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The East Side Milwaukee's East Side BID includes Prospect, North and Farwell Avenues and many interesting turns in between.

Black Cat Alley After Dark is THIS Saturday! 🪩🎃Get ready for House & Espresso Presents Black Cat Alley After Dark: Yacht...
10/20/2026

Black Cat Alley After Dark is THIS Saturday! 🪩🎃

Get ready for House & Espresso Presents Black Cat Alley After Dark: Yacht Week Experience (Yacht Week), happening Saturday, October 24, from 3:30–10 PM at Ivanhoe Plaza and Black Cat Alley.

We're kicking things off with a community run at 3:30 PM with City Limits Run Club, ROAM MKE and Uncommon Run Club, then keeping the party going all evening with yoga with, house music, four DJs, vintage vendors, giveaways, and plenty of ways to recover and refuel.

Here's what's waiting for you:
🏃 Community run with City Limits Run Club, ROAM MKE + Uncommon Run Club
🧘 Yoga with Cool People Do Yoga
🪩 Four DJs + house music
✨ Vintage vendors + giveaways
🔥 Saunas, cold plunges + firepits
💎 Permanent jewelry station
☕ Espresso + bevs from Vendetta Coffee Bar
💪 Recovery with Onward MKE
🕵️ Hidden speakeasy from Shanghai MKE (Shanghai MKE)
✨ Astrology bar from Star Bar (Star Bar MKE)
🎃 Costume contest + more surprises

And don't forget the dress code: old money or Halloweeny.

Come for the run, and stay for the party. 🛥️🪩

House & Espresso's Yacht Week Experience is powered by Milwaukee Airwaves Productions (Milwaukee Airwaves).

We'll see you Saturday!

Something sweet is taking shape on Prospect Ave. 🍩👀Ryan and Alderman Alex Brower recently stopped by Donut Headz to chec...
10/19/2026

Something sweet is taking shape on Prospect Ave. 🍩👀

Ryan and Alderman Alex Brower recently stopped by Donut Headz to check out the colorful new mural going up on the outside of their soon-to-open shop. And we have a feeling this is going to be one seriously fun addition to the East Side.

Donut Headz will be serving up scratch-made doughnuts, wild specialty creations, tanghulu, loaded shakes, fresh fruit refreshers, coffee, and more at 2264 N. Prospect Ave. 🍓🍩🥤

We’re already getting a taste of what’s to come, but you’ll have to follow Donut Headz on Instagram at for the official opening date!

Welcome to the East Side, Donut Headz! We can’t wait to see you get your head in the glaze. 🤪🔥

The Flex Park at Ivanhoe Plaza is designed to grow and evolve with the needs of the East Side.Created as a flexible, yea...
10/16/2026

The Flex Park at Ivanhoe Plaza is designed to grow and evolve with the needs of the East Side.

Created as a flexible, year-round public space, it can accommodate everything from summer markets, outdoor concerts, and film festivals to winter celebrations and everyday gathering. Whether hosting a community event or simply providing a place to meet friends, relax, or enjoy the neighborhood, the Flex Park is designed to be active, welcoming, and adaptable.

Just as importantly, it will connect with the places and experiences that already make the East Side special. Whether you're grabbing coffee from Ma Fischer's Restaurant before a morning meetup, picking up sweets from Poppy Bakery, or heading to a show at Landmark Lanes, Ivanhoe Plaza naturally fits into the daily rhythm of the neighborhood.

During beloved traditions like the Summer Soulstice Music Festival and East Side Gallery Nights, the space becomes a central gathering point where people can pause, connect, and celebrate together.

By strengthening the connection between local businesses, community events, and public space, the Flex Park helps reinforce what makes the East Side unique: its creativity, energy, and strong sense of community.

Interested in supporting the future of Ivanhoe Plaza? Explore sponsorship opportunities, including benches, planters, and other plaza elements, or make a digital dedication and become part of the project at ivanhoeplaza.theeastside.org.

From the starting line to the block party rave. 🏃‍♀️🪩Black Cat Alley After Dark: Yacht Week Experience presented by Hous...
10/15/2026

From the starting line to the block party rave. 🏃‍♀️🪩

Black Cat Alley After Dark: Yacht Week Experience presented by House & Espresso is coming up Saturday, October 24, and we're not exactly sure how you go from a community run to a full-blown rave, but we're very into it.

Start with a run at 3:30 PM with City Limits Run Club, ROAM MKE and Uncommon Run Club, then stick around for yoga with Cool People do Yoga, house music, four DJs, vintage vendors, and plenty of ways to recover and refuel. Think saunas, cold plunges, recovery with Onward Milwaukee, espresso and bevs from Vendetta Coffee Bar, and a permanent jewelry station.

Plus, there are giveaways, a hidden speakeasy from Shanghai MKE, an astrology bar from Star Bar MKE, and more surprises throughout the day.

And don't forget the dress code: old money or Halloweeny. 🎃

Come for the run, and stay for the party. 🛥️🪩

East Side businesses, we want to help get your holiday offers in front of local shoppers! 🎁We’re putting together our 20...
10/14/2026

East Side businesses, we want to help get your holiday offers in front of local shoppers! 🎁

We’re putting together our 2026 East Side Holiday Gift Guide and collecting promotions for Small Business Saturday on November 28. And the best part? One offer can do double duty! Submit your Small Business Saturday deal, holiday promotion, gift card special, event, or giftable product through our form, and we can feature it in both.

Your offer may be featured in our Holiday Gift Guide newsletter, on our dedicated webpage, and across our social media channels.

Have something festive in mind? Submit your info, along with a photo or graphic we can use to promote it, by Tuesday, November 3.

