Summerfest is always a great time! I usually like to go with my bestie as we have been attending this music festival for over 20 years now. It's family friendly and music acts from all over the world come to perform here. There is a great selection of eats and definitely brews. I highly recommend taking a leisurely walk through the different shopping market places as you will find many awesome goods from all over the world. read more

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Don't expect any response from contact email. Multiple attempts were ignored. Customer service is zero.

2021 was the BEST I've seen in decades! Upscale restaurants and varieties of bands. Excellent crowd too read more

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Too expensive! Parking too expensive Beer too expensive Food too expensive Bands unrecognizable read more

I love Summerfest. The location along the lake is fantastic, and has a beautiful view of downtown Milwaukee. Since it's a permanent venue, parking, security, in/out is all good. The employees are Wisconsin Friendly (we're from Chicago). The facilities are clean and well stocked for the most part. The food I've had (the last 2 years) has been very good. Not overpriced, either! The vendor stands are pretty fest-usual, which is nice. Again, everyone (including customers) are happy and friendly. The grounds are kept clean, too. The music acts overall are both famous, name bands and musicians and a good mix of local and travelling acts. (Loved School of Rock this year). This year, the main act we went to see was Chicago. An old favorite. Super show, super fun time. Last year was Gavin Degraw, also a super show. You can't go wrong with this fest. Everyday has some great music, every year is awesome!! read more

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What a horrible experience I just had at the Summerfest grounds, they just don't take cash to pay for the beer. They also charge you $2 extra for CC fee. so the $10 beer is not $10 it's really $12. So they don't just NOT tell you that before they charge you..... but when you NOTICE THE CHARGE and ask for a cancelation of the order, they say NO REFUNDS TALK TO MANAGEMENT. Nice one Summerfest.... Nice one. read more

You cannot go wrong with this venue. Especially compared to that other large music fest south of here about 90 miles south. That's before we talk about ticket prices- which is more than fair. This place has infrastructure like built in stages, a plethora of food stalls, bathrooms, plenty of tables to sit and eat. They have shopping like arts and crafts. Or you can take the gondolas - Yes Gondolas to check the place out. The concerts will always be awesome otherwise you wouldn't have bought the tickets. This venue however for a music fest from noon to midnight is second to none. read more

I wanted to try something different and vegetarian. This was hidden around the corner right by the amphitheater. Just enough for a snack. Korean Cauliflower, tortilla, pepino, avocado. Summerfest. read more

Summerfest - Menu at Summerfest. - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Went to Summerfest for my first time this July to see The Weeknd. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a state fair on steroids with many many stages and concerts with tons of different artists ranging all genres. Plenty of overpriced food options. Better than decent upkept facilities that are permanently there throughout the year. Didn't ride anything but was tempted to ride the ski lift for $8 round trip to get a birds eye view of everything Back amphitheater has plenty of tiered grass seating; you can bring in blankets FYI read more

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Rating a music festival is difficult. Lots of things to take into account. I'm giving Summerfest 5 stars because I love it. Yes there are crowds of people but that's a given. I'm not going to knock Fest down a star because sometimes the other patrons are annoying, that's not fair. Yes the beer is pricey, and yes so is the food. The tickets seem to go up a $1 every year but when you think about what you're getting, it's an incredible deal. Most concert tickets are going to run you $40-$100 and that's just one show. At Summerfest your ticket of $20 something for a day gives you access to so many bands. Plus beer is expensive at most concert venues and we're not quite at Miller Park prices yet. I recommend the bar shuttles to get to and from Summerfest. Just be mindful of what time the last shuttle leaves. Here's to another year of music! I've gone 4 times so far and plan to go 2 more. read more

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Just tried to remember how many times I have been to Summerfest, but failed. It's worth the trip, every single time. It's such a beautiful venue, right on Lake Michigan. I have seen so many amazing performances at Summerfest over the years. They really get top notch acts in, and with all of the stages throughout the venue, there is something to please everyone. If you're not enjoying one act, simply move to the next stage and try something else. You're bound to see something that will be the next big thing a few years down the line. Best of all, it's dirt cheap, and many of the days you can even get in free if you go early enough, make a charitable donation, or have a Pick and save receipt. Pro tip: check out all of the shuttle options and leave your car at home. Just make sure you have a meeting place for your friends or family if you get separated, because one year I found out the hard way that cell phones don't always work at a crowded festival. If you are a music lover, it is a can't-miss destination, no matter where you live in the country! read more

