8.06.2022

Music Lesson #3: Summerfest, The World’s Largest Music Festival

 If you love music and want to share the love, take your family to Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This festival features a wide variety of music and spans generations.  You will see fans of all ages. 

This festival offers such a memorable experience that author Patricia Schultz include Summerfest in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die book.  She describes the history: “It all began in 1961 with Summerfest, an 11-day celebration of music and food that gets bigger and better every year.  Yesterday’s tents have been replaced by a dozen permanent stages…”

I’m old enough to reflect on attending concerts as a child and bringing my kids to the festival.  When I was a kid, we spent most of our time at one big stage.  We had one concert to target.  I still remember fondly the excitement of seeing Tina Turner singing and dancing at high energy, Janet Jackson’s showmanship, and my mom’s excitement over hearing Julio Iglesias sing live.  Now you don’t even need to visit the biggest stage; you can hop from one stage to another.

With concerts overlapping at multiple stages, deciding which concert to attend can be a challenge.  You’ll want to check out the Summerfest website and map out the concerts you want to see.  Map out the timing and stage locations.  We walked quickly walked from one stage to another to see four concerts in one night.  We danced and sang with the Village People, KC and The Sunshine Band, The Commodores, and Third Eye Blind, all in one night.  Even our kids had spelled out YMCA at so many wedding receptions that it felt surreal to do it with the band.  We had great conversations about early decades, especially the 1970s.

Single day tickets cost $26, 3-day pass $62 (any 3 days), or 9-day pass ($130).  None of these entry tickets include concerts at the American Family Amphitheater.  You can enter with a purse, tote, or cinch bag 9”x 10” x 12” or smaller.  Don’t try to enter with a backpack or cooler.

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