The New State

09/11/2026

See Emmitt James live! Sunday 9/13 at The New State Block Party (2616 W State Street)

08/10/2026

Presenting CARNIVAL!

A theatrical, spectacle-driven (and fan-favorite) celebration filled with vibrant color, movement, music, and festivity. Join us this week for an unforgettable evening in the park!

Wednesday, Aug 12, 5:30-8:30 PM
FREE and open to all!

LIVE MUSIC:
🪇 Los Mitoteros
- A psychedelic Latin street-party band known for theatrical spectacle and infectious rhythm
🎺 Hot Swing Trio
- Delivering vintage jazz dance and lively swing energy
🎪 Professor Pinkerton & Friends and Taylor Flows
- Theatrical performance and spoken word, circus sideshow acts, and vintage vaudeville charm

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Free Meals for Kids from Centers for Independence
Free Family ActCenters for Independenceking in Education, Inc.
AmeriArtists Working in Education, Inc.rom DJC Interpreting Service

Stand by for Wednesday's full vendor line-up!

08/07/2026

Thank you to Greater Goods - MKE for being a part of our neighborhood! If you are looking for great produce this is the place. They also have a pay what you can system so everyone can get cheap produce. Proud to see our neighbors come together.

08/07/2026

Fantastic news, neighbors! The stars have aligned, and we have set a rain date for yesterday's cancelled Washington Park Wednesdays event. We're excited to extend the 2026 season for an additional week and welcome you back to the park for Live! Art.

🗓️: SEPT 2 — Same park, same performers, same partners, same joy! 🌳 🎶 💚

So, let's talk about what all goes into calling off a night in the park. 🌩️
Because we know that when we cancel, it lands hard — on our vendors, our performers, our partners, and our community. We feel the disappointment too, and it is never an easy decision.

Before every concert, we closely monitor the forecast and consult multiple weather sources the full week prior. When conditions become uncertain, we receive regular weather updates for the 24 hours leading up to the event. We then work with our production team, vendors, performers, volunteers, and park partners to make the safest decision for everyone involved. While forecasts aren't always perfect, our goal is to protect our guests and the people who make these events possible. We consider our audio pros protecting their equipment, our youth stage crew whose safety around electronics comes first, our vendor and partner teams, and the park staff, rangers, and sheriffs on-site with us.

Our all-volunteer board spends months planning each season because we love creating these evenings for our community. If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, please visit the link in our bio. Thank you for your understanding and patience, and for continuing to show up for Washington Park Wednesdays. ❤️

08/04/2026

Thank you WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR for featuring us!

The nonprofit teaches music to young creatives and plans to provide a safe, accessible space for people of all ages to enjoy live events.

08/03/2026

Tonight at the bandshell! COOL SCHOOL honors the teachers, the traditions, and the experimenters — musicians who know how to keep things playful while staying deeply rooted in the craft. From jazz legacy to indie soul-funk, tonight is a curriculum in great musicianship.

TONIGHT, JULY 22 | 5:30-8:30 PM
Free and open to all!

PERFORMERS: 🎺 🎤
Grass-level entertainment - Danceworks
6:00 PM - Minor Worries
7:00 PM - Troubadours of Rhythm

SPECIAL GUESTS: 🍴🎨
Free Meals for Kids from Centers for Independence
Free Family Activities from Artists Working in Education
American Sign Language interpretation from DJC Interpretation Service

FOOD/DRINK: 🍕🍦
Babe's Ice Cream
Charles E. Fromage
Chillwaukee
Cocina Filipina Fare
The Corn Man
Flour Girl and Flame
Flour to the People
Fresh Fast & Delicious
Fuecha Cafe
Heirloom MKE
MIL-WOK-EE Asian Street Food
Pete's Pops
Plant Joy Deli
Sito’s Coffee
Snowie Shaved Ice
Tots on the Street
Vennture Brewing

COMMUNITY PARTNERS: ⭐
Artists Working in Education
Drunken Cobra
Each One Teach One Education
Gruber Law Offices
MKE Fresh Air
St. Rose of Lima
The Launch Pad
Teens Grow Greens
Urban Ecology Center
Washington Park Neighbors