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I apologize for waiting a year to post this! We wanted to go to the 50th summer fest, and I got that awesome black and gold shirt marking the anniversary. I really like the Henry Meier park, and I usually can't stand crowds, but it's typically friendly and orderly. We ate at a local pub before arriving so we would't have to spend much on food. The food is good, there's a wide variety for all kinds but it is kind of pricey. To get with the times they installed a wireless tower for charging phones but that didn't go well for me. Either I couldn't see the act or it was wayy too slow. I vaguely remember the Isley Brothers and Blues Traveler. I like how they have 'A' listers, B, C and local acts too. The security was tighter, and this was PRE-Las Vegas massacre, but with large crowds today you can't be too careful. read more

Summerfest, it's not me, it's YOU! There are a few reasons that I haven't been to Summerfest since I was a teenager, and going there in 2019 reconfirmed all of them; the only reason we went was because we got free tickets. Admission is expensive! Parking is expensive! Food and drinks are expensive! Stuff to buy is expensive! Get over yourself, already; any of the ethnic festivals are MUCH better than you. We drove down on the motorcycle because bike parking is free and up front. The signage to said parking was non-existent and the main road to the lot was blocked off! Because of the traffic pattern, we ended up in downtown and had to circle back to the far end of the 3rd Ward where we sat in a line of cars. Why not a separate lane for bikes? We're not parking in the same place! Car parking, btw, was 30 freaking dollars! This isn't Chi town, and I wouldn't pay that much there, either! The food was overpriced for mediocre portions and taste. The beer started out at $8 and went up. Bottled water was $4.50! The Summerfest merch was nothing great and the other vendors were nothing special (except for Too Much Metal, shout out to Fred!) and they, too, seemed overpriced. There are never enough bathrooms...it's 2019, why is this STILL a problem?!?!? I could go on and on, but I've come to accept the simple fact that Summerfest and I just don't get along. And, that's ok, because German Fest and Irish Fest have my back! 23/2019 read more

I grew up going to Summerfest every year. I LOVE walking through and listening to not just the main stage but the little independent music stage. Every year they deliver with food and beer, and the people watching is second to none. Even if you don't have tickets to the headliner that night, Summerfest is still a fun time read more

Have you been here? I should hope so. It's quite an event if you like music and fests. And beer. And food . And lots of clean bathrooms with plumbing. And people who should wear more sunscreen. But hey, I mean sheesh. It's a seriously festive fest. They may need an assist booking bands at times, so that's something to be aware of. However, it's a bit on the awesome side. Ok, as you were. read more

Summerfest - time for eggplant strips - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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To be clear, this is a review of the American Family Insurance Amphitheatre at the Summerfest grounds. The Foo Fighters show ended at 11:30. It took about 15 minutes to get out of the stadium and onto a road. This was no help, as there was no established bus, rideshare, or pickup zone. The parking lots were an obstacle course of death, trying to not get hit by frustrated drivers. The whole of 3rd ward was in gridlock from the traffic in and out of the area. It's 1am now, and rideshare drivers still aren't available. The Lyft and Uber prices are so high that getting scammed by our cab driver (yeah, of course your credit card reader doesn't work, and of course we didn't notice you didn't turn on the meter) was the significantly cheaper option. This place needs to work with the city of Milwaukee; the local PD; and cab, bus, and rideshare companies to figure out a traffic management strategy. This was an embarrassing shit show the likes of which I've never seen from a venue before. read more

