🎶 Free Concerts & Live Music

I don’t know about you, but I love being outside in summer (minus any bugs). I love looking forward to all the seasons, but summer is my favorite! Outdoor concerts are a great way to enjoy warm summer nights with your family and friends.

Music in Oconomowoc – From the AMERICAN LEGION BAND Wednesday night concerts to BANDS AT THE BEACH Friday night concerts you can’t beat the view while at City Beach watching music at the band shell. 

Music in Delafield – The Delafield Library is bringing Music in the Garden to the library courtyard once a month.  

WATERFRONT WEDNESDAYS IN PEWAUKEE– Lakefront Park in Pewaukee is the perfect location for a picnic dinner with the family.  Grab your blankets and chairs and enjoy the scenic view and sounds every Wednesday through the summer. 

NIXON PARK CONCERT SERIES – The Nixon Park Concert Series is held at the Fine Arts Center at Nixon Park in Hartland WI every Thursday May through August 2026!

WAUKESHA FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE– Every Friday night downtown Waukesha comes alive with 8 stages placed through the downtown business district.  This is a kid friendly event; also, it can easily be used for a date night, guys night or girls night out. BACK in 2026!

TRIBUTE TUESDAY CONCERTS – Come and enjoy all your favorite songs as we pay tribute to legendary music performers of the past this summer at Tribute Tuesday Concerts in Waukesha in June, July, August, and September 2026.

CIVIC BAND CONCERTS IN WAUKESHA – Come to Cutler Park to enjoy Civic Band Concerts on Thursdays throughout the summer!   June, July and August concerts are on in 2026! 

TUNES ON TUESDAYS – Bring your family to Elm Grove Village Park on select Tuesdays for their Tunes on Tuesday series. TBD in 2026.

BROOKFIELD NOON CONCERTS – Don’t miss this midday concert series in Brookfield all summer long! Happening in 2026.

BROOKFIELD EVENING CONCERTS – These only happen once a month! These are happening in 2026!

STARRY NIGHTS at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts – Select Friday nights in July and August. Back in 2026!

FALLS SUNSET CONCERT SERIES, MENOMONEE FALLS – The Village of Menomonee Falls has built the new Village Park Amphitheater in downtown. The Sunset Concert Series is the premier, FREE, family friendly, live music event held on Thursday nights during the summer. TBD in 2026!

RIVERSIDE RHYTHMS –  Take in some musical selections every Wednesday during lunch right on the riverwalk in downtown Waukesha. 2026 concerts are BACK! 

TOSA CONCERT SERIES – Bring your family out for the Tosa Tonight Concert Series! Free Family-Friendly Music starts at 6:00 pm. 2026 Concerts are BACK!

MUSIC ON THE HILL SERIES – June kicks off Music on the Hill concert series outside the Delafield Hotel. Get outside this summer to enjoy live music and great eats at Music on the Hill. Featuring food and drink options from Chef Joe at I.d. and a music lineup that’s sure to please, this al fresco concert series makes a perfect outing for the family, a date or an outing with friends. TBD in 2026

Our Fun at Bands at the Beach 

🎬 Free Summer Outdoor Movies Near You

This is another family favorite of ours!! Watching a MOVIE OUTSIDE surrounded by friends, snacking on kettle corn, and snuggling up with my little ones, is a favorite memory of summers past! In 2026, most if not all community outdoor movie events are back + new ones! 

• MOONLIT MOVIES IN OCONOMOWOC –  
  **These events are returning to their home at Fowler Park in 2025 with a ski show to kick them off! This is a family favorite for Lake Country Family Fun! TBD IN 2026
• MOVIES IN THE PARK IN ELM GROVE – 
  

  Join the community and your family and friends to watch a movie under the stars in Elm Grove’s Village Park. TBD in 2026!

• OUTDOOR MOVIE IN VILLAGE PARK IN SUSSEX – 
  Friday, August 28, 2026

  Bring the whole family for a free, fun family event. Concessions will be available including free popcorn.

• FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT IN HARTLAND –
  Bring your family to Nixon Park for a full summer of outdoor movies! TBD for exact dates and movie titles 2026.
  
