In the Loop: Racing into May with plenty of fun things to do in Kenosha

Top 5 things to do in Kenosha this weekend:

Kenosha Kingfish Kickoff

11 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday (May 6)

Simmons Field, 7817 Sheridan Rd.

Meet new manager JT Scara at this inaugural event which includes complimentary ballpark food, merch garage sale, Kids Club Launch – bag pick-up, pictures with Elvis, host-family badge pick-up, ticket pick-up and more.

More information

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Kenosha Symphony Orchestra presents Masters of the Romantic

7:30 p.m., Saturday (May 6)

Reuther Central auditorium, 913 57th St. Featuring music by great Romantic composers. Virtuoso Yang Liu returns to Kenosha to perform the Bruch Violin Concerto. Tickets $30 for general public, free for those 17-under and college students with ID.

More information

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Transparent Watercolor Society of America Annual National Juried Exhibition

Opening Saturday (May 6)

Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 1st Ave.

Paintings from transparent watercolor artists from across the country will be on display. Works include a wide variety of subjects from landscapes and portraits to abstracts.

More information

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Vamos a Bailar el Cinco de Mayo

 7 p.m.-1 a.m., Friday (May 5)

Kenosha Creative Space, 624 57th St.

Celebrate two years of Latin Dancing at the Kenosha Creative Space! El Grupo Tumbao will be playing salsa, and the event includes bachata, cumbia, merengue and reggaeton all night long. Bachata dance lesson by instructor Erica Ness at 7 p.m., followed by social dancing until 1 a.m. $5 donation at the door.

More information

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Wisconsin Marathon/Half Marathon/5K

7 a.m., Saturday (May 6)

Starting line: Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave.

The beautiful course runs along the lakefront and downtown. Online registration ends at 6:45 a.m. Saturday (May 6).

More information

THE LINEUP

THURSDAY, May 4 

Music 

Pick n Pull open mic/songwriters’ swap meet with Pat Garrett, 8:30 p.m., Union Park Tavern, 4520 8th Ave. 

Create @theSpace Open Stage with Haven B. Wells, 8-11 p.m. Kenosha Creative Space, 624 57th St. Work on an art project from our available supply of materials, or bring your own project to share with us. Bring an instrument and see what happens! The music starts at 8 p.m. Donations and new ideas are always welcome.

Art 

28th Parkside National Print Exhibition, Emile H. Mathis Gallery, UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Rd. More than 80 award-winning prints on display. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Through July 28. 

A Place of One’s Own, H.F. Johnson Art Gallery, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Ave. This exhibition features the collaborative and individual works of sculptor Ellie Richards and textile artist Eleanor Anderson. Regular gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Extended hours are 5-8 p.m. Thursdays and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. All art exhibits are free and open to the public. 

Theater 

KUSD Theater Arts presents “Beehive – the 60s Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Bradford High School Auditorium, 3700 Washington Rd. Tickets $6-13. 

Potpourri 

Star Wars Trivia Night, 7 p.m. on “May the Fourth,” Public Craft Brewing, 628 58th St. Free to play, special prizes in addition to regular weekly gift cards. 

“Hope Marches On” fundraiser and celebration of 41 years of the Shalom Center serving the community, 5:30-8 p.m., Italian American Club, 2217 52nd St. Tickets are $40 and include music, food and fun. 

3rd Annual Return of the Feud (Family Feud-style trivia competition) to support Kenosha Literacy Council, 5:30-8:30 p.m., UW-Parkside Ballroom, 900 Wood Rd. Options include registering a team or attending as a spectator, or becoming a sponsor. Individual tickets are $60-up, or $300 to register teams of 4-6 people, and include dinner. A cash bar and silent auction are also available. 

Book Discussion: “Homegoing,” 2:30-3:30 p.m., Uptown Neighborhood Library, 2419 63rd St. Join in a discussion of the NEA Big Read novel “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi. 

Loyal to the Union, Ohio in the Civil War. Explore the people and events that made the Buckeye state unique and so important to the Union cause. Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave. Daily hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Through June 4.

Family 

Star Wars Family Night, 5-6 p.m., Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. May the Fourth Be With You! Come celebrate all things Star Wars with the whole family. 

LEGOs at the Library, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Uptown Neighborhood Library, 2419 63rd St. Build with LEGOs and display your creation at the library. Best for families with children ages 5-and-up.

May Flowers, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Northside Library 1500 27th Ave. April showers bring May flowers! We will let our imaginations create some unique flowers with different watercolor techniques. Ages 5-12. 

