On June 19, sailing enthusiasts around the world will celebrate the "sailstice." The tagline for this year's event is "sail locally, celebrate globally."

In Milwaukee, the sailing community -- which includes the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, Milwaukee Yacht Club, South Shore Yacht Club and Mid America Sail & Trail organizations -- teams up to give sailors, as well as those who have always wanted to take a sailboat ride or just want to enjoy the lakefront and a day of fun.

"This is a day when the whole world will be sailing," says Bill Mosher, local event organizer, sailing volunteer and sales and marketing director for Forespar Marine Products.

"There will be hundreds of boats on the water and plenty of opportunities for Milwaukee-area residents to take in the scenery, enjoy food and live music, experience the organizations that make sailing available in Milwaukee, get out on the water and enjoy our amazing lakefront."

For the first time in sailstice's 10-year history, Milwaukee will play a major role with events all day long, including community meals, parties, the Milwaukee Bay Challenge Regatta, sailboat poker run and more.

For families or individuals concerned about the cost of sailing, The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center (MCSC) is a non-profit agency that provides educational and recreational sailing programs to the greater Milwaukee community. Anyone who wants to learn to sail is welcome at MCSC regardless of age, ability or financial concerns.

The MCSC's two-story, environmentally "green" building is the Milwaukee lakefront's newest addition and offers classrooms and community room, as well as access to a fleet of 80 sailboats.

Here is a list of some of the sailing opportunities available during Milwaukee's sailstice:

Milwaukee Community Sailing Center
1450 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., (414) 277-9094
www.sailingcenter.org
7:30-10:30 a.m. Pancake breakfast open to the public with special "to go" orders accepted from boats heading out to the Milwaukee Bay Challenge race.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Public open house at the Sailing Center's brand new $1.7 million, 6,000-square-foot facility and free sailboat rides.
5-9 p.m. Barbecue dinner and music open to the public (reservations suggested).

Milwaukee Yacht Club
1700 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., (414) 271-4455
milwaukeeyc.com
8 a.m.-3 p.m. Milwaukee Bay Challenge Regatta open to all sailboats (pre-registration required; visit www.milwaukeeyc.com).
3-5 p.m. After-race party at the Yacht Club's Tiki Bar and Patio.
5-9 p.m. Open house and sailboat rides by appointment.

South Shore Yacht Club
2300 E. Nock St., (414) 481-2331
ssyc.org
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Public open house.

Mid America Sail & Trail (MAST) Yacht Club
(414) 967-9777
mastracing.org
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sailboat poker run with stops on the Milwaukee Bay to pick up poker cards including the Sailing Center, Milwaukee Yacht Club, South Shore Yacht Club, Wild Thing Catamaran (in Lake Michigan) and Riptide Restaurant, 649 E. Erie St.