Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki greets a family during the 2021 Arise Family Day in Menomonee Falls. This year’s event is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 16. (Photo by Larry Hanson)

For the second year, Arise Milwaukee will offer Arise Family Day on Saturday, July 16, at Menomonee Falls Village Park.

Families of all ages and sizes are invited to enjoy activities, including a rock wall, bounce house, a magician, face painting and balloon animals from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Snacks will also be available, and there will be live music by the Scally Brothers. During the afternoon, families will be able to mingle with priests, religious sisters, seminarians and deacons from all over the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, including Auxiliary Bishop James T. Schuerman.

At 5 p.m., attendees can enjoy a picnic supper of their own, visit a nearby restaurant for carry-out or purchase sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A offered onsite. At 6 p.m., the event will transition to an Arise Worship Night with a worship band, Eucharistic Adoration and confession.

Brain Magliocco, executive director of Arise Milwaukee, described last year’s inaugural Family Day as “a huge success.”

“We saw a need in the diocese for a family event like this,” said Karri Spataro, event coordinator for this year’s Family Day. “Obviously, it was a need that needed to be filled, based on our attendance for the first year.”

Spataro said that around 100 families attended last year, and the same turnout or better is expected this year.

One unique activity that families can enjoy during the day is a scavenger-hunt style game called “Vocations Passport” that encourages kids to find answers to questions by interacting with the priests and religious present at the event. “It’s a little bit like an icebreaker — it gives them something to start off a conversation with a priest or a religious sister,” said Spataro. “They’ll see that these priests and sisters are just like you and I.”

Advance registration is required by July 14. The cost is $25 per family for the daytime festivities. Arise Worship Night is free and open to the public, with no advance registration required.

For more information and to register, visit AriseMKE.org/family-day or contact Spataro at FamilyDay@AriseMKE.org.