Valley Week runs September 21 – 28 in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley
Valley Week, the Menomonee River Valley’s annual fall festival, returns September 21-28 and showcases the Valley’s parks, history, trails, and companies. Valley Week is presented by Menomonee Valley Partners and Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
The week kicks off with a limited edition beer release, Menomonee River Valley Urban Escape. The lager is collaboration between City Lights Brewing and Third Space Brewing, who, along with employees of a dozen Valley businesses, brainstormed a beer profile that would be representative of the Valley’s past and present. The lager was brewed with wild rice – “Menomonee” means wild rice – an ingredient neither brewery had experimented with in the past. Proceeds from beer sales will help fund continued work to revitalize the Valley.
Valley Week continues showcasing the Valley as a great place to visit and a great place to work. Like the Menomonee River Valley itself, Valley Week offers something for everyone, from Campfire Stories featuring personal stories of transformation, the Ultimate Beer Run, kayak tours and pontoon cruises to enjoy the Menomonee River, a Job Fair to highlight career opportunities, and so much more.
All the week’s experiences are listed at TheValleyMKE.org, including:
All Week Long
- Valley Bingo: You’ve heard of the Valley’s nature and trails, bars and restaurants, and public art; now Valley Bingo is a fun challenge to stop by 25 spots, get your bingo card marked, and win prizes! No purchase necessary and black outs are entered for a grand prize drawing!
Thursday, September 19
- Urban Escape Limited Edition Beer Release – 4:30pm | Third Space Brewing
Brewed with wild rice that gave the Menomonee River Valley its name, this collaboration beer between City Lights Brewing and Third Space Brewing is a celebration of the transformation that has taken place in the Valley over the last 20 years. Proceeds will help to fund the work ahead.
Saturday, September 21
- Ultimate Beer Run 3.7K – 11am | City Lights Brewing & Third Space Brewing
This quirky 3.7K run/walk event makes a loop between the Valley’s two breweries, offering participants a thirst quenching mid-point beer and a celebratory finisher beer. - Bike Tour – History of the Valley – 2pm| Hank Aaron State Trail
One of the best ways to get around the Menomonee River Valley from the Harley-Davidson Museum to Miller Park is on bike via the Hank Aaron State Trail – and this tour is the way to learn fun facts about history and Valley projects that make this district a national model!
Tuesday, September 24
- Valley Job Fair – 3:30pm | Standard Electric Supply Co
The Job Fair offers a face-to-face connection and some onsite interviews for Valley companies with more than 200 open positions right now. Free and open to the public.
Wednesday, September 25
- Food Truck Wednesday – 11:30am-1:30pm | Menomonee Valley Community Park
Grab a bite to eat and take in the fall weather in the Menomonee Valley Community Park.
- Campfire Stories – 5:30-7:30pm | Menomonee Valley Community Park
Enjoy hot drinks, s’mores, Palermo’s Pizza samples, and a sunset view while listening to fireside stories from specially curated presenters who share their personal stories of transformation: Cindy Angelos, first female brakewoman for the Milwaukee Road in 1974; Giacomo Fallucca, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for Palermo’s Pizza; and Rebeca Heaton Juarez, Silver City neighborhood resident who is excited to raise her kids in the heart of the city. Free.
Thursday, September 26
- Blood Drive – 7am-1pm | Zimmerman Architectural Studios
Help save the lives of patients in need of a transfusion through the second Valley Blood Drive, a partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. Donors get a free pair of ear buds!
- Sunset Kayak Tour – 5:15-8pm | Menomonee River with Milwaukee Kayak Company
Embark on a relaxing paddle into the sunset on the Menomonee River. We’ll touch on the history of the Valley, share some fun facts, and see the city from a different perspective. On the way back, we’ll switch on our headlamps and enjoy a moonlit trip back past the Harley-Davidson Museum® and other sights.
- Happy Hour Cruises – 4:30, 5:30, 6:30pm | Twisted Fisherman Crab Shack
Three 45-minute cruises on the Menomonee River offer a journey through the Valley’s past and a glimpse of its future—as well as beer and cocktails!
Friday, September 37
- 20 Years of Transformation Luncheon – 11:30am | Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
Enjoy lunch in the new east tower at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino as we celebrate 20 years of transformation in the Menomonee River Valley.
Valley Week Specials
- Sobelman’s Pub and Grill will donate $1 to MVP from every Bloody Mary sold from September 21-28.
For more information and to register for events, visit TheValleyMKE.org/ValleyWeek.
Menomonee Valley Partners is a nonprofit organization formed in 1999 with a mission to revitalize and sustain the Menomonee River Valley as a thriving urban district that advances economical, ecological, and social equity for the benefit of the greater Milwaukee community. Since then, 52 companies have moved to or expanded in the Valley, more than 5,200 jobs have been created, 60 acres of parks and trails have been established, and 10 million people visit the Valley’s recreation and entertainment destinations each year.
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