NOTE: This may change with future events. This 1-star review is confined to the 8/24/2024 Summerfest event. Furious at Summerfest for the unbearable traffic fiasco! We were stuck in gridlock traffic for well over an hour and a half and despite getting there early to take into account traffic issues, we were forced to miss the Paula Abdul show altogether! It completely ruined the entire event for us! Drivers everywhere were throwing their arms up in frustration and anger, myself included, and we were redirected to multiple throughfares, none of which put us anywhere close to the venue. It took me well over an hour to go from the 794/Harbor Dr. interchange to the southern terminus of the drive/harbor and I ended up HAVING TO LEAVE altogether and back out into the city! I ended up finding a pricey place to park well over a half mile away. Now, I don't necessarily mind having to walk a little further but this event was ruined by the unbearable gridlock. I missed the entire Paula Abdul performance despite leaving home early and allowing some time to deal with potential traffic. This could've turned dangerous either because somebody would've had a major health scare or someone could've gotten out of control and cause harm (firearms or altercation with security or other drivers). The gridlock and attitudes created a very ugly vibe in the air and I don't blame the drivers for being such assholes. The traffic officers looked more like high-schoolers who were overwhelmed and had little idea of what to do about such massive traffic. And it didn't help that the parking venues didn't take cash (I had to close my old card and order a new one and had to use cash for a while). Thank frickin' God New Kids On The Block saved the night for me! They were incredible! Great sound system and a fun venue. As mentioned earlier, this review may change with future events but as of 8/25/2024, I would've given this a fat ugly ZERO, for completely messing up traffic management and causing me and others to miss great shows. Completely unacceptable! read more

I keep putting this review off. Because I've had bad years and times were I could give a crap about dealing with the hassle of Scrumfest, or Sweathogfest. I also have great memories of a few bands that played here, then 10 years go by without a return. Then I'm surprised how each year can be completely a new group of great and average performers. Which tells me that they really are trying their best to bring in acts for every one. Not just a few age groups. So reviewing Summerfest is actually an introspection of a window of time that changes as the acts performers and myself have underwent constant change. i recall not having problems with crowds when i was younger now i don't care to be squeezing through a maze of people i swear i think i lost my wallet and virginity twice in that crowd by U-line stage. The beer prices are still teetering 6-7 kinda puts a damper partying on a fixed income. So it seems that some of the best shows were spread out carefully to even the crowds to insure the staff and festival goers are not overwhelmed or crowded. During the last two years security has gone a little crazy. Finger nail clippers keychain coupon clippers, Cigar cutter, OC spray. Peanuts and water bottles were not allowed. I've noticed if you go when it's busy they tend to skip the pat down when they have the luxury of providing a pat down they will do it twice just because they have the time. The security people were doing their jobs but finger nail clippers and cigar cutters only have one job. While a finely sharpened credit card a plastic fork and an aluminum can..... well. I won't say anymore. All I know is as long as no shoe/underwear bomz surface. We won't need to remove our shoes and belts at security. When that times comes I'll just stop going altogether. Food 4 Ambiance 4 Service 3 Loc 3 Value 4 63/2015 read more

Summerfest - A few pieces! Oh what a night Johnson controls Stage #WhiskeyOfTheDamned #DrunkenSailor - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I enjoy various music genres and from various generations, being exposed to so many from my parents growing up to music from high school dances to music that my college roommates listened to (and college parties). There are large music festivals around the country like Governors Ball, Lollapolooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella, but Summerfest is known as the World's largest and it is OURS! General admission for evenings and weekends is currently $19, but you can get multi-day passes, buy weekday admission tickets (and stay into the night), or take advantage of several admission promos to save a few bucks for food and drinks. When you think about ALL of the live musical acts available to you each day, I mean REALLY think about it, $19 is a steal! That doesn't mean I won't take advantage of a deal or free ticket promo, though. :-) Summerfest is a massive party, and people come from other states (and countries) to experience it! I think there are 8 major "side stages" plus the Amphitheatre where the big headliners perform, and several small platforms scattered along the lagoon and other areas for smaller musical acts. You can get beer, wine, and cocktails. You can get pizza, tacos, BBQ, and lots of other popular food items, like Saz's combo of cheese curds, mozz sticks and sour cream and chive fries. I tried new items this year including Lobster Corn Dogs from Lakeside Supper Club in the Ethnic Village, Curry Falafel Tacos from Vanguard at the Briggs and Stratton Big Back Yard stage, and a Deep Fried Old Fashioned from Trinity, also located at the Briggs and Stratton stage. Opening night of Summerfest features the Big Bang, one of the top two fireworks displays in the city! If you're not into crowds, go early. A warm night will bring people out in masses and you'll be walking sideways and slowly a lot as you weave through hoards of people. If you like to shop, there are vendors all over the parks with lots of different items. If you have kids, there is a play area and Children's Stage with magicians and other kid-friendly acts. Just take them home before 6:00 or 7:00 when things start to get hectic. Parking is most expensive ($20-$25) right outside the gates, but if you're fine walking a few blocks you can get parking for $10-$15 and maybe even find a street parking spot for free. Your best play is to take a shuttle from a bar or ride an MCTS Freeway Flyer Summerfest shuttle from a park n ride, or park near a bus route and grab a city Summerfest shuttle there. read more

