open to the public). Check out the full list of MSO Bach Fest events HERE.
March 21
12th Annual Milwaukee Blues Festival @ Riverside Theater
They might be playing the blues, but you’ll be happy to see the likes of Tucka, King George, Pokey Bear, West Love, Lenny Williams, and Theodis Ealey when Milwaukee Blues Festival returns to Riverside Theater for an 12th installment on Friday, March 21.
March 23
WMSE’s Rockabilly Chili Fundraiser @ MSOE Kern Center
Rockabilly Chili returns! The 23rd installment of the wildly popular and devilishly delicious event will kick off at 11 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. Over that four-hour span, attendees will be able to sample chili from dozens of Milwaukee area restaurants, cafes, caterers, and other establishments that will be competing for awards in three categories: Best Meat, Best Veggie, Best Heat, and Most Unique. There will also be hardware handed out for Best Display. Be there!
March 26-30
AdeptiCon @ Baird Center
Last April, AdeptiCon announced it would be moving from its home in Schaumburg, Illinois to Milwaukee in spring 2025. Specifically, the weekend of March 26-30. What began as a small 100-person event celebrating the Warhammer 40,000 miniatures game has grown into one of the most popular wargame miniatures conventions in the country. Many manufacturers now have a presence at the show which features tournaments for Battletech, Shatterpoint, and all sorts of table-sized battlefield games. Think of it a bit like Fashion Week, except the looks are all stompy power armor and nasty Chaos-infected monsters.
March 29
Turner Hall Tiki Takedown @ Turner Hall
Following four successful installments, Turner Hall Tiki Takedown will once again be bringing warm vibes and cool cocktails back to the eponymous downtown ballroom this March. Yes, you can take your taste buds on an early spring trip to the islands when the cocktail competition and rum-fueled celebration officially returns. From 1-4 p.m., Turner Hall will host mixologists from a variety of local bars and restaurants, each of whom will be serving up their own unique tiki cocktail creations using TIKI LOVERS spirits as they compete for votes from those in attendance so they might claim the coveted Tiki Takedown Trophy and Tiki Master title.
April 3-6
Art In Bloom @ Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum’s annual Art In Bloom offers and opportunity to “discover floral interpretations of favorite artworks in the galleries.” The four-day event is bursting with “flowers, music, refreshments, shopping, art making, and even more special floral programs.”
April 4-6
Midwest Gaming Classic @ Baird Center
In a city absolutely stuffed with events, the annual Midwest Gaming Classic is one of our favorites. Want to relive the 2024 installment? Read our one-day minute-by-minute report HERE. Want to experience all the video games, pinball, tabletop games, panels, music, and more for yourself? Then drop by the downtown Baird Center April 4-6. Yep, MGC is BACK.
April 11-13
Milwaukee Tattoo Festival 2025 @ Baird Center
Milwaukee Tattoo Festival is a celebration of all things needles and ink that will offer “a selection of over 200 of the best artists from all over the world right here in Milwaukee for three days of tattooing, art making, merch selling, and much more” April 11-13.
April 13
Milwaukee’s Best Bloody @ State Fair Park
On April 13, the 13th annual Milwaukee’s Best Bloody contest will find bartenders showcasing their signature bloody marys at State Fair Park while vying to have their cocktail concoction crowned, well, Milwaukee’s Best Bloody. As if the opportunity to try a bunch of bloodies and cast your vote on your favorite one isn’t enticing enough on its own, proceeds from the event “support Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation in their mission to educate, support and advocate for the Wisconsin bleeding disorders community.”
April 19
Milwaukee Zine Fest @ Milwaukee Central Library
The Bindery’s annual Milwaukee Zine Fest will take to the Milwaukee Central Library from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 19. As always, the event—which has been around more than 15 years, making it one of the Midwest’s longest-running zine fests—will celebrate and promote “zine culture, DIY creative literary work, small press publishing, and other independent, self-created wonders in magazine-like format” with more than 100 vendors showcasing and selling their work on site. Milwaukee Zine Fest is free and suitable for folks of all ages to attend.
April 24 – May 8
Milwaukee Film Festival @ various locations
The 2025 Milwaukee Film Festival is set to run April 24 – May 8. It will feature approximately 200 short and feature-length documentary and fiction films from around the world (and Milwaukee, of course). Advance ticket packages and passes are available NOW. The full lineup hasn’t been released quite yet, but based on the festival’s track record and what’s been announced so far, it’s gonna be great.
April 27
Nerdwaukee Artist Alley @ Pilot Project
Awkward Nerd Events is celebrating all things 2D art on April 27 during its popular Nerdwaukee Artist Alley event. They city’s “premier geek-themed craft fair” will feature a variety of visual art, stickers, buttons, and other goods that range from anime to pop art. The event is free, and Pilot Project will have food and drinks available for purchase.
May 15-18
Milwaukee Metal Fest @ The Rave/Eagles Club
Wisconsin metalheads rejoice! After the successful 2023 reincarnation of Milwaukee Metal Fest and an even bigger 2024, the festival—which had previously been dormant since 2007 before it was revived by Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta—will be returning to The Rave/Eagles Club from May 15-18. Things will kick off with a Thursday night pre-party (which is free for those who purchase three-day passes for the rest of the fest) featuring Jasta And Friends and others. Subsequent dates will feature DOWN, Black Label Society, GWAR, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and dozens of other accomplished metal and metal-adjacent acts. You can check out the full daily lineups HERE.
May 16-18
Wisconsin Card Show @ Baird Center
Lake Country Cards and Swarmm Events is joining forces on what they’re calling “Wisconsin’s Largest Card Show.” The claim seems to be accurate, as the 2025 Wisconsin Card Show will bring more than 300 tables worth of collectors and vendors to Baird Center May 16-18. There will also be a ton of Brewers, Packers, Bucks, and Badgers legends signing autographs over the course of the three-day event.
May 30
Bay View Gallery Night @ various locations
Since 2011, Bay View Gallery Night has organized “Milwaukee’s largest annual celebration of art, local business, music, and community.” The massive neighborhood-wide event brings together talented area artists and musicians, along with an eclectic mix of Milwaukee bars, restaurants and retailers for a large-scale happening that has quickly become a part of the Bay View tradition. It’s free. It’s fun. It’s locally-focused. What more can you ask for? We’re pleased to report Bay View Gallery Night will return for a 14th installment on Friday, May 30.
May 30 – June 1
Festa Italiana @ Henry Maier Festival Park
Following a brief relocation to the Italian Community Center in the late summers of 2022 and 2023, Festa Italiana moved back to the Summerfest grounds in 2024. Additionally, it also moved to the late spring. That trend will continue in 2025, as the Milwaukee festival staple is set to take place Friday, May 30 through Sunday, June 1.