  
• OUTDOOR MOVIES IN NEW BERLIN – 
  Returning the fun to Malone Park! TBD in 2026.
• Monday Night at the Movies in Waukesha – 
  Returning the fun to Cutler Park in 2026!
• OUTDOOR MOVIES IN THE PARK HARTFORD –
  Check out the 2025 lineup of movies at Centennial Park in Hartford! TBD in 2026.
• Town of Ixonia Movie in the Park! TBD in 2026!

While not “free summer fun”, outdoor movie drive-in theater experiences are popping up! These are ticketed events at the Milwaukee Milkmen. 

One of our fun experiences at Moonlit Movie Night!

💦 Free Water Fun: Splash Pads, Beaches, & Lakes (and Ski Shows!)

Watching a WATER SKI SHOW is a family favorite of ours! My little ones are amazed at all the tricks and lifts of the skiers, and by the three motors on the back of the boat 😉

• BADGERLAND SKI SHOWS – 
  *In summer 2025, the Badgerland Ski Team can be found on the road, mostly performing at Fowler Park/Fowler Lake and Okauchee Lake by Foolery’s. 2026 schedule not out yet.
• WATERBUG SKI SHOWS – 
  They will be skiing every Wednesday and of course their big July event!
• PEWAUKEE LAKE SKI SHOWS – 
  Their season kicks off on Memorial Day! Then bring your family to watch the Pewaukee Lake Water Ski Show every Thursday.

Our fun watching Badgerland on Fowler Lake HERE on Instagram.

WE LOVE SPLASH PADS!

The Hartland Splash Pad is a great option when the weather is so hot it’s unbearable.  This is a zero depth water feature, so even the littlest ones can play.  

*Our tip is to make sure your kids have water shoes on as the concrete does get slippery as the kids run around.

Other Lake Country communities with Splash Pads planning in motion: 
Sussex – OPEN!
Elm Grove – OPEN! {Not free}
Oconomowoc – OPEN! – I was on the planning committee and we are still fundraising for shade structures. 
Pewaukee – OPEN!
Eagle – coming soon!
More details on our 7 favorite splash pads.

Looking for a free BEACH?

The Pewaukee Beach is free! There are no life guards so it is swim at your own risk all season long. 
FYI it’s like a pebbly-sand v. a finely crushed sand for those with sensory preferences. 

OR if you already have a Waukesha County Parks pass, you can swim for free all summer at their beaches! We love Fox Brook Park Beach in Brookfield the best!
AND not really a beach, but there’s a fun little swimming area in Fowler Lake, accessed via Fowler Park. 
AND lastly, just be aware of leeches, but my kids love to go to Cushing Park in Delafield and play in the Bark River. BUT we have gotten a leech or two. Wear river shoes!

Looking to launch a boat or kayak? 

There is a free DNR boat launch on the south side of Okauchee Lake.

There is also a free DNR Kayak/paddleboard launch on Beaver Lake off Highway 83. We use this A LOT!

🎉 Free Summer Events in Waukesha County (2026)

What says summer like classic cars on a warm night? Find more car shows.

Kiltie Oconomowoc Cruise Night – May 15, 2026

Cars and Coffee is now Cars at Kim’s – At Kim’s Gourmet Pub in Stone Bank, this event meets the third Tuesday night of the month. Happening in 2026, starting May 19!

Classic Car Cruise Night in Sussex – June 18, 2026

BALD EAGLE ANNUAL CAR SHOW – In Oconomowoc. Happening on June 20, 2026!

Okauchee American Legion Car show – July 18, 2026!

JOE MAMA’S CRUISE NIGHTS – TBD in 2026! See why they won best local fish fry 4 years in a row!

CRUISIN’ THE GROVE – Elm Grove’s Own Classic Car and Motorcycle event. TBD in 2026.

🌳 Everyday Free Outdoor Fun

• Parks – find our 45 favorite to play at for free!

  • See our fun at Madeline Park in Sussex!

    See our fun at Wirth Park in Brookfield!

• Walking and Hiking – Investing a State Park pass doesn’t make this truly free, but SUPER INEXPENSIVE to hike at Lapham Peak or the Scuppernong Trails if you go even just twice!
  • Looking for Free Trails? Check out the Lake Country Trail and the Bugline!