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Located along the lakefront in Milwaukee, you'll the annual, larger-than-life music festival: Summerfest. Drawing in huge crowds annually (attracting nearly 1 million people over the course of it's 11 day run), it truly earns its moniker: The Big Gig. Promoted as the world's largest music festival (which was apparently verified at some point), Summerfest brings it large and loud to the music loving masses descending on Milwaukee in late June/early July. What you might expect: +Crowds. Obvi. It's a huge and very popular music festival. It brings out the peeps. +While you can purchase tickets to specific concerts happening throughout the week, there's also general admission tickets (which are reasonably priced and can usually be found steeply discounted, or even free, at retailers 'round town...ie: this year if you purchased 2 twelve packs of Miller at Discount Liquor, you were gifted a general admission ticket) +The general admission ticket gives you access to several stages with a variety of bands playing (this year, you could catch Black Violin at one of the free stages!) +There's a cool sky glide that gives you an aerial view of the grounds (as well as a pretty epic view of the city). This year, it was $8 (cash only). Well worth it. +Fun fried foods. +Beer We went on the 3rd of July this year and were afforded an amazing view of the annual firework display over the lake. Parking can be a little crazy. Uber & Lyft typically have surge pricing during the festival (read: expensive). However, you can take shuttles! There are shuttles that go from various businesses about town. Last year, we took a shuttle from the state fair park. Easy peasy. All things considered? A pretty spectacular event. Get to it! read more

Summerfest seems to aim to be an outdoor festival for the mom & dad generation - this year's headliners included The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder and Carrie Underwood. It's nice that it's by the lakefront but definitely is in need of more greenery - the location is mostly concrete and underneath a highway overpass. Pros: -Festival tickets at $19 per a day, is extremely affordable for access to most everything. The $45 3-day pass is even better. -The Sky Glider is a must do at $5 ($8 RT). Takes you from one end of the park to the other with elevated views of 3 stages. I would say the Sky Glider is the one gem that makes Summerfest stand out over all other festivals. To note: -There is a free downtown shuttle bus at the North Gate entrance that was convenient and dropped us off right in front of our hotel, The Pfister. Wish we would have discovered it sooner! -Lakefront & Water Street were the two craft beer companies we noticed. Price per a beer appeared cheaper than the national brands (Miller Lite) but upon further inspection, the size of the cup was pretty small -For the bigger acts playing at the BMO Harris Pavilion, go on Ticketmaster and purchase premier seating. It's only $10 extra and you get an assigned seat that's your own All in all, it's not an event I would travel to specifically, but if you happen to be in Milwaukee while it's happening (which we were), it's not to be missed. read more

Summerfest - Sky Glider - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This is the largest and best music festival in America (and I'm guessing the world). I'm a Chicago kid, but I've been coming here for years, and I have to admit this festival is better than the Taste of Chicago ever was. Chicago Fest used to give it a run for its money, but that was a long time ago. Today is the 1st of July and it was 59 degrees - WTF!!! We still had an awesome time. The food has improved drastically through the years. The best food I had today was asparagus risotto from Louise's Trattoria. We all enjoyed the bacon, cheese, and peanut butter burger from Bomber's. My daughter loved the cupcakes from Classy Girl Cupcakes. The best band we saw was Rabid Aardvarks. They are a pop/country band with two female lead singers. Very entertaining. If you've never been - what are you waiting for? read more

Summerfest - Enjoying Punch in the IPA. - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Summerfest is my favorite thing about living in Milwaukee. It is a must-have experience for every music fan... Milwaukee is truly blessed to have the biggest and best music festival in the world. Many cities have tried to duplicate it and failed. It's a truly unique experience and treasure to Milwaukee on beautiful Lake Michigan. I am grateful for the many amazing experiences I've had and I look forward to making many more... read more

