Holiday Guide - Dec. 14, 2009
A gift a day: Summerfest gift cards
In the dead of winter, thinking about Summerfest can make cold days pass faster. That's why gift cards from the Big Gig make good stocking-stuffers.
Tags: summerfest, holiday gift card

Milwaukee Buzz - Nov. 24, 2009
Summerfest to alter beer operation for 2010
Major Goolsby's will no longer run the beer operation at the Summerfest grounds. Sources said the festival will take the operation in-house.
Tags: summerfest, beer, major goolsby's

Music - Oct. 30, 2009
Tim McGraw opens Summerfest 2010
It's never too early to think summer. Summerfest officials clearly believe this as the festival has announced the first show slated for Summerfest 2010.
Tags: Summerfest, Tim McGraw, Southern Voice, Faith Hill, Lady Andtebellum, Marcus, Love and Theft, Let it Go, The Blind Side, Runaway

Dining - Oct. 23, 2009
Best venue for food, 2009: Milwaukee Public Market
By best venue for food, we mean places you visit to do something besides eat -- such as sightsee, shop, watch sports. Most folks knew what we were talking about, and the winning choice was clear. The Public Market, which allows guests to shop and dine, collected nearly a third of the vote to wrestle the title away from runner-up (and editors' pick), the Wisconsin State Fair and No. 3 Summerfest.
Tags: public market, best venue, wisconsin state fair, summerfest

Festival Guide - Aug. 5, 2009
I've grown back into State Fair
When I was a kid visiting from New York, I enjoyed State Fair, but as I got older I became more of a Summerfest person. These days, though, I'm back on the Fair wagon.
Tags: State Fair, Summerfest, Usinger's, Cracovia

Festival Guide - July 12, 2009
Sunday Sound-off: Big or small festivals?
Every weekend there's a festival in Brew City, some of which are held at the Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds) and some that simply bust out on blocked-off streets or parks. There are pros and cons to both, but most people usually prefer one over the other. So, what's your vote: big or small Brew City festivals?
Tags: south shore frolics, summerfest, milwaukee festivals, summer festivals, festa italiana

Music - July 10, 2009
Father Phoenix is high voltage rock and roll
Amid a brightly lit stage, with burning lights adorning its small tent-like ceiling, four men take residency in its small corridors for 45 minutes -- that's all the time they need to break the walls down with their sound. This sound, coming from Milwaukee band Father Phoenix, filled the air last Friday at the Cascio Interstate Music Stage at Summerfest. Tonight, the band is back at the Cactus Club.
Tags: father phoenix, summerfest, cactus club, large bodies

Festival Guide - July 8, 2009
The post-Summerfest hangover
If I had my druthers, I'd probably visit Summerfest two or three times, opting for quality over quantity. This year, I went six days, and each was for work. I'm not exactly complaining, but Summerfest burned me out this year.
Tags: summerfest, festivals

Summerfest Guide - July 6, 2009
Let's get "Artsy" at Summerfest
Summerfest is a great event and Milwaukee has a thriving performing arts community. Why not blend the two?
Tags: summerfest, milwaukee symphony orchestra, skylight opera, upaf

Summerfest Guide - July 6, 2009
Charting the hits and misses from Summerfest '09
In a few days, officials will release attendance figures and they likely will indicate a drop from the 2008 total. We can point a couple of reasons for that, including the sluggish economy, a long Brewers homestand, some unseasonably cool and cloudy weather, the calendar (with July 4 falling on Saturday) and a solid-but-unspectacular lineup of musical acts. In the aftermath of the festival, we offer the following hits and misses. Feel free to use the Talkback feature to add your own.
Tags: summerfest

Summerfest Guide - July 6, 2009
Kid Rock, Skynyrd bring bad-ass back to Amp
In a Summerfest season that featured bands that could be considered light rock, nouveau country and '90s pop, Kid Rock closed out the Big Gig Sunday with, well, rock. Throw in some Southern cooking courtesy of Lynyrd Skynyrd (or what's left of it, anyway), as well as Kid Rock's own brand of twang, and Summerfest had a recipe for bad-ass fun.
Tags: kid rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, summerfest

Summerfest Guide - July 5, 2009
Costello & The Imposters pump it up as Summerfest prepares to tear down
Elvis Costello and the Imposters headlined the M&I Classic Rock on the south end of the grounds Sunday night as Summerfest 2009 came to a close. And Costello clearly took heed of the name of the stage when writing out the exactly two-hour set list.
Tags: Summerfest, Elvis Costello, The Imposters

Summerfest Guide - July 5, 2009
Shift switch: Root beer barrel worker for a day
For the past 35 years, the root beer barrel has been as ubiquitous at local fairs and festivals as food on a stick. OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Molly Snyder Edler ducked into a barrel for a stint as a soda slinger during a busy day at Summerfest.
Tags: root beer barrel, summerfest, bob crocker, soda

Summerfest Guide - July 5, 2009
On the last day, a look back at the first Summerfest
Admission to the inaugural Summerfest cost $1.25 or $.50 with three 7-Up bottle caps. Mary Feller has the memory, and the program to prove it.
Tags: summerfest, mary feller

Kids & Family - July 5, 2009
Sunday Sound-off: Is Summerfest teen-friendly?
Summerfest is, primarily, a playground for adults. Much of the music appeals to fest-goers in their 20s, 30s, 50s and 50s and, for a lot of people, it's all about the beer. Children have plenty of options, too, but what about teens? Is there enough for them to do at the Big Gig?
Tags: teens, summerfest, pogo dudes