Things to Do in Greendale

One of several annual fundraising events dedicated to subsidizing the Milwaukee Air & Water Show, Bay View Wine Fest gathers quality wines and wine aficionados for an evening of enological appreciation. Vendors dispense pours of reds and whites that attendees can pair with samples of locally made cuisine, and sommeliers in training can treat their palates to a reserved wine-flight tasting. Partial proceeds from the event go to Wisconsin Adopt a Golden Retriever. If guests tire of the puppies in attendance they can boogie the night away on the festival dance floor.

Located inside a brick-hewn building reminiscent of a grand castle, the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery recounts the history of the company’s former brewery, which dates back to 1844. Visitors tour Pabst’s corporate offices, take photos with a statue of Captain Frederick Pabst, and drink tall pints of the brewery’s concoctions. The gift shop stocks vintage Pabst memorabilia, including steins, shirts, artwork, and figurines of Pabst’s short-lived mascot, King Barley. Best Place’s halls and courtyards can also be rented for banquets, weddings, and other events.

Equal parts running, pedaling, and paddling, The Tribal Challenge sends teams of two or more huffing and puffing across a 15-mile gauntlet rife with mental and physical challenges. Designed to replicate the tribulations of pre-industrial tribesmen, the route intersects three 5-mile legs with hunting and gathering missions. The fibers of endurance and camaraderie stretch to their limits as partners demonstrate specific survival skills that were essential before humans could simply buy meat from a butcher or trade dusty VHS tapes with monkeys in exchange for fruit. After completing the course, tribes can bask in the euphoria of accomplishment at a post-challenge powwow, where complimentary beers squelch thirst and live music from the Fire Water Festival helps cast a celebratory tone across the finish line.

In 1977, a group of Milwaukee’s sailors responded to its city’s lack of a public sailing institution by banding together with county officials to create a not-for-profit organization accessible to everyone. The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center has continued to uphold this original vision of granting everyone—regardless of age, physical ability, or financial means—a chance to develop sailing skills while exploring Lake Michigan’s aqueous expanses. Since its founding, it has imparted its knowledge upon upwards of 100,000 student via hands-on classes and private lessons.

Throughout the summer’s balmy months, Milwaukee Community Sailing Center’s experienced and certified staff can be found reviewing boat safety with students during on-shore lessons or calling out instructions to their trainees from within a sailboat cruising around the lake. As winter’s frigid winds rage across the city, a host of off-season winter sessions enables skippers to keep their sea legs toned until spring returns. Bobbing cheerfully in the onsite marina, the center’s seaworthy fleet is comprised of more than 80 meticulously maintained vessels, including sturdy dinghies, cruisers, and saddled-up krakens. The center’s dedication to bringing the community together on the water is further evidenced in its outreach programs, including one designed to help Milwaukee’s at-risk youth turn a new leaf by helping them uncover hidden talents, develop leadership skills, and conquer their fears.

The 74-foot tower of North Point Lighthouse stretches to meet the neighboring trees of Lake Park. Attached to it are two-and-a-half stories of wood-frame keeper's quarters that once housed historic figures such as Georgia Stebbins, keeper for thirty years.

Renovated in 2007, the bright, airy building now acts as home to artifacts and lighthouse-related curios, including an original 1928 Fresnel lens that helped guide seafaring vessels. Additionally, a Chadburn telegraph, recovered from a sunken ship, pays homage to the orders that went to and from the ship's bridge and engine rooms.

Guests can browse both the quarters and the lighthouse, and explore the site's more than 120 years of history by perusing the artwork and photographs displayed throughout the galleries. Dedicated volunteers are also on hand to dispense fascinating information and history, and to give limited guided tours that lead visitors to the top of the tower, where they can catch views of the surrounding park and lakefront.

Throughout the summer, the paved paths of Frame Park welcome outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and interests, including riders seated on High Roller Fun Rentals's unique bikes and pedal carts. Two-, three-, and four-wheel vehicles transport groups down the 1.7-mile river walk—a path flanked by playground equipment, picnic areas, gardens, and volleyball courts that double as suitable retirement homes for pet hermit crabs.

For those looking to make a splash, High Roller Fun Rentals also maintains a floating fleet of creature boats, canoes, and kayaks. These inventive vessels allow groups of two, three, or four to navigate the Fox River with ease. And for added convenience, the rental center hands out maps to encourage exploration and discourage people from leaning off the edge of the world.