Summerfest - My son's very first concert.... Lil Wayne at the Amphitheater. - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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What happened to senior discounts for those of us on fixed incomes ? 2019 general admission was $23.00 and seniors $10.00 2022 general admission is $25.00 and seniors $20.00 ?? Also, seniors prefer attending Summerfest during the week, when it's not as crowded. You have practically eliminated that option ! Are you trying to discourage senior attendance ? Shame on you ! read more

Summerfest cancelled the show. I've no problem with that at a months notice BUT 6 weeks after the scheduled show no email has been replied to and with Summerfest still owing me my £189 refund I would never use this company again. read more

Summerfest, you're still the best festival out. I attended this year after not having gone for decades. Summerfest was a a staple of my childhood and teen years, but as I got older the bloom came off the rose for me somewhat. The lines were long for drinks and bathrooms. The food and beverages got more and more expensive. The crowds were unruly and intolerable. Well, I found the secret solution. Attend the festival as a corporate guest with a spot in one of the VIP areas. Clean bathrooms, no lines, free drinks, a home base. Awesome! read more

This was our first year attending Summerfest and we really enjoyed it. There was music everywhere, wherever you turned your head music all different styles. I plan to go again next year and what I like about this Festival is that there's plenty of seating versus some other festivals where I've had to walk around for 6 hours straight it was a pain on my legs. Lots of vendors and great food. Looking forward to next year. read more

Summerfest. I came when I was in college (like 2003/2004) and I hadn't been back since. I then came back in 2018 ......so it was 14 to 15 years between visits. It's nothing spectacular - and I don't like the drunk crowds. Also, the music is super loud and it's hard to hear people talking (if you need to say something). I probably won't be back for another 14-15 years read more

Summerfest - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The venue is massive. Summerfest is an all age outdoor concert and some of the carnival foods. My review is based on the crowd and the chicken tenders and fries. Do not get chicken tenders and fries. Very cold when i got it. At night shows all ages with alcohol and a lot of marijuana smoking. It's very hard to exit out of the be venue. Too many people and hot and sweaty people everywhere. This was my 1st Summerfest. Not sure if I want to see a few acts for an hr or so. Most acts are one hour shows. read more

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Go early leave early and a good time will be had. Lots of music to sample, good beers to be found, number of food options along lake good sites, fun people watching. New wine bar on each end of grounds a nice add. Stay past 7-8pm? Nightmare big drunk crowds and getting home after 10pm shows is horrible. No thanks. read more

Yelp wants me to review Summerfest. Pros: You get to see a lot of your favorite musical artists, as well as some you've never heard of before but may love, all in one place. There's carnival food, it's on the lake, it's a fun environment Cons: parking is a nightmare. The sound is terrible. It's hot. The horror stories you've heard about the security are true. I took my wife there to see Stevie Wonder. Worth it to see Stevie, but the sound made him hard to hear. She didnt care, I did. I've played there with several local, regional, and national acts. It's great to have a built in audience on a cool looking stage, but load in is not easy unless you're the headliner, and again, the stories you've heard about the security are true. If I never play Summerfest again, I wont miss it. read more

Hearing the deafening revving of hundreds of motorcycle engines as the last day of Summerfest drew to a close, I realized something. Summerfest is more than just a festival, it's a musical pilgrimage. A gathering of a diverse people from around the midwest for up to eleven days of music (and I know there are probably people out there who indulge in the full menu). It's a destination wedding without the marriage (though according to on of the announcement boards a couple did plan their marriage in conjunction with the festivalt). So why not five stars for what should be a (yearly) life changing experience? Summerfest is also a bit of a musical scam! Sure each day boasts some very large musical acts to end the day but they all compete with each other. While it's possible to see part of a 9:00 p.m. act (i.e. Elvis Costello) and part to all of multiple 10:00 p.m. acts (i.e. Reel Big Fish) it's impossible to see all of each. It's great preparation for the workout that is Lollapalooza but hardly a giant act festival unto itself (most bands there are House of Blues size). So what do you get the rest of the day? Some decent to incredible Milwaukee bands or tribute acts (who knew amazingly accurate Styx cover bands existed?). A bit of research ahead of time can reveal some gems. But, be careful. We ended up at a smooth jazz covers act at the "classic rock" stage and had to trek across the park after metaphorically washing out our ears. Time can also be spent on imbibing in some decent local Milwaukee brews in beer gardens, sitting along (an extremely beautiful park along) Lake Michigan, playing carnival games, or taking the oddly popular $3 sky ride that will transport you from one side of the park to the other. Or you can just people watch people who time forgot. The 70s never quite ended for a lot of the Summerfest crowd. If you keep the drinking and eating to a minimum (good luck with that if you go early), it can be a very inexpensive escape from Chicago. Parking fees can be averted by using $6 park and ride buses all over suburban Milwaukee (including three along I-94 from Chicago - use Holt Road for an incredibly close one). Admission is free between 12 and 3 a lot of days with certain promotions - or $15 regularly. And there are in/out priviledges until 7:00 if you want to eat in the city itself and save some money. Just don't go with anyone you're not prepared to talk to for up to 12 straight hours (which thankfully I did) or Summerfest can be a doozy. read more

