It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by clicking here at least two weeks in advance.

1. Vision Boards and Crafts: Friday, Jan. 16

The Hmong American Women’s Association invites families to a night of creating vision boards and simple crafts from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16 at 3030 W. Highland Blvd. Snacks and drinks are provided. Registration is required. More information here.

2. Gallery Night: Friday, Jan. 16

Mitchell Street Arts is hosting a gallery night featuring, “Resolving Shadows,” by Tarun Bali, an emerging Milwaukee-based visual artist. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16 at 710 W. Historic Mitchell St. More information here.

3. Community Blood Drive: Saturday, Jan. 17

Voces de la Frontera is hosting its first blood drive in partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 733 W. Historic Mitchell St. Walk-ins are welcome, but scheduled appointments are preferred. All attempting donors with a valid ID and the code SPARK in their appointment notes will receive a $25 e-gift card. More information here.

4. Coffee and Conversation: Saturday, Jan. 17

Join Milwaukee Police Department District 3 for a free cup of coffee and casual conversation from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Amaranth Bakery & Cafe, 3329 W. Lisbon Ave. You will discuss issues that matter to you and the community. More information here.

5. Bookswap: Sunday, Jan. 18

Dead Bird Brewing Co. invites residents to bring a book to trade with others from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 1726 Dr. William Finlayson St. You will also have the opportunity to browse a free book table and connect with other attendees while enjoying food specials. More information here.

15 ways to celebrate MLK Day in Milwaukee

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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 16

by Chesnie Wardell, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
January 15, 2026

<h1>5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 16 </h1>
<p class="byline">by Chesnie Wardell, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />January 15, 2026</p>

<p class="has-background" style="background-color:#f9f7f7"><em>It’s Friday in Milwaukee, and here are some things we think you should know about. If you would like your event to be considered for this column, please submit your news by</em><a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/submit-a-story/?indypress=story"><em> clicking here</em></a><em> at least two weeks in advance.</em></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. </strong><a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=pGoB1GKYO0q4EN9Qa8dXzm5_fBUY7k1BpCVrE_si1_1UNk1FM1AzWDMwWVlISUU2R0pYRVA0UU41Wi4u&amp;route=shorturl&amp;fbclid=IwRlRTSAPLef1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeMGm3yKjegXtTIANnEf7Lp6VcdfVB0c3G7pthLVHwBKMll_8izHR2g3zKKGY_aem_CLi0BEYij4j3npN2twfI3A">Vision Boards and Crafts: </a><strong>Friday, Jan. 16</strong></h2>
<p>The Hmong American Women’s Association invites families to a night of creating vision boards and simple crafts from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16 at 3030 W. Highland Blvd. Snacks and drinks are provided. Registration is required. <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=pGoB1GKYO0q4EN9Qa8dXzm5_fBUY7k1BpCVrE_si1_1UNk1FM1AzWDMwWVlISUU2R0pYRVA0UU41Wi4u&amp;route=shorturl&amp;fbclid=IwRlRTSAPLef1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeMGm3yKjegXtTIANnEf7Lp6VcdfVB0c3G7pthLVHwBKMll_8izHR2g3zKKGY_aem_CLi0BEYij4j3npN2twfI3A">More information here.</a></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. </strong><a href="https://www.mitchellstreet.org/master-events/gallery-night:-resolving-shadows-by-tarun-bali-2026-01-16">Gallery Night</a>: <strong>Friday, Jan. 16</strong></h2>
<p>Mitchell Street Arts is hosting a gallery night featuring, “Resolving Shadows,” by Tarun Bali, an emerging Milwaukee-based visual artist. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16 at 710 W. Historic Mitchell St. <a href="https://www.mitchellstreet.org/master-events/gallery-night:-resolving-shadows-by-tarun-bali-2026-01-16">More information here</a>.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/s/community-blood-drive/1446856364117279/?mibextid=wwXIfr&amp;rdid=fHTFwavUKZ8LqWWg&amp;share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1Gvf3hyyr2%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr">Community Blood Drive:</a> <strong>Saturday, Jan. 17</strong></h2>
<p>Voces de la Frontera is hosting its first blood drive in partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 733 W. Historic Mitchell St. Walk-ins are welcome, but <a href="https://donateblood.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/11630598">scheduled appointments</a> are preferred. All attempting donors with a valid ID and the code SPARK in their appointment notes will receive a $25 e-gift card. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/s/community-blood-drive/1446856364117279/?mibextid=wwXIfr&amp;rdid=fHTFwavUKZ8LqWWg&amp;share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1Gvf3hyyr2%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr">More information here.</a></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1305374558298937&amp;set=gm.810365572042163">Coffee and Conversation:</a> <strong>Saturday, Jan. 17</strong></h2>
<p>Join Milwaukee Police Department District 3 for a free cup of coffee and casual conversation from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Amaranth Bakery &amp; Cafe, 3329 W. Lisbon Ave. You will discuss issues that matter to you and the community. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1305374558298937&amp;set=gm.810365572042163">More information here.</a></p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2018661325658107/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A%5b%7B%22surface%22%3A%22external_search_engine%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D%5d%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D">Bookswap:</a> <strong>Sunday, Jan. 18</strong></h2>
<p>Dead Bird Brewing Co. invites residents to bring a book to trade with others from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 1726 Dr. William Finlayson St. You will also have the opportunity to browse a free book table and connect with other attendees while enjoying food specials. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2018661325658107/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A%5B%7B%22surface%22%3A%22external_search_engine%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D%5D%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D">More information here.</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/dead-bird-brewing/bookswap-at-dead-bird-brewing-co/1494426301885946/">&nbsp;</a></p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-background" style="background-color:#f7f7f7"><a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/01/14/15-ways-to-celebrate-mlk-day-in-milwaukee/">15 ways to celebrate MLK Day in Milwaukee<br /></a></h2>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-background" style="background-color:#faf9f9"><a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/category/posts-from-community/"><strong>Share your news through our Posts From Community portal</strong></a></h4></p>
<p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/01/15/5-things-to-know-and-do-the-weekend-of-jan-16/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p>
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5 things to know and do the weekend of Jan. 16

1. Vision Boards and Crafts: Friday, Jan. 16

2. Gallery Night: Friday, Jan. 16

3. Community Blood Drive: Saturday, Jan. 17

4. Coffee and Conversation: Saturday, Jan. 17

5. Bookswap: Sunday, Jan. 18

15 ways to celebrate MLK Day in Milwaukee

Share your news through our Posts From Community portal

Related

Chesnie WardellReporting Fellow

Contact

Hey neighbor, let's stay in touch!

1. Vision Boards and Crafts: Friday, Jan. 16

2. Gallery Night: Friday, Jan. 16

3. Community Blood Drive: Saturday, Jan. 17

4. Coffee and Conversation: Saturday, Jan. 17

5. Bookswap: Sunday, Jan. 18

15 ways to celebrate MLK Day in Milwaukee

Share your news through our Posts From Community portal

Related

Chesnie WardellReporting Fellow