  • Nature is OPEN and FREE! One of our favorite walks in the Fowler Lake Walk in Oconomowoc. Take a stroll with the family around Fowler Lake in Oconomowoc. It is about a 2 mile walk to get around. We always seem to stop at the bridge at the dam between Fowler Lake and Lac La Belle and watch people fish. And now we are watching the new John and Lavinia Rockwell Park come to life. We also stop for a little bit of extra fun at Fowler Park and take full advantage of the park, tennis courts and the restrooms (if needed). We park downtown and follow Wisconsin Ave west, then north onto Main St., then right onto Lisbon Rd., then right again onto Greenland Ave, then right onto Oakwood Ave., then right again on Pleasant St. and that takes you back to downtown in the municipal parking lot by the boardwalk. 

    There are blue rain drops painted on the sidewalk to guide you around the lake. They are fading a bit, but still there.

    Our fun enjoying the Lake Walk.

    —

    Another fun walk is the Storybook Trail at Brandt-Quirk Park in Watertown. We tried it out in early June 2020 and again in April 2021 and April 2025. The Watertown Public Library switches out the story seasonally, so keep going back! The trail is located in Brandt-Quirk Park. Park in the baseball diamond lot, and head straight back towards the railroad tracks.

    PRO TIP – it’s buggy when you walk through the woods – so arrive well clothed or bring bug spray. 

    Find storybook walks at various times of the year at the Hartland library, Imagination Station in Oconomowoc, Sussex Village Park, and Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha.

    –— 

    The New Berlin Public Library is excited to invite you to the launch of the new Community Storybook Trail at ProHealth Care Park. Similar to an interactive trail, the Library staff has worked with Parks, Streets and Recreation Departments to select an accessible loop at ProHealth Care Park to add signage to share a storybook with park visitors. Each sign will have pages to a story and librarians will rotate these stories seasonally (or more often) for readers to enjoy while they stroll. Special thanks to the Friends of the New Berlin Public Library for supporting our ideas and funding this new community destination.

    —

    Some free hiking trails are:

    • Ledge Park in Horicon
    • Nature Hill in Oconomowoc
    • Retzer Nature Center in Waukesha
    • Lapham Peak in Delafield (with a state park pass)
• Painted rocks – Searching for painted rocks in outdoor public places has been renewed in spring and summer 2020 and still in 2026. You can also paint your own rocks and put them out for others to find.
• Farmers markets – Farmer Markets are open! Find all the local Farmers Markets arranged by days of the week in our Farmers Market Guide. There’s a farmers market offered every day of the week! And while you’ll need some money to buy something, it’s free admission to walk through and see what’s new and local.

• Watch Airplanes Take Off and Land in Waukesha – 

  You know we love Food Truck Fridays at the Waukesha County airport aka Crites Field, but there is also a dedicated viewing area to watch on other days. You can find this dedicated aircraft viewing area located on the south side of Bluemound Road/Highway JJ. The entrance to Plane Safe Aircraft Maintenance/Gate 5 is near the north ramp.

  Here you will find a small fenced in area with a picnic table for relaxing and a trash can. Enter through the gate and find plenty of parking spaces. You can even choose to watch from your car and listen to the aircraft and tower communications on a short range radio broadcast that is run by the Waukesha Aviation Club at 101.3 MHz. 

🚗 Worth the Drive: Free Fun Near Waukesha County

• The North Point Lighthouse in Milwaukee is an awesome historic landmark and kids 4 and under are FREE.
• Visit Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, a book themed fairyland for kids. (Free if you are a Sheboygan County resident or a Bookworm Member, also children under 2. No longer free adult admission for outside residents with a suggested donation; tickets range from $8 pending when ticket is purchased.)  Open May 2026.
• Check out Cedar Creek Park in Cedarburg Friday nights during the summer for Summer Sounds, their free summer concert series.
• A little road trip, but the Madison Zoo is FREE.
  
• Hit up a Beach – Milwaukee County beaches are FREE!!!
• Top FREE Splash pads outside of Waukesha County include:
  • Kinderberg Park in Germantown
  • Hickory Park in Jackson
  • Bayshore Town Center’s Splash Pad
  • Hart Park Splash Pad in Wauwatosa
  • Oak Creek Splash Pad
  • Riverside Park Splash Pad in Janesville
  • Milwaukee County Splash Pad and Wading Pool list

• Explore MILWAUKEE WITH KIDS