PULSE Returns August 29 with FREE Fitness Experiences, 50+ Workouts Featuring Paralympian, Five-Time Ninja Warrior, and More

MILWAUKEE, WI (July 29, 2026) The third annual PULSE, A Health & Wellness Fest for All, powered by Aurora Health Care and Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., with support from Gatorade, the official functional hydration partner, returns Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Henry Maier Festival Park.

PULSE is Milwaukee's largest FREE outdoor health and wellness event designed for all ages and fitness levels with more than 50 workouts, interactive experiences, live cooking demonstrations and activations from over 75 health, wellness and fitness organizations.

From elite athletes to hometown fitness favorites, PULSE 2026 brings a schedule packed with FREE experiences – kayaking, sauna/cold plunge, cooking demos, pickleball, workouts, and an all-star lineup of instructors ready to get Milwaukee moving. Attendees can experience obstacle-inspired training with five-time American Ninja Warrior® competitor NinjaYari, adaptive sports with Paralympic silver medalist Emily Oberst, an inclusive HIIT workout with Laura Novotny and an energetic Zumba class led by Milwaukee First Lady Dominique Johnson.

FREE advance registration is encouraged and available HERE.

Explore FREE Fitness and Wellness Experiences:
A variety of participatory activities and programming, including:

• Small-Group Workouts from 11+ Local Gyms including Cycling, Yoga, HIIT, Boxing, and more - participating partners include Powercycle, Afterglow MKE, Orangetheory Fitness, Milwaukee Recreation, The Shape Up Shoppe, YMCA of Greater Milwaukee, FLIGHT – Stairmaster & Strength Group Fitness, REVIVAL Fitness, CrossFit Good Land, Miss Pole, and Milwaukee Wellness Society.
• Aurora Pavilion – Large-Group Workouts with DJ Riel -
  • Kick off with a warmup led by F.E.A.R. MKE (Forget Everything and Run).
    • F.E.A.R. Run/walk participants can complete a 1-Mile loop through Lake Shore State Park and receive a free commemorative event T-shirt and Summerfest 2027 ticket, while supplies last.
  • Following the run/walk launch, classes led by Ninja Yari, Emily Oberst, Laura Novotny, and Dominique Johnson will offer a variety of high energy workouts for fans – from Zumba to wheelchair basketball.
• The Oishii Yoga Stage -find your flow with energizing and restorative classes led by favorite local studios. The spacious open-air lawn along the lakefront is the perfect backdrop to stretch, breathe, and recharge, while enjoying beautiful waterfront views, with classes from YogaSix, Healium Hot Yoga, Tribal Yoga School, and Collective Flow.
• Good Foods Cooking Stage, with support from Pick 'N Save - whether you're looking to discover new recipes, pick up kitchen tips, or hear the stories behind the recipes, there's something delicious to enjoy throughout the day. Chefs will showcase a variety of dishes from Mediterranean inspired protein bowls to tofu tacos, along with live cooking demonstrations and interactive Q&A sessions, hosted by Taste of Home’s Mark Hagen. Featured Chefs Include:
  • Executive Chef Michael Genre of Harbor House
  • Taste of Home's Sarah Farmer
  • Chef Britta Kramer of Private Palate
  • Chef Amberlea Childs of Plant Joy
• The Zen Den, presented by First Generation Professionals of Milwaukee - a place to wind down your mind and body. Be present, feel restored, and stay grounded through guided sessions from local MKE instructors specializing in sound baths, meditation, feel good stretching, and intention setting. Classes will be led by Milwaukee Recreation, Parisa Yoga Shala, Saint Wrong Training, and Milwaukee Yoga Social.
• Dance Stage - turn up the fun and the music, where fitness meets rhythm. Featuring Latin dance, ballet, line dancing, and even Capoeira – an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics. This stage is the place to get moving, have fun, and dance your way through your fitness journey. No dance experience required. Classes are led by Tempo Dance Co., Capoeira Nagô Milwaukee, Fitness 4U, and Milwaukee Ballet.
• Sauna and Cold Plunge Experience - hosted by The Hive: Wellness & Social, this FREE lakefront activation invites participants to recover, recharge and reset.
• Kayak and Paddleboard with Forward Outdoor - explore Milwaukee's waterfront views for FREE via kayak and paddleboarding.
• Orangetheory Fitness Dri Tri – fitness enthusiasts can test themselves in Orangetheory’s signature fitness challenge. The Team Dri Tri experience will feature rowing, body weight exercises, and a 5k, bringing the popular endurance challenge to Milwaukee’s lakefront. Teams of 3 can sign up in advance at Orangetheory
• Pickleball Courts - instructor-led and free-play opportunities supported by ProLite.

