Wings over Wausau
June 16-17 | Wausau Municipal Airport, Wausau
With the balloon fest moved out to the town of Stettin, the Wausau Airport found itself without a significant event to mark the summer. Enter Wings over Wausau, a new airshow launched last year to replace the departed balloons. Children can enjoy games, a bounce house, a petting zoo, airplane displays, pilot meet and greets, a wing competition where participants will sample wings and vote for a winner. Plus on 5 pm Saturday Wings over Wausau will feature an airshow over the skies of the Wausau area. $5. Wing competition costs extra. Run the Runway 5k Saturday morning. See full details at wausauevents.org.
Wausau Night Market
June 15 | 400 Block, Wausau
A lot people were bummed when the Marketplace Thursdays went away. But now the Wausau River District is bringing this new series to liven up the downtown area a few times this summer. The Night Market, which will take place on the 400 Block. The market will feature a variety of vendors, including candle makers, artists, food makers (include a gourmet potato chip maker, a kombucha maker and a baked goods maker), soaps, jewelry, clothing; there’s just a fascinating array of different locally made products. The River District will also host markets on July 20 and Aug. 17 as well. It’s always nice when there is more to do downtown. 5-9 pm. Wausauriverdistrict.org.
The Tamaracks
June 16 | Stoney Acres Farm, Athens
You just don’t see enough down and dirty Texas blues but thankfully The Tamaracks have come around for that. The this gritty dirt blues band out of Tomahawk will shred the Stoney Acres Farm pizza night, with tunes that blend some ZZ Top/Led Zeppelin riffs. And did I mention there is pizza involved? Stoney Acres farm has practically become a restaurant with its twice-weekly pizza on the farm experience, which includes pizza made with farm-fresh ingredients and Stoney Acres’ own beer brewed right on site by the beloved southeast side beermeister Josh Wright. Pizza on the Farm is a quintessential Wausau area summer experience and this is a good night to do it, with an up-and-coming blues band. Free, but of course you need to buy pizza and/or beer. 4:30 pm, music typically runs 5-8 pm. Stoneyacres.farm.
Concerts on the Square: Brad Emanuel
June 21 | 400 Block, Wausau
If there is a musician who is a staple of the Wausau area, it’s Brad Emanuel. Emanuel in fact has been voted your favorite area musician in City Pages’ Best of the Wausau Area last year, so we know you all like him. He’s a showman and knows how to work a stage, and has brought up many talented area musicians who cite him as learning stagecraft from him as well. Emanuel is a talented musician with a powerful voice, and always puts together a killer band behind him, so this will be a concert worth checking out. 6-8 pm. No smoking, no pets, no tents or large tables and no blankets down before 4 pm each day as it kills the grass on the 400 Block per Wausau Events. Rain location: Whitewater Music Hall. wausauevents.org.
Surge and the Swell
Friday, June 16 | Whitewater Music Hall, Wausau
Surge and the Swell is the musical project of Minnesota-based singer-songwriter Aaron Cabbage. Cabbage uses his project to work in collaboration with other artists to bring an indie, Americana, folks style. Cabbage was born in Kentucky and raised in Texas, and brings all those influences to his musical style. With one album, Offering, and one EP, Love 4000, under his belt, Cabbage’s project Surge and the Swell has a breezy feel despite tackling some tough subjects, such as long-distance relationships in the modern age. 8 pm. Whitewatermusichall.com.
Cherry Pie
Thursday, June 15 | Tiki Beach Bar and Grill, Mosinee
Yeah, admit it. Even you hipsters out there once in awhile, when you think no one is looking, will throw on a little Skid Row or Motley Crue. Or you secretly get a little kick when you hear the opening riff of Welcome to the Jungle pop on the radio, or when a sports team takes the field. You’re not fooling anyone! Well, many of those old 80s hairbands aren’t around any more or don’t tour much, but that’s why there is Cherry Pie. Named after the Warrant song of the same name (I assume) Cherry Pie sounds and definitely looks the part. In action since 1999, they play all your hair metal favorites, and Thursday they’re going to play those favorites at Tiki Bar’s cool beach scene venue. 6:30 pm. tikibeachllc.com