With February closing out, that means March and warmer weather are ahead. The turn of the season brings new events and activities to do both outside and inside. A few are listed below.
Visit the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum will be re-opening March 4, almost a year after its closure due to the pandemic. The museum has guidelines in place for those planning on visiting. For starters, a timed ticket is required and online purchase is recommended. They also require face coverings and adherence to the one-way traffic signs they have in place. Some areas are closed, like the Puelicher Butterfly Wing, Dome Theater and Planetarium to name a few. Grab a friend, grab a mask and get your ticket to go visit exhibits, maybe even during the next mental health day March 10.
Celebrating official National Marquette Day
Though some students celebrated unofficial National Marquette Day earlier this February, the official National Marquette Day was announced to be March 6. To maintain social distancing, group Zoom calls to watch the game together is always an option. If you have roommates, making food like a nacho table or even some chili for the event could be a fun way to pass the time.
Another idea for celebrating the day could be to dress in Marquette gear, whether that be wearing a T-shirt or going all out with a pair of Marquette-themed overalls. Blue and gold decorations such as a Marquette flag or tapestry could make for nice photo-taking backgrounds.
Take walks around Milwaukee as the weather warms up
Another fun activity is to take a walk around the city as the weather warms up. A walk downtown could bring you to a cute coffee shop like Rochambo Coffee and Tea House. You could then continue on the walk and looking at the fun Milwaukee buildings. You could even take a walk down to the lakefront and look at Lake Michigan.
Once the sidewalks are clear, you could go biking along the lakefront path or do another form of physical activity. Another outdoor activity could be to watch the sunrise or sunset as it warms up. Grab a few blankets and some friends and watch the beautiful Milwaukee sunrise over Lake Michigan.
Pretend spring break is the weekend after midterms
Though Marquette does not have a spring break this year, you can still find time to take for yourself and even create a small staycation. For example, you could plan a whole movie-marathon weekend after midterms and either do it virtually or with roommates. Some fun movie options include the whole “Harry Potter” series, “Hunger Games” or even a whole new series that you have not seen yet.
You could stay in your pajamas and bake fun recipes like homemade cinnamon rolls or get creative and break out the art supplies to paint spring-themed artworks.
Mitchell Park Domes
The Mitchell Park Domes are a great way to get off campus but still maintain social distancing and explore in a pandemic world. On their website, you have to select and reserve a time slot to get into the domes. The social distancing rules require masks and one-way traffic. There are three domes in all: the floral dome, the desert dome and the tropical dome. The floral dome may not be available during a transition period in which it is changing to one of its uniquely-themed floral shows. Even if you cannot make it in person, there are virtual tours.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Though there are no large in-person St. Patrick’s Day parades this year, there are still ways the holiday can be celebrated. For example, decking out in green and adding a green theme to the day could be fun. Fun recipes could be made like mint chocolate pudding cookies as well as traditional St. Patrick’s Day meals such as corned beef and cabbage. If of age, you could even have a celebratory Guinness beer in honor of the day.
This story was written by Ariana Madson. She can be reached at [email protected].
