Lake Michigan. Museums. Art galleries. Outdoor public art. Boutiques. Restaurants. Nightlife. Theater. Concerts. Electric streetcars. Lighthouses. Farmers markets. Parks. Hotels. Historic districts. All this and more can be found in Downtown Kenosha!
This time of year, we look forward to spring … warmer weather … the re- turn of outdoor dining … and the sight of boats traversing through Downtown to return to the water. While we wait for beach weather, here’s a sampling of things to do in Downtown Kenosha this time of year. Find details on these events and more #KenoshaFun throughout the community at visitKenosha.com
Weekly Farmers Market: Kenosha Public Market‘s Indoor Winter Market happens every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., inside The Vault Banquet Hall & Event Venue, 625 57th Street. The market returns outdoors in May. Shop in person or use the KPM2GO online store and pick up your order on Saturday.
Dining out: Kenosha Restaurant Week is February 19-27. More than 40 lo- cally owned restaurants, pubs, and food shops – in Downtown Kenosha and throughout Kenosha County – are creating their own special offers. This is a nine-day celebration of our community’s delicious dining scene. Explore new places to dine, re-visit old favorites, try something new at your go-to restaurant, or just show your support to our local restaurants! Find menus and details at VisitKenosha.com/RW.
Comedy shows: The Kenosha Comedy Club is located inside Wyndham Garden – Kenosha Harborside, 5125 Sixth Avenue. Enjoy a night of live professional comedy every Friday and Saturday night. Visit hap2it.com for the headliner and ticket info.
Live Theater: The Rhode Center of the Arts , 514 56th Street, holds events throughout the year. The Lakeside Players production of “High School Musical” will take the stage March 25, 26, 27, April 1, 2, 3. Find ticket information at rhodecenter.org.
Golf Simulators: The second-floor lounge of Tavern on Sixth, 5712 6th Avenue, features golf simulators that have tee times available for both small and large groups. You’ll experience real courses, real swings, and real sights & sounds!
Happy Hour, Live Music, Bingo,
Trivia: A number of local establishments feature one or all of these nights! Social media is a great place to learn the when, where, and what. PUBLIC Craft Brewing Co., Union Park Tavern, and Fusion are just a few of the locales featuring live music.
Ice Skating: As long as the weather permits, enjoy ice skating at the 32-foot by 60-foot outdoor ice rink at Veteran’s Memorial Park, 5220 Sixth Avenue. It’s open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is no charge. Bring your own skates or check out free ice skates (on a first-come-first- served basis) sponsored by the Mayor’s Youth Commission during posted rental hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays.
If you’re visiting Kenosha, we – with no experience needed! It’s Discovery Museum, 5608 10th
welcome you to explore! If you live here, Be A Tourist In Your Own Town! Find details on local events, attractions, shops, outdoor recreation, restaurants, and more
at VisitKenosha.com. Visit Kenosha has been Kenosha’s official travel resource since 1986.
Acting/Art/Dance Classes: Learn how to be an actor or how to be a better public speaker at Actor’s Craft 7th Avenue Theater & Acting Studio, 4900 Seventh Avenue. Take an art class at Lemon Street Gallery, 4601 Sheridan Road. JJ’s Boutique & Studios , 5721 Sixth Avenue, offers different dance classes for adults and kids – including hip-hop – depending
on the instructor’s availability.
Become an artist yourself: Throw darts at balloons for a Jackson Pollock inspired work at Hot Mess Studios , 624 57th Street. Spin your own crea- tion on a pottery wheel at Lemon Street Gallery, 4601 Sheridan Road. Paint your own pre-made piece of pottery at Alpaca Art Pottery Painting, 4326 Seventh Avenue. This is very fun quite an easy process. You simply walk in during open hours, choose a piece, decide on a design, paint your piece, and return later to pick it up (after the staff clear glazes and fires it for you). There’s also an option to pick up a piece to paint at home.
Ride The Electric Streetcar: Enjoy a scenic tour of the Lake Michigan shoreline, HarborPark, the Sculpture Walk, two historic districts, and Downtown Kenosha. Ride the streetcar to restaurants, shops, museums, lakefront events, and more year-round. Through February, the streetcar operates on Saturdays and Sundays and in March, the seven days a week schedule resumes.
Interactive Museum Spaces: At the Kenosha Public Museum , 5500 First Avenue, art and science combine for a learning experience for all ages in The Field Station. Play Civil War era games, dress in period costumes, or even sit in a life-size Lincoln Log house at the Resource Center inside The Civil War Museum, 5400 First Avenue. Families love the Dinosaur
Avenue, where little ones can dig for fossils, complete puzzles, and more.
Be Part of History: Kenosha History Center The Kenosha History Center, 220 51st Place, has partnered with Kenosha Community Media on a new oral history project. “Kenosha Voices” aims to record, share, and preserve stories and memories of Kenoshans. The first interviews have been focused on people who worked in Kenosha at companies and businesses that are no longer here or significantly changed. If you are interested in being interviewed, contact Chris Allen, Executive Director of the Kenosha History Center, at chrisallen@kenoshahistorycenter.org.
Please note that events and businesses continue to be impacted by the pandemic. Please call ahead or check social media to confirm information. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We also remind everyone to be respectful of the safety guidelines that individual venues are setting.
Article by Meridith Jumisko
Follow the Downtown Kenosha Magazine on Facebook & Instagram
For everything Kenosha see visitkenosha.com
(This article first appeared in the Downtown Kenosha Magazine Winter Vol. 15 #1 2022)
Photos by Visit kenosha & Donny Stancato
