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Dear Volunteers,
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I know I certainly enjoyed Sunday's warmer temperatures!
This weekend, I hope you'll join me and the VISIT Milwaukee team on Saturday, Feb. 27, for our Giving Fest Grand Finale. In partnership with our friends at Light The Hoan, 88.9 RadioMilwaukee, and Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., we'll be celebrating the final weekend of Giving Fest with a Hoan Bridge light show in Milwaukee's Harbor District.
We recommend picking up carry-out dinner or snacks from a downtown restaurant to enjoy in your car during the show. After all, there's no better way to enjoy the show and support the businesses who need it most. Find a list of open restaurants here.
Parking will be available in one of the southern lots at Henry Maier Festival Park, perfect for getting a front row seat to all the action. At 7 p.m., settle in with your takeout, tune into 88.9 RadioMilwaukee on your car radio or phone for the accompanying music, and enjoy the show! Please note: all attendees will be required to remain in their cars for the duration of the show.
You also have a week left to take part in Giving Fest events, like cookie decorating for a good cause, a virtual cooking class with Café El Sol, a yoga class for beginners, and many more.
COVID-19 Updates
It was recently announced that next week the state will roll out a vaccine registry that will allow people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations if they're eligible or get on a waiting list if they aren't in a priority group. The registry can also send reminders to ensure that everyone gets their second vaccine dose, and it can help those who've received the vaccine monitor for side effects. When you're able to, I encourage you to sign up to stay on top of your eligibility. Remember, on or around March 1 the next group will be eligible. That group includes education and childcare workers; individuals enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs; some public-facing essential workers; non-frontline essential healthcare personnel; facility staff and residents in congregate living settings. For more information about those in the forthcoming group, click here.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino's Winter Warm-Up
Cold, grey days have you down? It's time to shake off those blues with the Winter Warm-Up, brought to you by VISIT Milwaukee and Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. From outdoor adventures to playing the slots, there are so many ways to warm up your winter days. One great way is with a staycation - you can book an exclusive Stay & Play package at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino now, and Potawatomi is giving away a free one-night stay to seven lucky winners! Follow along on Facebook for a new way to warm up every day February 19-26, or enter below now. (You must be 21+ to enter or stay.)
Congratulations to Milwaukee's Notable Minority Executives
President and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League and VISIT Milwaukee Board Member Dr. Eve Hall was recently named a Notable Minority Executive by BizTimes Milwaukee. And, VISIT Milwaukee's own Vice President of Finance Luis Ayala was recognized for the same. Thank you, Dr. Hall and Luis, for all you do not just for VISIT Milwaukee but for the community. Please join me in congratulating them both!
Hotel Month
You deserve a getaway! March is Milwaukee Hotel Month, and over 40 local hotels are offering exclusive packages and rates starting at just $75. It's the perfect excuse to make your escape and treat yourself to a week, weekend, or even just a night away. You'll find rooms located steps from the great restaurants and shopping, cozy B&Bs, and more. Book your winter getaway starting March 1 through our website - these deals won't last!
The campaign to promote Hotel Month begins tomorrow, Feb. 24, with paid advertising in Milwaukee, outstate Wisconsin and Chicago areas. Please share this campaign with your friends and family and make sure to follow @visitmilwaukee across social media for the latest updates.
Milwaukee Museums Reopening
We were thrilled with last week's announcement that four of Milwaukee's largest museums -- Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, Harley-Davidson Museum, and Milwaukee Public Museum -- will be reopening in early March (and the Jewish Museum Milwaukee opened last week)! These museums, along with the dozen others in the area, are the keepers of our community's culture, history, and traditions, which is why the pandemic's effects on their resources have been especially devastating. They need all of Milwaukee to step up and show their support today through donations, admission, and membership if we want to preserve the institutions that are vital to our identity as a city.
Vote for Milwaukee to Win Best Beer City
If you have a moment, I encourage you to vote for Milwaukee in USA Today's Best Beer Cities competition. Voting is open from now through March 16, so vote every day if you can!
Partner Updates
- Taliesin Preservation is looking forward to welcoming visitors back to the Taliesin estate in Spring Green. Guests can now purchase tickets for various tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's extraordinary home and its surrounding area-including a new Driftless Landscape Tour and One-Hour House Tour. Tours begin May 1st and will run through October 31, 2021.
- Join Milwaukee Magazine on Feb. 25 for the Unity Awards, which honor the individuals and organizations who have invested their energy, talent, and resources to champion diversity and inclusion in Milwaukee and beyond.
- Black Arts MKE is celebrating Black History Month with virtual event, "A Spiritual Celebration," that will take a historical look at inspiring spirituals and their diasporic relevance.
- No Studios just launched a $100,000 artist grant program which will give grants of up to $10,000 to creative professionals in Wisconsin.
- Exciting Events has created a few new and exciting Instagram-perfect arches, perfect for couples planning their upcoming nuptials.
- Crossroads Collective's Mina will do a pop-up small plates event at the Dubbel Dutch over the first two weekends in March.
- This year, Historic Milwaukee's Remarkable Milwaukee event honors the ThriveOn Collaboration partners - the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Royal Capital Group - for exceptional renovation efforts of the former Schuster's/Gimbels Department Store on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. On Feb. 25, join in virtually (with a celebration box, of course) to hear music from SistaStrings, and then learn about the history of the Schuster's/Gimbels Department Store and the building.
- We were thrilled to see local hotels receive great national press, including the Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel, which was recognized by Orbitz for its name that honors the patron saint of artists, and the Pfister Hotel, which was recognized by Parade for its high tea experience.
- Congratulations to Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery for launching its online gift shop! To celebrate, they are offering 15% off your first order and including a bonus gift, too. For 15% off your first order, use promo code: BEST15
Friday's Webinar
This Friday, we are so thrilled to welcome Travel Wisconsin's Acting Secretary Anne Sayers, who will brief us on tourism's ever-changing landscape amid a global public health pandemic. Learn about how vaccine distribution, outdoor recreation and the agency's new marketing plans will change the lay of the land for Wisconsin and Milwaukee. Bring your questions and click here to register.
Enjoy the glorious sun and warmer temps,
Peggy
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