Every April 14, or 4/14 on the calendar, southeastern Wisconsin celebrates ‘414 Day’. The local holiday has become a growing tradition, as it stirs up a sense of regional pride. Although this year the holiday falls on a Monday, throughout the past weekend and into early parts of this week, 414 celebrations can be found throughout the area. It is a fun way for the community to come together each spring in appreciation of the unique culture found all throughout the greater Milwaukee area.
The ‘414’ telephone area code was first put into use by telephone companies in 1947. At first, it covered the entire southeastern Wisconsin area, extending from the Illinois border up to Sheboygan and as far west as Madison. In the later part of the 1990s, the ‘920’ are overtook the northern-most sections of southeastern Wisconsin. Then, right before the turn of the century, suburban areas that stretched further west saw the introduction of the ‘262’ area code. Throughout Waukesha County, a mixture of both ‘262’ and ‘414’ are commonly found. However, the late adoption and implementation of ‘262’ meant that most cell phones maintained their original ‘414’ area code, tying them back to suburban Milwaukee’s culture.
‘414 Day’ is celebrated all throughout Milwaukee and its suburbs. This past weekend, there were several craft markets and runs throughout the city. Local family favorite spots such as the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Harley Davidson Museum lowered their admission prices to just $4.14. Restaurants and bars all across southeastern Wisconsin have special happy hours and drink deals on some local favorite menu items, like Bloody Marys and cheese curds.
The suburbs around southeastern Wisconsin honor ‘414 Day’ with as much zest and appreciation as can be found. After all, the day is a way to honor and enjoy some key aspects of southeastern Wisconsin’s rich culture. It is a source of local pride and community bonding. The diverse ethnic backgrounds come together to share their culture through foods like bratwursts, drinks such as beer, and even polka music. The holiday celebrates the beer capitol of the world, rich with local breweries and an upbeat social bar scene. Even small things like the use of the term ‘bubbler’ for a drinking fountain and a propensity for being ‘midwest nice’ are included.
Lake Country plays an important role in all this. After all, the various local lakes are a favorite spot for nearly everyone in southeastern Wisconsin. Happy 414 Day, Wisconsin- Don’t forget your cheeseheads!
