*Friday, Aug. 2, the 3rd annual Urban Island Beach Party will bring live music, a limbo contest, interactive art experiences, and free kayaking and paddleboarding among other activities to Lakeshore State Park, 500 N. Harbor Dr. in Milwaukee. The event, which caps Milwaukee’s Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, will raise funds to support Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization Friends of Lakeshore State Park. The party will run from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Attendees who boat, bike, bus or kayak to the beach celebration will receive a free beverage. For more information, visit www.urbanislandparty.com.
*Friday, Aug. 2, through Sunday, Aug. 4, Vets Journey Home will host a retreat for female veterans to give women support following their service in the military. The retreat will run from 7 p.m. on Friday through 5 p.m. on Sunday at Lakeland College in Sheboygan and is free for veterans. The retreat, limited to 10 individuals, is part of a national effort to provide female veterans with resources and guidance and they heal from their military experiences. For more information or to register, visit http://www.vetsjourneyhome.us.
*Saturday, Aug. 3, BloodCenter of Wisconsin and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will hold a special exhibit titled “Our Blood Matters” at the African World Festival. The exhibit, available for viewing from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., will focus on prevalent health issues in the African-American Community and will offer patrons an opportunity to receive blood pressure and glucose screenings from Milwaukee Health Services. Medical experts will also be stationed at the exhibit to answer health questions. The African World Festival will take place on Aug. 3 at Henry Maier Festival Park, located at 200 N. Harbor Dr. in Milwaukee.
*Sunday, Aug. 4, “Visions on the Lake” will bring local jazz musicians to the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage at Henry Maier Festival Park for live performances. The free music performances, organized by Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. and Milwaukee Jazz Vision, will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and are open the public. Musicians onsite will include Choir Fight, We Six, and the Kevin Hayden Trio. Food and beverage vendors will also be onsite. Henry Maier Festival Park is located at 200 N. Harbor Dr. in Milwaukee. For more information about the jazz performances, check out the calendar of events at www.summerfest.com.
*Tuesday, Aug. 8, the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee will hold an information session on “Social Media Strategy: Developing a Plan for Your Organization.” The session will cover tips specific to social media strategies for nonprofit organizations and will be led by Matt Brown, MKE123 Coordinator of the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee. The session will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, located at 2819 W. Highland Blvd. in Milwaukee. Cost is $50 for Nonprofit Center members and CDBG agencies and $75 for non-members. For more information or to register, visit www.nonprofitcentermilwaukee.org.
*Saturday, Aug. 17, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee will host its annual Back to School Block Party with art activities, a school supplies giveaway, a raffle featuring educational prizes, an open skate room, hygiene workshops, food and more. The party, free and open to the public, will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first 100 K-12 grade attendees will take home backpacks containing school supplies. Neighborhood House of Milwaukee is located at 2819 W. Richardson Pl. in Milwaukee. For more information about the event, contact Niki Espy, family program supervisor for the nonprofit, at 414-933-6161 ext. 156.
