MILWAUKEE — The start of Summerfest kicked off Thursday on the first day of summer.
As the gates opened for the first time this season at noon on Thursday, the first 10,000 guests got their hands on a free commemorative hat.
Stephen Froggatt was one of the first few guests to come through the gates as they opened on Friday afternoon. He said he’s been coming for 54 years and can’t imagine it any other way.
“It’s just awesome,” Froggatt said. “It’s the 56th year of Summerfest. This is always the best place all year long. It’s my favorite place in the whole world.”
This year, there are a few new attractions to check out on the grounds. At the South Gate, there is a cosmic cornfield art installation called “Yield.”
It was created by a local Milwaukee artist through Fuzzpop Workshop. It lights up and looks like a magical corn maze for people to enjoy.
“We hope people come in and it’s something like they have never seen, something totally different at Summerfest and we hope people are wowed and inspired,” Fuzzpop Workshop creative director and co-founder Daniel Murray said.
Murray is from Milwaukee and has been coming to Summerfest his whole life. He said to be a new part of the festival has been exciting.
“I grew up in Milwaukee coming to Summerfest every year,” he said. “It’s an important cultural landmark in the city. It’s really exciting to be a part of it.”
Each year, the designers from the Summerfest Store create new merchandise and graphics for festival goers to enjoy. This year, they have over 100 items in the store and over 50 new apparel items.
Summerfest runs for three weekends: June 20-22, June 27-29 and July 4-6.
