Since beginning as a joke among friends who realized Milwaukee’s 414 area code had a striking resemblance to the numerals in April 14 (or 4/14), “Milwaukee Day” has turned into a full-fledged holiday. In the eight or nine years—the organizers don’t recall—after its origin, the unlikely holiday has resulted in an official mayoral proclamation, a founder getting to throw out a first pitch before a Brewers game, an abundance of civic-centered specials offered by area businesses, a formidable hashtag, a cameo on Jeopardy!, and the inspiration for a beer.
The citywide celebration also offers its fair share of entertainment options. This year is no different, with dozens of concerts, comedy shows, art openings, film screenings, and even a gaming festival lined up this Saturday. To help prepare you for this year’s Milwaukee Day festivities, host Tyler Maas asked the holiday’s co-founder, Andy Silverman, to join him at Milwaukee Record headquarters. They were met by Rebecca Ottman, the Director of Marketing at UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School Of The Arts. There, the trio talked about Milwaukee Day’s unexpected rise to prominence, the April 14 events they’re looking forward to (including Peck’s Kenilworth Open Studios), and why there’s nothing quite like this holiday anywhere else.
This episode is brought to you by Surly Brewing, a Minnesota-based brewery and the official beer of On The Record. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Piles (“Blue Glue”) and Greatest Lakes (“Forest”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).