There's no doubt about it: Milwaukee loves the annual Doors Open Milwaukee event that, every September, swings open the portals of well over 100 area buildings to welcome the curious public.
This 414 Day, Historic Milwaukee Inc., which organizes the huge undertaking that is Doors Open Milwaukee, partners with Melissa Thornton's MilwaukeeHome on a special 2018 Doors Open Milwaukee T-shirt, that ghoes on sale Friday, April 13, in celebration of 414 Day on Saturday, April 14.
The shirt is based on what has become a Brew City classic, the Milwaukee Home design.
"One of Historic Milwaukee’s goals for Doors Open is to foster a sense of civic pride in our city," said HMI Special Events Director Grace Fuhr, "we’re excited to partner with Milwaukee Home, a brand that represents our goal."
More than 26,000 people participated in Doors Open Milwaukee in 2017 and 81 percent of them said the event makes them proud to be a Milwaukeean. Now they can wear that pride in shirts that are $25 and come in sizes extra small, small, medium, large, X-large, 2XL and 3XL.
Sales of the shirts help support Doors Open, which is slated for Sept. 22-23 this year.
You can buy the shirts online at historicmilwaukee.org. Shipping is $4.
Even better, stop in at the Historic Milwaukee shop in the historic Mackie Building at 235 E. Michigan St., just below the Grain Exchange room. There's a ton of great Milwaukee books, souvenirs and more on offer.
The store is open weekdays from 9 to 5 (7 p.m. on Wednesdays) and will be open 8 to 6 on Friday, April 13 and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on 414 Day.
There will also be some special 414 Day offers at the shop, making it extra-worthy of a visit, including special prices on neighborhood posters ($4.14 each, instead of$10!), a combo poster for $15.86 ($4.14 off the regular price of $20) and a pair of free Downtown walking tours each day at noon. Go here to sign up for the tours beginning April 9.
Happy 414 Day, Milwaukee!
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