👉 Submit your plans here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAK2SusNw3ESJTVSHLz8Q28tAUYnxIRU7Muqxzg8ZyZpYyWg/viewform?

Let’s make it easy for East Side shoppers to shop local this holiday season! 🛍️✨

Von Trier Vier North Landmark Lanes Poppy Bakery Baya Bar Wisconsin Yo Factory Allie Boy’s Bagelry & Luncheonette Ma Fischer's Restaurant Strange Town Lowwstock Vintage
Smokin' Jack's BBQ Oriental Theatre MKE Star Bar MKE Shanghai MKE

Milwaukee Girlies are back at Ivanhoe Plaza! 💕🍂After the Girlies Garage Sale was so well-loved, Milwaukee Girlies is co...
10/13/2026

Milwaukee Girlies are back at Ivanhoe Plaza! 💕🍂

After the Girlies Garage Sale was so well-loved, Milwaukee Girlies is coming back to the East Side for another day of shopping, finding new favorites, and hanging with your girlies!

The Milwaukee Girlies Fall Flea is happening Sunday, October 18 from 10 AM to 5 PM at Ivanhoe Plaza. 🍁✨

Come spend the day browsing local vendors, refreshing your fall wardrobe, and finding a few things you didn't know you needed. Grab your friends and make a day of it at the plaza!

We'll see you there! 🛍️💖

Get ready to run it back for Halloween! 🎃 Run Along Forever () and On What?! MKE () are bringing The Halloween Show to I...
10/13/2026

Get ready to run it back for Halloween! 🎃 Run Along Forever () and On What?! MKE () are bringing The Halloween Show to Ivanhoe Plaza on Saturday, October 31 at 7 PM for a free night of live performances, big sounds, and a Halloween crowd ready to have some fun. 🎤👻

The lineup features , , , , , .u.n.n.y.lou, , and .

Costumes are encouraged, so come dressed for Halloween and get ready for a night at the plaza. 👻

LAST CHANCE to show your support for Shanghai MKE! 🚨Shanghai Speakeasy has been nominated for USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ ...
10/11/2026

LAST CHANCE to show your support for Shanghai MKE! 🚨

Shanghai Speakeasy has been nominated for USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Speakeasy, and after taking home the #1 spot in the nation last year, they're hoping to bring that title back to the East Side! 🏆🍸

Tucked just off Black Cat Alley, Shanghai has been serving up seasonal craft cocktails and an intimate, mysterious atmosphere since 2019. Earlier this year, the hidden gem expanded its space to welcome larger groups and private events, giving even more people a chance to discover what's behind that unassuming door.

Now it's time to show them some East Side love! You can vote once per day, per device, until October 12. You do NOT have to enter any personal information or sign up for an account to vote - you simply click "vote"! So bookmark the page, set a reminder, and help Shanghai make another run for the top! 🗳️

👉 Vote for Shanghai: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/shanghai-mke-milwaukee-wisconsin/

Let's show the country what we already know: some of the best spots in Milwaukee are hiding right here on the East Side. 🤫💙

At the heart of Ivanhoe Plaza, the Leaf Canopy will serve as both a landmark and a gathering place for the East Side. 🍃T...
10/06/2026

At the heart of Ivanhoe Plaza, the Leaf Canopy will serve as both a landmark and a gathering place for the East Side. 🍃

This colorful structure is designed to provide shade and shelter while creating a dynamic atmosphere through shifting patterns of light and shadow that change throughout the day and across the seasons. Inspired by the nearby Oak Leaf Trail and colorful urban pathways from around the world, the canopy reflects the creativity, energy, and character of the East Side.

The Leaf Canopy will act as a functional feature as well as help define the visual identity of Ivanhoe Plaza. Its vibrant design adds to the street art character of the neighborhood, contributing another bold and memorable element to the East Side's creative landscape.

Interested in supporting this signature feature? Purchase a digital dedication leaf to become part of the project, or contact East Side BID Executive Director Ryan Laessig at [email protected] to learn more about Leaf Canopy naming rights opportunities.

Black Cat Alley After Dark is back this fall, and this time we're bringing Yacht Week to the East Side! On Saturday, Oct...
10/05/2026

Black Cat Alley After Dark is back this fall, and this time we're bringing Yacht Week to the East Side! On Saturday, October 24, House & Espresso Presents Black Cat Alley After Dark: Yacht Week Experience at Ivanhoe Plaza and Black Cat Alley.

Part of Yacht Week's global Onshore Tour, this event brings the energy and spirit of Yacht Week to Milwaukee for a day of fitness, wellness, music, art, and community. You don't have to have sailed with Yacht Week to join in. The Onshore Tour welcomes Yacht Week alumni, veterans, newcomers, and anyone ready to experience the party on dry land.

The day kicks off with a community 5K in partnership with City Limits Run Club, ROAM MKE and Uncommon Run Club. After the run, the fun continues with outdoor yoga with Cool People do Yoga among the murals, followed by an afternoon and evening of music featuring a mystery lineup of DJs.

Complimentary saunas and cold plunges will be available throughout the event, while local vendors fill Ivanhoe Plaza with plenty to explore. Fire pits will also be available for guests to enjoy as the afternoon turns into evening.

And since it's October, we're adding a little Halloween fun to the mix with a costume contest. Come dressed to impress and show off your best old-money or Halloween-inspired look.

Whether you're a longtime Yacht Week fan or a first-timer, come experience the Yacht Week Onshore Tour right here in Milwaukee. Expect music, movement, wellness, art, local vendors, and good times all day long.

Free admission | All ages | Dress code: Old Money

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E North Avenue
Milwaukee, WI
53202

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