The weather is heating up and that means that it’s time once again for Música del Lago, Alterra’s annual free summer concert series!

Join us Thursday evenings at 7pm at Alterra at the Lake, located at 1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive across from McKinley Marina (map) for free, live, outdoor performances featuring a fantastic lineup of local Latin music groups. We hope to see you down by the lake this summer!


2010 Música Del Lago Schedule
June 3rd: Bahía
June 17th: De La Buena
July 15th: Orquesta Veneno
July 29th: Caché
Aug 12th: Carmen Lamarque
Aug 26th: Naborí
Rain date: September 2nd

Concert cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced on the Alterra blog no later than 5pm the same day of the show.

Special thanks to our co-sponsor, the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at UW-Milwaukee!

RIVERWEST WEDNESDAYS
7pm, outdoor performances
on the patio @ Alterra Humboldt
2999 N. Humboldt Blvd. (near the corner of Locust & Humboldt)
FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!

With a mix of music that’s as eclectic as the Riverwest neighborhood that Alterra calls home, we proudly present Riverwest Wednesdays!


August 4th: ALI JAMES & THE DESERT SHADOWS:Integrating the beauty of Near Eastern musical modes, instruments, and rhythms into Western folk and jazz music structures featuring performances on the oud, qanun, tabla, digeridoo and guitar.
Bringing “the otherworldly tonalities and chords of Near Eastern and Indian music into the realm of acoustic psychedelia” - The Shepherd Express
“One of the coolest bands I’ve seen in a while” - Radio Milwaukee’s Scott Mullins.  (Watch a video of Ali James Lubbad performing
with Ali Amr at Alterra in 2009.)


August 18th: JALI KUNDA
Keba Diabate, Yaya Kambaye and friends share West African strings, percussion, and storytelling, featuring performances on djembe and kora. 

(Watch a video of Jali Kunda.)



August 25th: FLORENTINE OPERA
Enjoy live opera and musical theater favorites, get a preview of the upcoming season, and the chance to win free tickets to upcoming operas.

This limited lot of exceptional coffee comes to us from the farm of Nelson Melo, Finca Las Acacias near Popayán, Colombia. 

Only 100 12oz packages ($14.95 each) will be available during each of these two very special tasting events!

Some of you may have met Nelson when he and his family came to visit Alterra and Milwaukee back in February of 2009. Unfortunately, Nelson won’t be able to join us this time, but his coffee will be on hand as evidence of his commitment and dedication to quality and sustainable farming techniques.

Visit Alterra Humboldt on August 3rd or Alterra Tosa on August 17th to purchase Nelson Melo by the cup or by the bag. Some of our most experienced baristas will be on hand to talk about the coffee, demonstrate alternative brewing methods and share their enthusiasm! 

Nelson’s coffee is very full and layered, intense yet balanced.  Dry ground aromatics are awesome, very fruity.  During the brewing process you might wonder if someone is cutting ripe peaches.  The body is thick and sweet, the acidity is pronounced and lush, and the flavors that come through suggest sweet grapefruit, cola and cherry.

Brewed Nelson Melo coffee will be available for $2.75/cup. Pick from your choice of brew methods: 12oz Siphon, 12oz Pour Over (V60), 6oz AeroPress, 2oz Double Espresso

Tuesday, August 3rd @Alterra Humboldt
8am - noon, 2pm - 6pm

Tuesday, August 17th @Alterra Tosa
(times TBA)

When asked about his farm and his coffee, Nelson shared the following:
“The work that we do in the farm and our success in producing quality coffee is the result of the efforts of many people who have all joined forces so that we can offer a special product to those who wish to enjoy an excellent cup of coffee. With my family we strive to use the best practices available so that we can produce an excellent coffee.  Just as we want to give our children only the best that we can, we think that those who drink our coffee also deserve the best.  Now that you are drinking our coffee, we want to thank you for your support.  We promise that we will continue caring for this coffee and providing you a great cup of coffee because now it’s not only ours, it’s also yours.” - Nelson Camilo Melo

HEY, EVERYONE! DUE TO TRACK CONDITIONS, THE COFFEE BEAN CLASSIC HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 29TH. HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT!

The Alterra Mountain Bike Team proudly presents a true mountain bike race with a track that includes a burning switchback climb, dizzying single track, and fast fire roads all in the urban setting of Milwaukee County. Welcome to the Alterra Coffee Bean Classic! This challenging five- to six-mile lap snakes its way up, down and around the Crystal Ridge Ski Area with a venue that puts friends and family in perfect position to cheer on their favorite racers all day long. The Alterra Coffee Bean Classic welcomes everyone from 1st timers to advanced riders.  Come to watch or come to race!