Summerfest - Fun for fans of all ages. - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Upon entering the grounds I wondered if I had taken a wrong turn and stumbled upon a Hollister convention! All afternoon I expected a rumble to break out between the Hollisters and the Abercromies - West Side Story style. I can't believe it's taken 30+ years to pop my Summerfest cherry. I've always heard what the Taste of Chicago is to food, Summerfest is to music. For $15 you get the opportunity to try out a bunch of bands. This year I saw: * G. Love and Special Sauce * The English Beat * Elvis Costello * 4 local/cover bands * Brewcity Bruisers roller derby expo (yeah roller girls!!) In addition to the free acts on the 7 main music stages there are tickets sold to the big name headliner nightly in the Marcus Amphitheater. Summerfest falls short of a 5-star rating from me for the following reasons: 1) Classic rock is apparently subjective. The last thing I expected to hear when I sat down at the "classic rock" stage was a smooth jazz cover band; there's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back. 2) It would be nice if each band had a 5 word style description in the lineup; it would save the hassle of pushing through throngs of people, traipsing across the grounds, and fighting for a seat only to be disappointed by your choice of band. 3) Very few local food choices; I felt like I was in one big food court comprised of primarily overpriced, mediocre, cookie cutter choices. I know Milwaukee has more local fare to offer than Miller products! 4) The cute root beer barrel-shaped stands were enticing, yet disappointing. I sauntered up expecting some yummy local or microbrew root beer like Sprecher, not MUG - ugh! Bottom line: It's a good time, close to Chicago and a cheap-ish, easy way to discover new bands and hear some old favorites. TIP: If you drive up you can use one of the Park and Ride lots which will drop you right at the fest gate. TIP: Check out the website in advance, many of the days have promotions which can earn you free admission to the fest. TIP: I think it may be easier to get info from the Pentagon than Amtrak on the midnight Hiawatha special from Summerfest! We never cracked the code and ended up driving, consider yourself warned. read more

What's not to like about the world's largest music festival that has great bands, local foods and is only an hour and a half from Chicago? Nothing. That's what. I love Summerfest. Always did when I lived in Milwaukee and still do today. It's the festival that Milwaukeeans wait for all year. The festival grounds along the lakefront are great- and the smells and sights haven't varied much from the beginning. Want to indulge in some of the best foods Milwaukee has to offer? It's all there. Old favorites like Saz's pulled pork sandwiches, ribs and giant mozzarella marinara, hand shaken lemonade and Robby's corn on the cob- dripping with sweet Wisconsin butter. Along with some new favorites like Water Street Brewery's micro beers and sandwiches and salads. There is beer, beer, and more beer and vendors selling everything from t-shirts that light up to items carved from pieces of driftwood. But the music is king here. Tons of stages with great music playing day and night. I love that they situate the various stages so that you don't hear the next one over while trying to listen to your favorite national or local band. This year I heard Sara Evans, the BoDeans and Barenaked Ladies all in one night! To me there is nothing better than sitting outside on a picnic table, drinking beer and listening to my favorite groups and finding some new favorites among the many. Admission has gone up to $15 but what you get for that is worth twice the price. If you park in a Summer fest lot it will cost you $20 but a cheaper way to go is to park at your favorite bar and take the complimentary shuttle that most provide. If you live in Chicago- take a road trip. If you live in the Milwaukee area- take advantage of one of the best things about your city. Summerfest is here! And check out the Miller Jazz Oasis- you'll probably find me at my favorite picnic table with a Miller Lite in my hand- moving in place to whatever band is playing. Summer means Summerfest in Milwaukee and it's worth waiting for! read more

