Booze and Botany, Wausau Night Market and more this weekend

Booze and Botany 

Thursday 7/18 | Whitewater Music Hall, Wausau 

Ok, so yeah we all know Monk Botanical Gardens has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the past few months. But that said, this program provides a fun night of fun with local spirits and benefits the gardens and specifically the Sprouts Garden Preschool scholarships. If that’s not a good cause, I don’t know what is. This event is a night at Whitewater Music Hall filled with mixed cocktails and evening banter. Featuring various spirits from Red Eye Brewing, The Milk Merchant, Knowlton House Distillery, Great Northern Distilling and Forward Beverage. 5:30 pm. $65, members of the gardens receive a 20% discount. monkgardens.org. 

Wausau Night Market 

Thursday 7/18 | Downtown Wausau 

It’s always a fun time when downtown streets are closed off to provide a cool walkable experience in the city you live; and the Wausau Night Market does just that. Stroll the numerous local vendors downtown as they set up on the length of Third Street and turn downtown into a festival atmosphere. This is the second of three night markets planned for the summer, so there is this one and one more in August before the series is finished for the year. Check out items ranging from Indian baked goods to sipping vinegars to candles, eggs, artwork and much more. 5-9 pm. wausauriverdistrict.org

Concerts in the Cloud: Sam and the Strays 

Saturday 7/20 | Rib Mountain Amphitheater, Rib Mountain 

One of the most underrated concert experiences in Wausau is the Concerts in the Clouds series. Held high atop Rib Mountain (yes, I am paying homage to the late great Glen Moberg), these concerts are kind of low key, being held on the top of the mountain, but bring a nice backdrop with the city of Wausau laid out behind the musicians as they jam. This week’s band is an Americana group called Sam and the Strays, with a little bit of country twang that should work perfectly in this setting. Option: Start at the bottom of the mountain and make it an athletic event to hike up to the music. 6 pm. Concerts are free but a state park vehicle pass is required to park. ribmountain.org

Jazz on the River: Daddio 

Sunday 7/21 | Kickbusch Plaza, Wausau 

Does anyone need a reason to kick back and relax on a Sunday afternoon? Probably not, but what better way to do it than with some great jazz music playing away as you chill? Daddio probably has the coolest band name for a jazz group I’ve heard - I mean, you’d read that and know right away they’re a jazz group. But, you might not know they’re a group from Appleton that brings not only fresh takes to covers ranging from Sting to Steely Dan, but also produces its own music. This should be a great addition to the series. 5 pm. Free. rivervalleyjazz.org. Rain location: St. Andrew’s, Rib Mountain. 

Wausau Woodchucks Fireworks Friday 

Friday 7/19 | Athletic Park, Wausau 

Not only are the Wausau Woodchucks baseball games, held at the historic Athletic Park, a great way to spend a summer evening; the Woodchucks are really on a roll this year! They finished the first half of the season 26-8 and (at least at the time of my writing this) are at the top of their division so far in the second half of the season as well. And while the Chucks games are fun all by themselves, they’re even more fun with fireworks! Watch the Woodchucks take on the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and then stick around for the fireworks. Gates open at 5:35 pm, game starts at 6:15 pm. northwoodsleague.com/wausau-woodchucks for tickets. 

Dig Deep 

Saturday 7/20 | Uncommon Pints, Rothschild 

Bluegrass bands tend to have a really specific look to them, but Dig Deep definitely has its own specific look. You might mistake them for a heavy metal band, and their mannerisms on stage even mimic that perception. But this band is pure bluegrass, and they’ve been tearing up the bluegrass scene for quite some time. Here Dig Deep takes on Uncommon Pints in Rothschild, which prides itself on a diverse beer selection from many areas you might not recognize. 5 pm. Uncommon Pints on Facebook.