Make the most of festival season with OnMilwaukee’s Summer Festival Guide — your go-to for can’t-miss events, live music, food fests, and neighborhood celebrations. OnMilwaukee's Festival Guide is brought to you by our partners Potawatomi Casino Hotel, Educator's Credit Union, and the world's only Harley-Davidson Museum.
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of A La Carte at the Zoo with live music from national headliners and local musicians, incredible food and more than 2,000 animals and attractions to explore!
Fast Facts
Location: Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 W. Bluemound Rd.
When: Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online. Ticket pricing for Milwaukee County residents is $21 for adults, $18 for children (age 3-12) and $19 for seniors (age 60+). Non-County residents will pay a few dollars more.
*Discounted tickets are available to purchase at Tri City National Bank branches. Visit tcnb.com for locations and hours. Tickets are limited and only available while supplies last.
Parking: General Parking is $15 (plus service fee, plus tax), which includes ADA/handicap spaces and motorcycles. Parking fees are paid by scanning a QR code. More information can be found here.
More information: A La Carte at the Zoo
Don’t miss
- Food from over 25 participating restaurants and vendors, a few of which have participated for 40 years!
- Live music from both local and national bands every day of the festival.
- Kid’s Day at A La Carte. On Thursday, Aug. 20 the Miller Lite Caribou Stage will feature family and youth hip-hop group, Kid Boogie Down, while the Zoo will offer half-priced admission for kids ages 3-12 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the admissions booth (children under two are always free).
- Be sure to take advantage of popular attractions like the North Shore Bank Safari Train, Penzeys Carousel, Sky Safari, Virtual Reality Experiences and more!
- Check out the Zoo’s summer exhibit, “Powerful Pollinators” presented by Meijer, featuring oversized animatronic pollinators and exhibits highlighting the Zoo’s conservation efforts.
Participating Restaurants
Enjoy delicious food from these participating restaurants:
- A la Crepes
- BBQ Belle
- BelAir Cantina
- Brew City Snowballs
- Bubble Waffle Shoppes
- Catalano Corn
- Chillwaukee Coffee - NEW
- Chillwaukee Pops
- Crust & Copper - NEW
- C-Viche
- Flip’s Mini Donuts -NEW
- Fresh & Safe - NEW
- Kings Catering - NEW
- Lumpia City
- Milwaukee Pretzel Company
- MIL-WOK-EE (40th year at A La Carte!)
- Po’ Manz Food
- Saz’s
- Scrima’s Woodfired Pizza
- Shawarma House
- The Watering Hole - NEW
- Thunder Bay Grille
- Tiki Bubble
- Tots on the Street
- Ultimate Confections Desserts featuring Suzy’s Cream Cheesecakes
- Wok in the Zoo
Entertainment Schedule
These are the headlining bands for every evening of the fest!
Thursday, Aug. 20
lovelytheband, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles-based alternative pop/rock band best known for their single "Broken" which charted on several US Billboard charts.
Friday, Aug. 21
jackrabbit, featuring Dermot Mulroney, 6 p.m.
Americana-tinged country music
Chris Lane, 7:30 p.m.
Headliner Chris Lane is touring behind his new album, Shade Tree, which debuted with an impressive 1.65 million streams in its first week.
Saturday, Aug. 22
Tank and the Bangas, 7 p.m.
Grammy Award-winning New Orleans-based band with three albums: Thinktank, Green Balloon and Red Balloon.
Sunday, Aug. 23
De La Buena, 6 p.m.
Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz local favorite, De la Buena
Pro tips for attendees
- Watch for daily promotions and giveaways, photo opportunities and animal experiences all weekend long.
- The Zoo’s animal buildings will be open late, closing one hour before the festival ends each evening. One exception is the Aviary, which will close at 3:30 p.m. daily.
- Don’t forget your credit card! Food and beverage vendors will accept credit or debit cards only (no cash). If needed, cash can be converted to a pre-paid card in the Zoo Administration office. Cash, credit, and debit cards are all accepted for admission, parking, merchandise and attractions.
Plan your summer
Love this event? Check out the full 2026 Milwaukee summer festival guide.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