FREE ADMISSION FOR SPECTATORS
(Want to ride? Click here for information on how to register.)

Saturday, August 28th
Pre-ride 12-7pm
Learn to Race Clinic 3-5pm

Sunday August 29th: Mountain Bike Race
Citizen Youth:  9:30 AM
Citizen:  10:00 AM
Sport:  11:30 AM
Comp & Elite: 1:30 PM
Youth Series (12 yrs & under): 1:00 PM

The Alterra Coffee Bean Classic is held at Crystal Ridge Ski Hill near Witnall Park in Franklin. (map) Alterra Coffee Roasters will once again have a coffee bar open to pour free, locally roasted strong coffee, whether your preference is hot or cold. Also, the race’s other sponsor, Lakefront Brewery, will have ice-cold beers on tap.

As always the Alterra Team continues its strong tradition of community service. Portions of the entry fee support great causes such as: Free helmets for kids at a local bike rodeo, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, and WORBA. The Team will also continue to donate to the development of the Hank Aaron State Trail.

Further details are available at www.AlterraMTB.org

Alterra Coffee is pleased to announce the schedule for the 8th annual Florentine at the Lake summer concert series! Join us on Thursday evenings this summer at Alterra at the Lake (1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.) for evenings of arias and ensembles presented by the Florentine Opera Company Studio Artists.


Florentine at the Lake 2010 Series Schedule - Thursdays at 7pm
June 10th
June 24th
July 8th
July 22nd
August 5th
August 19th
(no rain date)

Join us for additional Florentine performances on Wednesday, August 25th at Alterra Humboldt @ 7pm and Wednesday, September 1st at Alterra Grafton @ 6pm.

Concert cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced on the Alterra blog no later than 5pm the same day of the show. Free parking is available across the street from the café in the lot next to the sailing center.

Power Down Week Milwaukee 2010 takes place June 21st - June 27th in the Riverwest Neighborhood, where Alterra calls home to its headquarters and roasting facility. The celebration will continue with an Energy Independence Day parade and festival on July 5th in Gordon Park, just blocks from Alterra Humboldt.

POWER DOWN WEEK is a one-week challenge with 2 rules: make your carbon foot print as small as you possibly can for one week and do it with others. The mission is to build awareness of our dependency to our energy grid and build community connections and knowledge. Participants in this holiday “staycation” will turn off phones, computers, lights, get out of cars, and instead join with neighbors for workshops, projects, events and fun. Events include parties, drumming, ice cream socials, workshops and more! View the full schedule at the Transition Milwaukee Website or check out the Facebook page.

The week after we’ve powered down, we’ll gather at Gordon Park to celebrate ENERGY INDEPENDENCE DAY on July 5th!  From 9am - 9:30pm, the park will be the heart of the Riverwest Independence Day celebration. Events will include a pedal-powered parade (fancy up your bike and join in!), live music and performances on a stage powered through human agency on bike generators, booths for health and wellness, urban agriculture, the Riverwest Neighborhood Association, Green Racine, Milwaukee Freecycle and more! Bring your friends, bring your families, bikes and BBQ’s and celebrate Energy Independence Day 2010 with the Riverwest community. More info is available on the Energy Independence Day Facebook page.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE DAY SCHEDULE:
8:30 am: Bike decorating - prizes for best bike decoration include two new children’s bike donated by JK Publishing. Assembly points are at St. Casimir’s on Clarke & Bremen and the Old Colonial Hall on Burliegh and Fratney
10:00 am: Assemble for the Parade at above two locations
10:30 am: Parade begins and travels parade route to Gordon Park

POWER DOWN STAGE SCHEDULE
11:15 – 12:00: Opening Speeches - Grand Marshalls, Nik Kovac, Willie Johnson, Congresswoman Gwen Moore
1: 00 pm: Pinkerton Xyloma (Dead Man’s Carnival)
2: 00 pm: Milwaukee Public Theater
3:00 pm: Riverwest Pipe Band – Scottish Pipers
4:00 pm: RICKY GENIERE – ACOUSTIC
5:00 pm: HOOLA HOOP GIRLS and Friends
6:00 pm: CHALICE in the PALACE Soundsystem
7:00 pm: THEE ATOMMIXX
9:15 pm: FIREWORKS in the Park!!!

Sponsored by Riverwest Neighborhood Association, Pink House Studios, JK Publishing, Cream City Rickshaw, RW Currents, Florentine Opera, Dream Bicycles, Alterra Coffee, Rishi Tea, Kilbourn Community Gardens, COA, Riverwest Health Initiative, Build Milwaukee Co-Operative, Our Lady of Divine Providence, Shepherd Express.