Summerfest. Come for the music, stay for the fun! These are the things I like to do when I'm not checking out the live performances: --Eat. Good food. Lots of it! Out of town friends always get me to go to Saz's Dockside. The food is consistently good along with the service. So I get a rib fix at least once a year. This year I'm trying the bacon-wrapped smoked pork belly. In fact, bacon has a prominent place on the menu at many places. So many that it's hard to remember all of them. Solo's bacon-bottom pizza is on the list, as is the bacon-wrapped Prime Rib Bites at Ward's House of Prime. When I'm feeling like eating (not much) healthier, I opt for the deep-fried veggies from Venice Club. Holy yum! Seriously healthier options can be found at the Island Noodle booth near the Johnson Controls stage or at Mader's where a turkey-wrapped asparagus salad is sold. --Shop. Especially T-Shirts. I always get some Summerfest swag at their branded logo stores. This year's mint green version is sublime and will be worn everywhere along with the khaki bucket hat. A second must-shop is the Brew City T-Shirts space where fun shirts like "Wholesome Midwestern Girl" and "Beer Me Right Meow" can be viewed for the fun factor. The shirt shop that's going to get my extra money this year, though, is Too Much Rock for One Hand, located on the south side close to the Saz's operation. TooMuchMetalFred's iconic "414" T-shirts, together with his awesome "Milwaukee All Stars" shirts are calling me. --People Watching. If Summerfest drew more than 900,000 in its 10-day run last year, that equates to (at least) 75,000 people a day to check out in the space. And good grief. If you haven't said to yourself "It takes a whole village to raise a child," you clearly haven't been to Summerfest recently, because you will see all kinds of people dressed in the gauntlet of clothing. --Drink. Yep...There's that! Plenty of options for those who want tasty suds. If you prefer a flavor that's not a Miller product, Water Street Brewery has a number of tasty options with sophisticated notes to please your palate. I saw a stand where you can mix Crispin, Leininkugel's Summer Shandy and some other kind of beer to make your own unique flavor combination - kind of like the soda fountain mix up for adults. Classic wine coolers are available and you can get cocktails at Jojo's Martini Lounge. --The View. One of the best slices of Milwaukee's lakefront. Take some time to meander and hang out lakeside and enjoy the sun and cooling breeze. It's summer - it's Summerfest! read more

We got to Summerfest on a Friday and it was $8 before 4. It wasn't crowded when we got there and we walked the whole thing. There was a lot of stages set up for bands. The free ones that were playing that night was N.E.R.D., Scorpions and Slightly Stoopid. There were lots of people there for Scorpion. Surprising. There was a lot of food. We walked all around the park looking for a corm dog and we finally found one, just one. So I inhaled it and kept walking. We got some beer, sat in a beer garden and relaxed under the hot summer sun accompanied by the breeze coming off the lake. It was nice. Then we went looking for food like hyenas hunting their prey. We didn't stay in a pack like they do, we scattered and agreed on a meeting place. I got some chicken and cheese fries. Nothing to write home about. Food, drinks, music, ice cream, drunk people passing out, golf carts transformed into mini ambulances, and spiders the size of quarters. That summarizes my experience at Summerfest. I'm glad I went but it was a long day and at the end I was glad it was over. read more

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My first Summerfest was a huge success! I was only there one of the nights but trust me when I say that I saw plenty. I got to see the love of my life, Ben Harper, and Fuel (my friend almost had a heart attack when they played Shimmer.) The stage Ben Harper was on was pretty hard to see but the huge screens helped, and the stage where Fuel played had huge sets of bleachers and plenty of space which worked out a lot better! The fireworks were reeeally cool, but they were also reeeeeeeally long. I'm pretty sure they put on something close to a 45 minute show! Next time I want to get closer so I can lay in the grass and look up to see them instead of looking across the lake, but they were really cool. I think Summerfest is all about the crazy experiences, and I definitely saw my fair share. When in line to sip some yummy lemonade-y beer, I saw a dude eat a live spider. It was super gross but obviously quite memorable. One thing to note too, ladies, is DO NOT wear a demi dress. Y'know, the flowy, floor length kind? I had to wash mine by itself because by the end of the night, the bottom inch was wet with beer and go knows what else... awful! Like I said though, it's all part of the experience. I want to go next year and be able to go more than one night! Good times in Milwaukee! read more

