Summer Fun for Youth
Explore the websites below for youth programming, summer child care, summer camps, and more!
Join the Office of Violence Prevention to learn more about community resources, holistic healing practices, cultural practices and self-defense techniques. We will also have a youth & teen area, artistic expressions table, prizes and more!
Join us for one or all four of the sessions this summer.
Planning Green Events
Milwaukee is proud to be the City of Festivals but public events can leave streets and waterways littered with plastic and debris, posing serious threats to a healthy environment. Take the first steps towards a conscious community event that protects the environment. Community resources include:
In the following months NIDC, Groundwork Milwaukee, and Garden Leaders will work together to engage residents and partners in designing and implementing a Healing Space in their respective neighborhoods.
Your input will help us create a space that is reflective of the needs and wants of your neighborhood.
The City of Milwaukee's Fourth of July festivities are scheduled for Monday, July 4, 2022. A tradition dating back to 1911, Milwaukee has long celebrated the Fourth of July with community events in parks around the city. Activities are returning to parks throughout Milwaukee this summer, including parades, picnics, games, talent contests, and fireworks, in celebrating this great American holiday.
Summer Programming at the Library
The Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) offers lots of great summer programming and information, including our annual summer reading program for all ages, super reader squad for youth, and teen summer challenge. Lots of prizes and fun!
Sign up for the library’s weekly newsletter and get connected to news and updates.
Block Party & Special Event Permits
Permits for special events in the public right-of-way are issued by the Department of Public Works Special Event Permit Office. The permit system ensures public safety by coordinating street closures with the Milwaukee Police Department, DPW's Traffic Division, and Milwaukee County Transit System.
If your special event will include food, music, large tent, or alcohol please see, additional permits you may need.
Active Streets
Find an Active Street - a residential street limiting vehicle traffic using barricades and signage to allow for more walking, biking, and being physically active.
Neighborhood Services & Resources
Explore Outdoors
Get outdoors, go exercise, and explore the city. Enjoy the warm weather by walking, biking or hiking with the following resources:
- Find an Active Street a residential street limiting vehicle traffic using barricades and signage to allow for more walking, biking, and being physically active.
- Use the Interactive Bike Map to find biking directions using only streets that are comfortable to bike.
- Explore Milwaukee area trails like the Beerline, KK River, and Oak Leaf Trail.
- Learn more about Shared Mobility Programs like Bublr, adaptive bikes and dockless scooters
Bublr Bikes, the city’s official bike share not-for-profit, added electric assist (E-bikes) throughout its system. Look for more Bublr stations as they continue to expand citywide this summer.
Hot Weather Safety
To prevent heat-related illness or death, the Milwaukee Health Department advises citizens to take the following precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stay Cool
- Slow down. Limit physical activity, and try to spend part of your day in air-conditioned spaces such as shopping malls, movie theaters, or libraries.
- Never leave children or pets in a parked car. Temperatures can become life-threatening within minutes.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing.
- Take cool baths or showers and use wet towels on your skin to help you cool down.
- Do not rely on fans as a primary cooling device.
- Check in on those most-at-risk twice a day.
Stay Hydrated
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day, regardless of thirst.
- Avoid consuming caffeinated or alcoholic beverages, as these can increase heat effects.
- Remind others to drink enough water.
Stay Informed
- Check local news and weather reports for extreme heat alerts and safety tips.
- Be aware of symptoms of heat-related illness
- Heat exhaustion symptoms include: heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, or fainting
- Heat stroke symptoms include: extremely high body temperature, hot and dry skin (no sweating), rapid pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or unconsciousness
- Check on relatives, friends, or neighbors, especially those most susceptible to heat-related illness, which includes the very young, the elderly, and those on certain medications (especially certain medications related to blood pressure, heart disease, and mental health).
Additional guidance on hot weather safety can be found at Milwaukee.gov/HotWeatherSafety.
Individuals in need of public space to cool off can visit any of these sites.
Cooling off:
Save Water and Money:
Water use:
Always run the cold tap for 2-3 minutes to reduce the risk of lead in your water. Only cook and drink using cold water from the tap that has been flushed for several minutes.
Hydrants:
Only the Milwaukee Water Works, Milwaukee Fire Department, authorized construction contractors, and others with a permit may open hydrants.
Opening a fire hydrant may seem like a good way to cool off, but it is dangerous and illegal. When hydrants are opened improperly:
- Water pressure drops and firefighters may not have enough pressure to put out a fire.
- The heavy, uncontrolled spray impairs the ability of drivers to see, placing young children at risk of serious injury.
- Improperly opened hydrants waste millions of gallons of clean drinking water.
- Smashing hydrants damages them and can makes them unusable for extended periods of time, impairing fire fighters’ ability to put out fires. It can cost over $2,000 to repair or replace a hydrant.
- The sudden pressure drop can cause water mains to break, interrupting drinking water service for everyone on the block, including seniors, young children, and other vulnerable groups.
The penalty for tampering with a hydrant is a $1,000 fine or 30 days in jail.
Please report improper hydrant openings so they can be repaired quickly by calling the Milwaukee Water Works Control Center at (414) 286-3710.