StoryWalk® Trail, daily through May 31, Pringle Nature Center, 9800 160th St. Presented in cooperation with the Kenosha Public Library, follow along with a nature storybook while hiking in Bristol Woods County Park. This spring, visitors can read “Spring is Here” by Will Hillenbrand and look for signs of spring on the trails. Visit the park any time, begin on the yellow trail behind Pringle Nature Center. Free; self-guided, registration required. 

FRIDAY, May 5 

Music 

Low-reen and Jim Harpdog Hellen, 7-10 p.m., Public Craft Brewing, 628 58th St.  Chicago Blues, with a dose of roots, rock, & Americana. 

Kenosha Hootenanny, 7-10 p.m., Anderson Arts Center, 6603 3rd Ave. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Bring an acoustic instrument and/or your voice. Music books and stands provided. This month, songs will be sung in honor of Spring, Mothers Day, Pete Seeger’s Birthday, in remembrance of Harry Belafonte, and in celebration of Cinco de Mayo as well as favorite folk songs. 

Jill Plaisted Band with Chris Sipos, 8-11 p.m., Pavle’s Lounge, 1724 52nd St. 

Joey Halbur (folk), 9 p.m., Union Park Tavern, 4520 8th Ave. 

The Empty Bottle Boys and One Shot Jane, 6-10 p.m., Moose Family Center, 3003 30th Ave. 

Art 

28th Parkside National Print Exhibition, Emile H. Mathis Gallery, UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Rd. More than 80 award-winning prints on display. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Through July 28. 

A Place of One’s Own, H.F. Johnson Art Gallery, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Ave. This exhibition features the collaborative and individual works of sculptor Ellie Richards and textile artist Eleanor Anderson. Regular gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Extended hours are 5-8 p.m. Thursdays and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. All art exhibits are free and open to the public.

Theater 

KUSD Theater Arts presents “Beehive – the 60s Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Bradford High School Auditorium, 3700 Washington Rd. Tickets $6-13. 

“Legally Blonde: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m., Wartburg Theater, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Dr. Tickets $8-14. 

Lakeside Players present “Beauty and the Beast,” 7:30 p.m., Rhode Center for the Arts, 516 56th St. Tickets $15 general public, $13 students/seniors.

Potpourri 

Vamos a Bailar el Cinco de Mayo, 7 p.m.-1 a.m., Kenosha Creative Space, 624 57th St. Celebrate two years of Latin Dancing at the Kenosha Creative Space! El Grupo Tumbao will be playing salsa, and the event includes bachata, cumbia, merengue and reggaeton all night long. Bachata dance lesson by instructor Erica Ness at 7 p.m., followed by social dancing until 1 a.m. $5 donation at the door. 

Comedian Thea Vidale, 8 p.m., Kenosha Comedy Club, Wyndham Garden Hotel, 5125 6th Ave. Tickets $18 plus fees. 

Loyal to the Union, Ohio in the Civil War. Explore the people and events that made the Buckeye state unique and so important to the Union cause. Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave. Daily hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Through June 4. 

Family 

Small Eyes Under the Skies, 8-9:30 p.m.  Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum School Yard Observatory, 880 Green Bay Rd. Take turns looking through our 16-inch telescope at binary stars, dim planets, distant galaxies, and other sky objects. Tickets $12. 

Preschool Storytime, 10:30-11 a.m., Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. Preschool Storytime is designed for children ages 3-5. Children enjoy 30 minutes of books, songs, fingerplays, and more during this classic storytime. 

Toddler Storytime, 10:30 a.m., Northside Library, 1500 27th Ave. Approximately 20 minutes of stories, songs and fingerplays for children ages 1-2 and their caregivers. 

StoryWalk® Trail, daily through May 31, Pringle Nature Center, 9800 160th St. Presented in cooperation with the Kenosha Public Library, follow along with a nature storybook while hiking in Bristol Woods County Park. This spring, visitors can read “Spring is Here” by Will Hillenbrand and look for signs of spring on the trails. Visit the park any time, begin on the yellow trail behind Pringle Nature Center. Free; self-guided, registration required. 

SATURDAY, May 6

Music 

Kenosha Symphony Orchestra presents Masters of the Romantic, 7:30 p.m., Reuther Central auditorium, 913 57th St. Featuring music by great Romantic composers. Virtuoso Yang Liu returns to Kenosha to perform the Bruch Violin Concerto. Tickets $30 for general public, free for those 17-under and college students with ID. 

The Rotten Brothers with guest singer Sara Teale and The Roundabouts, 8 p.m., The Brat Stop, 12304 75th St. 

The Westerlees, 8 p.m., Union Park Tavern, 4520 8th Ave. Swing band playing both rare and popular tunes from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. 

Aaron Brenton Trio with Ryan Gowdy and Carson Bell (jazz standards), 8-11 p.m., Sazzy B, 5623 6th Ave. 