PRESENTING SPONSOR: 🙌🏽
Stifel Financial

SEASON SPONSORS: 💫
Harley Davidson Foundation
Milwaukee County Parks
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
VISIT Milwaukee
WMSE 91.7 FM
CAMPAC
_______

Washington Park Wednesdays is a free, weekly outdoor concert series held at the historic Washington Park Bandshell in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Running every Wednesday from July 8 through August 26, 2026, WPW brings together live music, community programming, food access and arts activation in one of Milwaukee's most beloved public green spaces. WPW is presented by Stifel and supported by Milwaukee County Parks, Harley-Davidson, WMSE 91.7 FM, and Visit Milwaukee. Washington Park Wednesdays is the only free concert series in Milwaukee to offer ASL interpretation at every performance.

08/03/2026

Washington Park Wednesdays is back with a bang this week! Join us at the bandshell for Cool School - A celebration of jazz legacy, musicianship, and the spirit of creative education.

WEDNESDAY, July 22, 5:30-8:30 PM
Free and open to all!

PERFORMERS:
🎺 Troubadours of Rhythm
- a jazz legacy ensemble rooted in vintage swing and dancehall tradition
🎸 Minor Worries
- an indie soul-funk band with sharp songwriting and an expansive live sound
💃🏻 Danceworks
- Milwaukee's premier dance organization, bringing movement to the park

SPECIAL GUESTS: 🍴🎨
Free Meals for Kids from Centers for Independence
Free Family Activities from Artists Working in Education
American Sign Language interpretation from DJC Interpreting Service

PRESENTING SPONSOR: 🙌🏽
Stifel Financial

SEASON SPONSORS: 💫
Harley Davidson Foundation
Milwaukee County Parks
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
VISIT Milwaukee
WMSE 91.7 FM
CAMPAC

Stay tuned for this week's full lineup of vendors and food trucks!

07/17/2026

We still have open spots for our classes with Milwaukee Community Crossroads at the Kosciuszko Community Center! We teach DJ class, FL Studio Class, Lyric labs with Super Ego Beats from Your Move MKE Inc., and Content Creation with Famous Motion Film And Photography. We are at Kozy from 12 - 4 PM every weekday besides Wednesday. If you are interested please let us know at https://newstatemke.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/wpw-youth-sign-up

04/19/2026

Do you have photos, stories, or memorabilia from the Palms, the State Theater or the Electric Ballroom? We wanna see it! ⭐️ We’re building up our archive collection and want what you got

DMs are open for submissions!

04/16/2026

January 18th, 1981, marked a historic night for both the heavy-metal leaning punk band, the Plasmatics, and the former Palms nightclub in Milwaukee. Debuting in 1978 at CBGB, the Plasmatics and their fearless frontwoman, Wendy Williams, steadily grew in notoriety for onstage theatrics, including explosions, firing guns, chainsawing instruments, and partial nudity. Following prior punks’ traditions of shattering expectations, the Plasmatics had a clear intention: they wanted your open-mouthed shock and nothing less. 
Personal accounts, photos, and news stories from the night retell of a group of erratic, highly entertaining musicians firing on all cylinders for a full-capacity audience as an energetic mirror. Providing the same feeling as having something chase after you, Williams’ powerful and purely guttural vocal performances likely commanded the packed theater. In the early hours of January 19th, a struggle between Williams, the Plasmatics’ band manager, and law enforcement erupted. Williams was arrested for “lewd” behavior onstage and resisting arrest. 
No stranger to chaos, this was not rock bottom for Williams nor her supporters. In defense of her band manager, the singer, her bandmates, audience members, and photo evidence testified, resulting that the accused were subject to excessive force and wrongful arrest. All charges accrued from the night were dropped. Rather than detract from the Plasmatics’ growing fame, this scrutiny instead legitimized the band. Williams went on to earn a Grammy nomination in 1985 for Best Female Rock Performance and helped pave the way for other daring vocalists. This failed attempt at censorship can only verify one conclusion. In the end, punk always wins. Especially in Milwaukee. 

Listen to the Plasmatics’ 1987 album Maggot: The Record on our Palms/Electric Ballroom playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/14wBKkVAZg8nPC9kshK4Zf?si=19e3d2cd6a6841f7