More about PULSE National and Local Fitness Headliners:

This year's lineup features an inspiring mix of athletes, fitness experts and community leaders including:

• Dominique Johnson leads Zumba (10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.) - Milwaukee Metro YMCA health and wellness specialist, group exercise instructor and First Lady of the City of Milwaukee, will lead an upbeat, community-focused Zumba class designed to get participants moving.
• Obstacle-Inspired Workout with NinjaYari (10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.) - five-time American Ninja Warrior® competitor, Beast Games® competitor and fitness creator brings her motivational coaching style to PULSE with "Unleash Your Inner Warrior” – an accessible, obstacle-inspired workout focused on building confidence, strength and resilience.
• Wheelchair Basketball Skills with Emily Oberst (11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.) - Paralympic silver medalist, professional wheelchair basketball player, and adaptive sports advocate Emily Oberst will partner with the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association (WASA) to host an inclusive skills challenge experience designed for participants of all abilities. WASA will bring 30 sports wheelchairs that attendees can use for the workout on a first-come, first-served basis, providing a unique opportunity to experience adaptive sports firsthand while learning wheelchair basketball and mobility skills.
• HIIT with Laura Novotny (12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.) - fitness entrepreneur, mom of three and wellness influencer Laura Novotny will lead a modified high-intensity interval training (HIIT) class designed to showcase how movement can be adapted for every stage of life, including pregnancy.

For the latest information, visit PULSE

About Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. 
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. is an independent, private 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1965 that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, a three-weekend music festival featuring over 600 artists across 12 stages.  Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. also maintains and improves Henry Maier Festival Park, located on 75 acres on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI.  In addition to Summerfest, Henry Maier Festival Park hosts a variety of ethnic and cultural festivals, concerts, family programming, walks, runs, and other special events.  The mission of the organization is to promote an understanding of different ethnic cultures, the histories and traditions of various nationalities, harmony in the community, civic pride as well as to provide a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation for the public and employment opportunities for the youth of the community. For more details, visit MilwaukeeWorldFestival.com or Summerfest.com, and on socials @MilwaukeeWorldFestival or @Summerfest.  

About Aurora Health Care 
Aurora Health Care is the state’s largest health system caring for patients across eastern Wisconsin and a portion of Michigan as an integrated care network that includes 18 hospitals, nearly 300 sites of care and 70 pharmacies. Aurora Health Care is committed to continuously advancing how care is connected and delivered — ensuring communities have access to high-quality, coordinated services. It is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States. Advocate Health is a preeminent academic health system at the forefront of clinical excellence, innovation and research, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as its academic core. Nationally recognized for expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, Advocate Health is also a pioneer in the delivery of virtual health care. It’s accelerating discovery by making research participation part of the standard-of-care through its one-of-a-kind National Center for Clinical Trials, plus two affiliated life-sciences-focused innovation districts and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs, with an experiential learning focus and specialized residencies to help protect the long-term sustainability of rural health care in America. With more than 165,000 teammates serving patients at 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations across seven states, Advocate Health reinvests over $6 billion each year to improve community health, making it one of the nation’s largest providers of community benefit.