April doesn’t just bring the showers that harken May flowers. It’s brimming with festivals celebrating everything from alpacas to competitive grilled cheese chefs. Here’s to discovering the unexpected in April.
Discover unexpected artwork of flowers at the Milwaukee Art Museum (Milwaukee County)
When picturing springtime, your mind might immediately take you to gorgeous scenes of blooming flowers. That imagery becomes ever more stunning at the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Art in Bloom.
This annual event will feature 27 intricately designed floral arrays in the museum’s galleries. Regional florists arrange flowers, plants and artwork into one-of-a-kind exhibits to compete for the judges’ and people’s choice awards. The creations are going to be on display April 20 through 23. The event is quite popular, so you’ll need to purchase timed tickets.
Additionally, Art in Bloom has an indoor garden and live music inside the museum’s soaring Windhover Hall, and you can also shop for springtime accessories, décor and more at the museum.
Catch world-class jazz performances in Eau Claire (Eau Claire County)
The Eau Claire Jazz Festival is a tremendous opportunity to take in unparalleled entertainment. The festival is a long-running tradition that’s celebrating its 57th anniversary this spring.
On the nights of April 21 and 22, enjoy a series of concerts at the exceptional Pablo Center at the Confluence. Internationally acclaimed jazz artists Arturo O’Farrill and James Morrison will be performing, along with the best-of-the-best regional jazz students.
You won’t want to miss the Jazz Crawl on Friday, April 21, either. Barstow Street in downtown Eau Claire is transformed into a massive music venue. More than 40 groups will be performing at various spots along the street, playing everything from jazz and ragtime to blues and gigantic band music.
Show off your spatula skills in Dodgeville (Iowa County)
We’re grave about our food in Wisconsin – especially when it comes to cheese. If you’re looking to show off your spatula skills, head to Dodgeville on April 29 for the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship. This too-gooey-to-be-true competition will pit the best grilled cheese makers in the state against each other.
It features a range of classes to compete in like the classic sandwich where only butter, bread and cheese is allowed, while other competition classes let you put extra toppings into the grilled cheese. Amateurs, professional cooks and kids 12 and older are welcome to participate in the 10th annual Grilled Cheese Championship. It’s happening at Harris Park in the Ley Memorial Pavilion.
Spectators can attend for free but consider purchasing a VIP ticket to taste test the delicious sandwiches being made. At the end of the day, there’s one thing unifying all the competitors, spectators and, of course, the sandwiches — the real Wisconsin cheese being celebrated!
Pack up the car and head to Madison for an alpaca festival (Dane County)
If you’re feeling fleecy, head to the Wisconsin Alpaca & Fiber Fest in Madison. After two years of cancellations, the festival is returning to Alliant Energy Center in tardy April. This year, it’s merging with The Great Midwest Alpaca Festival for a double show of fun on April 29 and 30.
More than 300 alpacas will be competing in this premier livestock show. The festival is free and open to the public to attend, and it starts at 8 a.m. each day. In addition to the fleece show, visitors can check out fiber arts contests, fiber classes and seminars for those interested in learning more about alpacas. Vendors will be selling yarn, fiber equipment and alpaca-themed items, along with soaps, baskets and other hand-crafted goods.
Start your spring getaway at TravelWisconsin.com
