Well, summer has officially arrived and with it the festivals. For those who are planning on going to Summerfest, but don’t need the hassle of driving, or the cost of parking, a Summerfest shuttle sponsored by Club Brady, Hi- Hat and Nomad will be picking up and dropping off at the corner of Brady and Arlington Streets…

On Saturday July 28, The Brady Street Festival featuring “Cheesefest” will be held from 10am-10pm. You can sample or buy from local and regional cheesemakers and organic farmers. There will also be Milwaukee’s only outdoor fashion show, which features modern and retro fashions from local boutiques plus good food and music…

On the west end of the street, the garden donated and maintained by Mike Mervis and Mary Ellen McCormack- Mervis was formally dedicated on Saturday, June 16 in a ceremony attended by Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman Mike D’Amato. The garden, which features hundreds of annuals, is a nice complement not only to the Prairie Garden across Holton but a nice companion to the beautiful old tree that shares the site…

The Mayor’s Urban Design Awards were announced recently and Jennifer and Todd Rau of Yellow Jacket took home an award for the renovation of their new vintage clothing store…

Brady Street Pharmacy’s Jim Searles was all smiles after the placement of three new signs for the Astor Theatre. The signs bookending the “Astor Theatre” sign read “Vaudeville” and “Photo Plays” in lettering that is consistent with the time the theater was originally in operation. Next project, lighting up the new signs…

This month at the Astor Theatre— “Made In The Mouth”, two plays and three monologues written by Peter J. Woods, directed by Tracy Doyle and John Manno. The production, which ranges from standard story-telling to avant-garde theatre, runs approximately an hour and a half, tickets are $8… During the Brady Street festival, the theater will host an open-mic game show-style competition, the topic - True Stories: The Problem With Men / Women Is… Tell your own true stories from your experiences in relationships. Anyone can speak for up to 5 minutes. The stories must be humorous, with nothing too racy. The best monologue all day will win $100…

Walgreen’s is undergoing a renovation and ultimately an expansion into the old Video Adventures store space. A new entrance has been opened up on Brady and the old entrance off the parking lot is now closed off. The current space is basically the same as before, just with the aisles pushed closer together. Not for the claustrophobic! …

Thanks to everyone who participated in the second annual Scooter Foundation Walk / Skate to End Violence, June 10th. Susan Schmidt says donations and money from raffle tickets sales helped surpass their goal of $5,000. With the money raised, the foundation is looking to expand the number of schools they work with…

If you have a story idea or item for Brady Sreet Beat, contact Tim at 374-7772.