By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Jun 12, 2019 at 4:06 PM

East Side axe-slinging bar AXE MKE will ring in its first birthday this weekend – and it'll celebrate the only way it knows how: by throwing blades at stuff. 

Found at 1924 E. Kenilworth Pl., AXE MKE's birthday "axe-travaganza" will host a variety of events and a new variety of things to throw your axes at – most notably on Thursday, June 13, when the festivities begin with a Cake Smash Party from 6:30 to 10 p.m.

No, you won't destroy cakes with axes – that'd be a waste of good cake – but instead of the usual wooden target boards, parties with reservations at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. will decimate cake-shaped birthday piñatas filled with the typical candy and something less typical but even more exciting: a chance to win a pair of tickets to Billie Eilish's Summerfest headliner show on July 6. Plus, if you do want to destroy some real cakes, The Cake Lady will serve up cupcakes while Maxie's will cook up free food.

"Guests are always looking for something else to throw axes at, and we’ve wanted to offer piñatas for a long time," said AXE MKE General Manager Colin Boynton, in a release.

The blade-flinging hullabaloo will continue throughout the weekend with a free birthday game offered to every party that comes in to throw at AXE MKE on Friday and Saturday, offering prizes including passes to the Miller Lite Front Row during Summerfest, general admission to the Big Gig and more. Then, on Sunday, AXE MKE will celebrate its first year with another first: the venue's first axe-throwing tournament.

"Guests who love axe-throwing often ask about one-time tournaments, and we thought this was the perfect time to offer one," Boynton said in the release. "I guarantee the space will be electric while we cheer on our first champion."

Reservations for the Cake Smash Party and the rest of the weekend's festivities can be made at AXE MKE's website. Slots, however, are limited, so hop on them while you can. And if you miss out on playing or winning this weekend, be sure to visit fun from AXE MKE's sister bars, the mini-golf hotspot Nine Below and the upcoming flannel-and-flip-flips combination at NorthSouth, at the Miller Lite Brew House at Summerfest, once again offering games, prizes and a place to lounge and relax just to the right of the Miller Lite Oasis stage.

And speaking of the Big Gig, it begins in just two weeks – so stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for more Summerfest updates, guides, reviews and more.

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.