Art 

Transparent Watercolor Society of America Annual National Juried Exhibition Opening day, Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 1st Ave. Paintings from transparent watercolor artists from across the country will be on display. Works include a wide variety of subjects from landscapes and portraits to abstracts. 

28th Parkside National Print Exhibition, Emile H. Mathis Gallery, UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Rd. More than 80 award-winning prints on display. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Through July 28. 

A Place of One’s Own, H.F. Johnson Art Gallery, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Ave. This exhibition features the collaborative and individual works of sculptor Ellie Richards and textile artist Eleanor Anderson. Regular gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Extended hours are 5-8 p.m. Thursdays and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. All art exhibits are free and open to the public. 

Theater 

Legally Blonde: The Musical, 7:30 p.m., Wartburg Theater, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Dr. Tickets $8-14. 

Lakeside Players present “Beauty and the Beast,” 2 and 7:30 p.m., Rhode Center for the Arts, 516 56th St. Tickets $15 general public, $13 students/seniors.

Potpourri 

Comedian Thea Vidale, 8 p.m., Kenosha Comedy Club, Wyndham Garden Hotel, 5125 6th Ave. Tickets $18 plus fees. 

Native Prairie Plant Walk, 9-11 a.m., Chiwaukee Prairie, beginning at the intersection of 121st Street and 2nd Avenue. Naturalist Kay McClelland will lead walks which include a little history, a little geology, and lots of plant names and facts. Over the months you will look at and identify more than 100 different flowering plants, grasses, and some sedges. The event is held in light rain but not if there is lightning.

Growing with Bristol Arbor Day Event, 9:30-10:30 p.m., Hanson Park. Event includes tree seed planting, paper planter making, and kids will take home free bulbs to plant in their paper planters. (Additional bulbs available for a donation to Growing with Bristol.) The first 150 guests get a goodie bag filled with an Arbor Day Scavenger Hunt, stickers, and a bookmark and The Village of Bristol will be handing out tree seedlings.

Historic Durkee Mansion Tours (self-guided), 1:30-4 p.m., Kemper Center grounds, 6501 3rd Ave. Admission free, donations appreciated. 

Third Avenue Historic Walking Tour, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., presented by Kenosha History Center. Participants meet at Eichelman Park, 6125 3rd Ave. $10. Registration required, please call 262-654-5770. First Saturday of the month through Oct. 7. 

Glow in the Park Disco Groove, 6-11 p.m. (two hour time-slots), Boundless Adventures, Bristol Woods, 9800 160th Ave. Includes climbing, ziplining, music, special effects and more. $50 for a two-hour climb. 

Frank (Uke) Ulicki Memorial Ride  and Bike Blessing, Uke’s Harley Davidson, 5995 120th Ave. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with sign-up and breakfast, followed by the 10 a.m.ride from Uke’s to Calvary Church in Twin Lakes for the blessing of the bikes at noon, then back to Uke’s for lunch. Meals are $10, there is no cost for the ride and all riders are welcome. The date for this Kenosha H.O.G. Chapter event was changed from April 29 due to weather. 

Wilmot Raceway Opening Night, 30820 111th Ave. Wisconsin wingLESS Sprints. Pits open 3 p.m., Gates open 5 p.m., hot laps 6 p.m. Tickets: General admission $20, kids 7-11 $5, kids 6-under admitted free. 

Welcome to Candyland Craft and Vendor Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Italian American Club, 2217 52nd St. More than 30 vendors.

3rd Kentucky Derby Party, 2:30 p.m., 58 Below, 504 58th St. Horse races, snacks and more, prize for the best outfit/hat.

Kentucky Derby Rooftop Party, 11 a.m., The Apis Hotel and Restaurant, 614 56th St. Kentucky Derby party, along with games, specialty cocktails and food as well as contests for best hat, best dressed and a raffle. Tickets $20 includes a cocktail. 

Kentucky Derby Party, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tavern on 6th, ticket packages $50-75, and both include a full buffet. 

Loyal to the Union, Ohio in the Civil War. Explore the people and events that made the Buckeye state unique and so important to the Union cause. Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave. Daily hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Through June 4. 

Family 

Kenosha Kingfish Kickoff, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Simmons Field, 7817 Sheridan Rd. Meet new manager JT Scara at this inaugural event which includes complimentary ballpark food, merch garage sale, Kids Club Launch – bag pick-up, pictures with Elvis, host-family badge pick-up, ticket pick-up and more. 

Family Fun Night, 5-7 p.m., Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, 1330 52nd St. Basketball, volleyball, and other games. Snacks, water, and gatorade will be available for purchase.

