The Great Milwaukee Summer is HERE! Your guide to what you'll be doing, where you'll be drinking, who you'll be hearing and how you'll be getting a sweet tan this summer is on OnMilwaukee. The Great Milwaukee Summer guide is brought to you by Educators Credit Union and Harley-Davidson Museum.
The Brewers may be out of town this weekend, but there's still tremendous live baseball right here to see as the Lakeshore Chinooks will throw out the first pitch on their home opener this weekend.
Playing their games at Kapco Park in Mequon, the Lakeshore Chinooks started their latest season in the Northwoods League – a developmental summer baseball league for collegiate players – on Monday with a season-opening win against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. After losing the next two, they now hope to get back to their winning ways in front of their fans during this home-opener weekend, starting Friday and Saturday nights at 6:35 p.m. against the Madison Mallards.
The Chinooks may not be an MLB squad or a minor league franchise – but there's pro-quality talent taking the field in these games. Over more than ten years of Lakeshore Chinooks baseball, the team's fielded a number of players who've made it to The Show – including two current Milwaukee Brewers with Brian Anderson and Owen Miller. And beyond the Chinooks, according to the Northwoods League, more than 30 former NWL players made their pro debuts in the MLB last season.
It's not just the action on the diamond that's a draw. Chinooks games throw a good show of their own – especially with the help of their packed schedule of game day promotions throughout the season, including a t-shirt giveaway right away on opening night. Here's the full slate of game day promos for Lakeshore's 2023 season:
- Friday, June 2 – T-shirt giveaway and 2023 schedule magnet giveaway
- Saturday, June 3 – Gill mascot toothbrush holder bobblehead and Moonlight Graham Night (free game tickets for dental professionals)
- Sunday, June 4 – Princess & Superhero Night with a Summerfest ticket giveaway
- Sunday, June 11 – Gill's birthday party and Griffin Doersching bobblehead
- Monday, June 12 – Gill's Reading Challenge Night and Teacher Appreciation Night (free game tickets for educators)
- Tuesday, June 13 – Youth Baseball & Softball Night (free game tickets for youth players in uniform)
- Thursday, June 15 – Pint glass giveaway courtesy of Broken Bat Brewing Company
- Wednesday, June 21 (AM) – Kids & Seniors Day
- Wednesday, June 21 (PM) – Milwaukee Brewers Night and Chinooks Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Owen Miller and Brian Anderson
- Thursday, June 22 – Health Care Workers Appreciation Night (free game tickets for healthcare professionals)
- Friday, June 23 – Pajama Night and Gilly Wonka's Golden Ticket giveaway
- Saturday, June 24 – Class of 2023 Night (free game tickets for '23 graduates) and Matt Menzl talking bobblehead giveaway
- Saturday, July 1 – Fireworks Night (free game tickets for first responders)
- Sunday, July 2 – First Responders Day featuring Paw Patrol (free game tickets for first responders)
- Thursday, July 6 – Indiana Jones Night
- Friday, July 7 – Pro Wrestling Night featuring Brutus Beefcake
- Sunday, July 9 – Star Wars Day, Trick or Treat Day and a Gill sugar skull bobblehead giveaway
- Tuesday, July 11 – Chinooks car show and a team trading cards set giveaway
- Tuesday, July 18 – Milwaukee Admirals Night
- Wednesday, July 19 – Jr. Chinooks Night and a team poster giveaway
- Friday, July 21 – Christmas in July featuring Santa and a holiday toy drive
- Saturday, July 22 – Gill's Walk-Off for Cancer Night and a Gill catcher bobblehead giveaway
- Thursday, July 27 – Team Autograph Night and a logo baseball giveaway
- Saturday, July 29 – Military & Veterans Appreciation Night (free game tickets for military members and veterans), a Chinooks helicopter hat giveaway and a Chinooks helicopter jersey auction
- Sunday, July 30 – Military & Veterans Appreciation Night (free game tickets for military members and veterans), a Chopper mascot bobblehead giveaway and a Chinooks helicopter jersey auction
- Wednesday, Aug. 2 – Bark in the Park and Silver Sluggers Night
- Thursday, Aug. 3 – Ladies of Summer Night, benefiting the Milwaukee Women's Center
- Friday, Aug. 4 – Fireworks Night, Fan Appreciation Night and Mel's Charities Night
- Monday, Aug. 7 – Aloha Night with a sunglasses giveaway
- Saturday, Aug. 12 – T-shirt giveaway and a 2024 home game ticket voucher if the Chinooks win the night's game
For more information on the gameday promotions and for purchasing tickets, check out the Chinooks website. Here's to taking yourself out to a ball game this summer!
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.
