What Happens at the Follies stays at the Follies.

Riverwest. It’s a place like no other, ain’a? Where else in the world could youbegin your Saturday family adventure with Mass and end up at the Art Barwith the Squeezettes and some of the funniest polka dancers on the planet?
And in between you can watch your friends and neighbors entertain and amuseyou in a neighborhood talent show and eat supper from the local food co-op andparish kitchen. If your busy evening of entertainment allows, you could fit in a trystat Milwaukee’s newest make-out bar, Two. Might be crowded at intermission, though– it only holds 38 very friendly customers.

We’re talking about the Riverwest Follies – the event that has made the first Saturday in March the most memorable of the year since 2006. This year, on Saturday, March7, the Follies returns to OLDP St. Mary’s Colonial Hall at 3063 N. Fratney (& Burleigh). Once again the neighborhood will turn out, celebrating the Riverwest Currents 7th
Anniversary!

If you’re planning your day, here’s the schedule - stay 5 minutes or 5 hours!
4-5pm – Mass at St. Mary of Czestochowa
5-7pm – Follies Cafe in Colonial Hall with food served by Riverwest Co-op and
Our Lady of Divine Providence
7-9pm – Follies Show in Colonial Hall
9pm-close – Follies After Party at Two and Art Bar with The Squeezettes
Menu at the Follies Café include vegetarian and vegan fare from the Riverwest Coop,
brats and hot dogs from Our Lady of Divine Providence, and Lakefront Brewery
beer.

Once again the neighborhood will be offering up some of its funniest and most talented mateurs to grace the Follies stage. Highlights thus far include the Tamarind Tribal Bellydancers, 4th & Keefe BeeLievers, Dead Man’s Carnival, Riverwest Yogashala and Jonathan Burks – and more are signing up every day!

There’s always a wave of exuberance after a neighborhood effort like the Follies, so don’t deny yourself the After Party. Ride the wave across Burleigh Street to the Art Bar  and enjoy some good old fashioned accordion music. There’s nothing like a polka, the native dance of the European-American, to remind us of our roots.
And if you want a quiet moment, sashay yourself and your partner next door to Don Krause’s cozy little love nest of a bar, Two. Have a martini for two. Or maybe test that margarita we’ve been hearing about: the one called “Get A Room.”
Admission prices for the Follies are $7 for ages 18 and over, $5 for 12-17 year olds, $3
for seniors and free for kids under 12. Worth every penny.