Nature Hike, 10-11 a.m., Pringle Nature Center, 9800 160th St. Join PNC’s naturalist for an approximately 1-mile hike and look for wildflowers sprouting in Bristol Woods. Free; all ages welcome; no registration required. 

Tails n’ Tales: Read to a Dog! 10-11 a.m., Northside Library, 1500 27th Ave. Sign up for a 15-minute reading session with one of the certified reading education assistance dogs from Kenosha’s Dogs of Endearment. Registration required, call Youth and Family Services at 262-564-6150 to register, or visit the children’s desk at any branch. 

Dolls and Dinos Tea Party, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. Bring your favorite doll or dinosaur toy along for a one-of-a-kind tea party. We will learn about etiquette, and when it’s okay to break the rules and just have fun. Dressing up is welcome! 

StoryWalk® Trail, daily through May 31, Pringle Nature Center, 9800 160th St. Presented in cooperation with the Kenosha Public Library, follow along with a nature storybook while hiking in Bristol Woods County Park. This spring, visitors can read “Spring is Here” by Will Hillenbrand and look for signs of spring on the trails. Visit the park any time, begin on the yellow trail behind Pringle Nature Center. Free; self-guided, registration required. 

SUNDAY, May 7 

Music 

UW-Parkside Chorale, Master Singers and Jazz Ensemble performing Wynton Marsalis’ Abyssinian Mass, 7 p.m., The Rita, Bedford Concert Hall, 900 Wood Dr. Tickets $10 for general public, $5 for seniors age 60+ and youth ages 3-17.  

Cy’s Piano Jams, 4-7 p.m., Union Park Tavern, 4520 8th Ave. 

Art 

Transparent Watercolor Society of America Annual National Juried Exhibition, Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 1st Ave. Paintings from transparent watercolor artists from across the country will be on display. Works include a wide variety of subjects from landscapes and portraits to abstracts. Through Aug. 6. 

28th Parkside National Print Exhibition, Emile H. Mathis Gallery, UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Rd. More than 80 award-winning prints on display. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Through July 28. 

A Place of One’s Own, H.F. Johnson Art Gallery, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Ave. This exhibition features the collaborative and individual works of sculptor Ellie Richards and textile artist Eleanor Anderson. Regular gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Extended hours are 5-8 p.m. Thursdays and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. All art exhibits are free and open to the public. 

Theater 

KUSD Theater Arts presents “Beehive – the 60s Musical,” 2 p.m., Bradford High School Auditorium, 3700 Washington Rd. Tickets $6-13. 

Legally Blonde: The Musical, 3 p.m., Wartburg Theater, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Dr. Tickets $8-14. 

Potpourri 

Historic Durkee Mansion Tours (self-guided), 1:30-4 p.m., Kemper Center grounds, 6501 3rd Ave. Admission free, donations appreciated. 

Holistic Health Fair, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Double Tree Hilton Pleasant Prairie, 11800 108th St. 45+ vendors, practitioners and speakers offering a wide range of goods and services including crystals, sage, intention candles, holistic skincare, meditation aides, alternative medicine, herbs, drums, reiki, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, energy healing, tarot card, psychic and medium readings, and more. $5 in advance, $7 at the door. 

NaNoWriMo Writers Workshop, 12:30-4 p.m., Northside Library Community Room A, 1500 27th Ave. Both seasoned writers and first-time authors can stop by to learn new tips and tricks and have time to write in the presence of other writers.

Loyal to the Union, Ohio in the Civil War. Explore the people and events that made the Buckeye state unique and so important to the Union cause. Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave. Daily hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Through June 4.

Family 

Sensory Friendly Day, 9-10 a.m., Kenosha Dinosaur Museum, 5608 10th Ave. This event offers visitors of all ages with complex developmental disabilities, sensory sensitivities, or on the autism spectrum a safe, comfortable environment to explore the museum exhibits during special hours before the museum opens to the general public. Where possible, lights will be dimmed and the sound turned off. Signage will be posted for those areas with sound or there other sensory triggers. Trained staff will be available to help visitors navigate the museum and offer supportive resources (noise-canceling headphones, fidgets, weighted blankets, quiet spaces), as well as opportunities for sensory engagement during exploration of the museum. Free. 

StoryWalk® Trail, daily through May 31, Pringle Nature Center, 9800 160th St. Presented in cooperation with the Kenosha Public Library, follow along with a nature storybook while hiking in Bristol Woods County Park. This spring, visitors can read “Spring is Here” by Will Hillenbrand and look for signs of spring on the trails. Visit the park any time, begin on the yellow trail behind Pringle Nature Center. Free; self-guided, registration required.

To submit an event for our “In the Loop” weekend listings, email Laura@Kenosha.com. Please include event details and contact information.