Milwaukee is a fantastic city. I live in Austin and was lucky enough to be visiting my sister in Milwaukee during the same time that Summerfest was happening. After going to the festival, I realize that there are three reasons for coming here: people watching, food, and music. People watching: I'll start here because this was easily the best part of the festival for me. The crowd is very diverse and there is so much going on. People are friendly and it's easy to strike up conversations while waiting in line or watching music. Lots of drinking, smoking behind rocks near the water, high heels, cleavage, fights, flashy jewelry, tight track suits, mullets, and mom jeans. The atmosphere is like a carnival. Food: There are a lot of options here. Burgers, German food, fried everything, ice cream, and roasted corn are a few things that looked the most appetizing. I had an Italian sausage that was delicious along with some pretty tasty fried cheese curds. I washed it down with Miller Lite and local micro-brews. They do serve liquor but the drinks were expensive and nasty looking. Music: We were at the festival between 3 and 7 pm. During this time, two of the larger stages had 80's cover bands. The crowds were enthusiastic and it was fun to sing along but cover bands aren't really my thing. I did enjoy the smaller stages that had some interesting bands, many of them local. The festival also draws big name acts to its larger stages, one of which you have to pay extra to get into. This year included such names as B.B. King, Usher, Public Enemy and Pitbull. With 11 stages and over 800 bands, there is truly something for everyone. However, I do think the festival would benefit from seeking out more up and coming music from all genres. There are many fun booths to check out. You will see lots of people getting their picture taken in the "Big Chair". It costs $5 to get a photo of yourself (and friends) sitting in an enormous chair. The later it gets, the wilder that chair becomes. They also have accessories for you to use during the photo shoot. Oh, and if you see a booth with black curtains that says "Take a Peek", do yourself a favor and go inside! I highly recommend taking a trip on the Sky Glider. You can get a one-way ticket or round-trip. One way is $3 per person and well worth it. You can see the entire festival grounds and part of Milwaukee. Check the website for deals. Some days have discounted or free admission to the festival grounds. I look forward to returning to this festival again. read more

Simply the best value for the buck. It's got an amazing number of stages and the entertainment to please anyone. I mean anyone. Public enemy to Cheryl crow. Buddy Guy to third eye blind. Big shmo...well big schmo. And food and drinks galore! An 11 day pass for all that is still only $77! As a bonus you can get in almost everyday for free simply by helping out your community with small donations like food or clothing. Did I mention the fireworks? Well something for everyone indeed. Summer fest is something to look forward to every year and a treasure for Milwaukee. read more

Summerfest - Dude playing the blues - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Summer in Wisconsin isn't summer without Summerfest. 4.5 stars Cost to worth it ratio: 4.5 ($15 access to all this fun) Highlights: - Food variety: from standards of corn to pizza to cheese curds to brats to Mexican and German and even Thai, this is the place to get it. My usuals/best of the best list: -- Saz's trio: cheese curds, mozzarella sticks, sour cream and chive fries -- Fried lasagna: stellar fried creation -- Corn on the cob: scrumptious especially with your own choice of seasoning on top - Food brochure: categorized by type (appetizer, dessert, chicken, etc.), it's a stellar planning guide for your eats, especially if you're like me and spend your time here hopping from snack to snack like me - Music: plenty of stages to suit anyone's taste from rock to pop to country to even club-like house. They have an amphitheatre with official tickets for bigger act concerts (Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, No Doubt and other acts throughout the open fairgrounds (Fray, Train, Shinedown, Guster, Whitesnake, Judas Priest) - Wine coolers: either red or white wine with club soda. Refreshing alternative to beer. - Smiley logo: who can't love something who is represented by a smile? Lowlights: - Drunk crowds: if you go on a weekend night and partying isn't your main purpose as rowdy adult or young adult, it can get a bit annoying - Mobile website only let's you see the musical lineup and not the food - Not so sure how they came up with the title of world's largest music festival, as New Orleans Jazzfest comes to mind... A staple tradition for the season. My sister and I have had many a great time here and we'll be back! read more

Summerfest - Festivals Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin