There was so much snow on March 25 this year that branches were breaking from the weight of the wet snow and some were hanging to the ground. We distributed the candy filled eggs from inside the Pavillion. Many people enjoyed the Pancake breakfast with our partners, the Bay View Lion’s Club. It was still of lot of fun. The Easter Bunny was there for photos. Children played in the snow and recycled our plastic eggs for next year. 

Park Clean-up/Bird Walk April 22 

Our Park Clean-up coincided with Earth Day this year. It was great weather and was well attended.

The bird walk was guided by Board member and Naturalist Kyle Arpke. Neighbors and families found bags of garbage in the park. We have a trail cam in the park as part of the DNR’s Snapshot Wisconsin Program. 

May Thistle Pull 

Although we missed an official Weed-Out, Haley Minser helped us identify our biggest problem (after the invasive cattails). Laureen Stirmel, Jane LeCapitaine, and Dani Graf decided to remove the Canadian Thistles ourselves because of the thorns, and they were already starting to seed. Over the month of May, we put in about 45 hours and pulled 10 large garbage bags full. 

Jazz at the Vine

Jazz at the Vine; Every other Thursday, May through August

The lush beauty of Humboldt Park’s beer garden provided the perfect backdrop for these enchanting summer afternoons, where friends and families gathered to witness the magic of live jazz, all while contributing to a meaningful cause — supporting our beloved park system.

We doubled our Jazz at the Vine Series to seven performances. It was very popular this year. We participated in Bay View Gallery Night and Bay View Jazz Fest. One of the evenings had student musicians from the Milwaukee Jazz Institute. The intimate setting drew rave reviews from our visitors.

A big thank you to our sponsors, Peter Adams Coldwell Banker, Park 22 Real Estate, Mindpool Live, Beer Capitol, Lakefront Brewery, WMSE and 88Nine. 

4th of July Parade

Twenty people walked in the Fourth of July parade ending at Humboldt Park. We distributed candy. 

Family Night at Chill on the Hill, August 1

We had a table at Family Night at Chill on the Hill. Children could do crayon rubbings of leaves. The leaf-rubbing templates are of trees in the park. 

Corn Roast at Chill on the Hill Aug 8 

The popular Corn Roast at Chill on the Hill has become a great event. We were able to obtain the corn from Pick-n-Save. We had some extra this year, and happy families were able to pick it up at the Wednesday Food Pantry at Bay View Community Center. Everyone was happy! 

Cattail Pull: September 23 

A major event in out continuing Lagoon Restoration Project was the Cattail Pull on September 23. The Lion’s Club provided food as about 40 volunteers Cut the invasive cattails below the surface of the water. We filled several dumpsters. The Milwaukee County Parks assisted in the work before the 23rd by cutting down trees and getting the area ready. You can now see the lagoon from the west side. This project will last four more years. 

100 trees planted!

With the help of Jane LeCapitaine and Henry Szymanski picking out our trees, we were able to plant the last of our 100 trees. At the entrance to the park on Oklahoma and Pine Avenue, we planted six redbuds donated in honor of Dean LaGrow.

Our website has a map of the trees listing the circumference, type of tree and geographic location. The donor list is also available. 

Humboldt Park Junior and Senior Ranger Program

We continue to distribute park ranger activity books free of charge to the community through our website. We also have been putting them in the little free library on the corner of Pine St and Dakota st.

The Humboldt Park Ranger Program is a self-guided program for children ages 5 and up and their families. It is designed to teach children about Humboldt Park’s history, wildlife, geography, and celebrations. When kids complete enough of the book they receive a custom embroidered patch at one of our general meetings. 

Tree Day, October 11

The Humboldt Park Friends group celebrated another successful Tree Day on October 11th. This year culminated with the planting of the last four trees from the “100 for Humboldt” campaign. Photo from our website.

Dani Graf Tree Day helps kids in our community schools learn about and appreciate the Trees in Humboldt Park. Tree Day has been an annual event at Humboldt Park since 1998. Every year, Humboldt Park Friends, Milwaukee County Park Naturalist, and the City of Milwaukee Urban Forestry Department all donate their time and efforts to this program.

Children from local schools are invited to participate by writing their names on a piece of paper that they each drop in the hole before the trees are planted.

The paper will help nourish the tree and help create a connection between the children and the tree.

The day’s festivities also include a walking tour of the park identifying the various tree species, leaf, seed, and bark types. The kids also enjoy story time, create a craft, and participate in identifying leaves and doing leaf rubbings in a booklet they take home to their families.