On Tuesday night, the good folks at Summerfest put on their annual “preview party” at South Second in Walker’s Point. The Summerfest team showed off new food vendors, drink options, merchandise and more. And I, your intrepid reporter, was on the scene quietly observing from behind my thick, smudged glasses. I would say it was a veritable who’s who of Milwaukee people to know – Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Visit Milwaukee’s Peggy Williams-Smith, star chef Dan Jacobs – but I didn’t see David Gruber there this year, so, sadly, all the stars were not there.
Here’s what I learned:
1. You Only Have Four Weeks Until Summerfest.
That’s right – as of today, May 20, you only have 29 days until Summerfest kicks off on June 18 (28 if you’re counting Garth Brooks’ Wednesday show on June 17). Every year, it feels like Summerfest can’t possibly be that close – not when its still in the 50s and the sun only shows up every few days to brutally mock us before retreating behind clouds again – and yet it’s that time again. Get your fanny packs ready, folks. Speaking of fanny packs…
2. Clear (Bigger) Bags Only This Year!
Summerfest isn’t joking around about bags anymore. This year, the festival is rolling out a new policy cracking down on smugglers: “Clear bags only, not exceeding 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches are permitted.” You can still bring smaller wallets, clutches and fanny packs that are traditionally opaque, as long as they’re smaller than 6 inches by 9 inches. (Thank God – I feel naked without my leopard-print fanny pack.) Every size in between needs to be see-through. Well, I guess 2025 was the last Summerfest my pet possum will ever see. Sorry, Victor, we had a good run.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Wild Dog is Wild, Dawg – And the Other New Food Vendors Are Cool, Too
Summerfest has a squad of new food vendors rolling out this year – Jimmy Ward’s Grill, Montacos Taqueria, The Wisconsin Table – but the one that won me over at this event was Wild Dog. We’re talking hot dogs – wacky ones with a buncha stuff on them. The one I had (smaller than those at the actual ‘Fest) was an “elote dog,” loaded with street corn. Thumbs up on that one. Wild also offered an “Italian Stallion” dog heavily loaded with tomato sauce and shredded cheese.
4. Returning Vendors Are Bringing New Stuff, Too – Including S’Mores Churro Fries.
It’s not just the purveyors of wacky hot dogs that are changing things up at this year’s Summerfest. Returning favorites like Saz’s and Famous Dave’s are bringing new dishes, too. Saz’s will have cheese curd tots and jalapeño mac n cheese bits. Famous Dave’s will bring deep fried ranch bites (welcome to Wisconsin, my friends), queso beef barbacoa fries and baby back ribs.
Among the new food options, one in particular caught my eye – “S’Mores Churro Fries.” When I saw the display, a churning took hold of my innards and a distant voice screamed in agony, a cry of distant pain and terror. And I realized that I had encountered these churros covered in marshmallow sauce, crushed graham crackers and chocolate sauce before. They were one of the Sporkies at last year’s State Fair – one of the eight Sporkies finalists I ate within a one-hour time frame last year. The gastrointestinal misery of that debacle made me flinch a little from this one, but in all honesty, I must report that the s’mores churro fries are actually quite good. Just don’t eat them alongside 3,000-some calories worth of other fried food and you’ll be fine.
5. DanDan Is Turning 10 Years Old.
This might not seem like Summerfest news, but it sort of is – this foodie darling Third Ward restaurant is one of the festival vendors. DanDan serves a little fancier fare than the usual fried fest finds, i.e. the cucumber smash they served at the preview party, which had just enough spice to make a lil mayonnaise boy such as myself sweat. While handing out samples of that cucumber dish, Dan Van Rite – co-owner along with Dan Jacobs and occasionally referred to as the quiet Dan – shared that the restaurant was reaching its 10-year milestone this year. Man, time flies. I would start reminiscing about all that’s happened since 2016, but I think that risks unleashing a depression so vast it swallows this entire article whole.
6. Jelly Roll’s Eyes Follow You. Post Malone’s Do Not.
Two of the biggest acts at this year’s Summerfest are face-tatted country-type singer dudes – Jelly Roll and Post Malone. Posters and slideshows enthusiastically advertised the shows by Mr. Malone (June 27) and Mr. Roll (July 4).
As I walked past them time and time again, ate fried food alongside their gaze, I couldn’t help but observe that Jelly Roll’s bright, wide eyes follow a man wherever he goes. You turn around – Jelly Roll. Sip your beer – Jelly Roll. Blink – Jelly Roll. This man, I am convinced, knows you at some strange and cosmic level, and his piercing eyes speak of that knowledge. He is whispering across posterboard, calling out for what I can only hope is some benevolent person.
Post Malone, on the other hand, looks like he’s not aware of your existence. His gaze shoots right past you – he’s looking up at more important people than you like, I dunno, Morgan Wallen or whatever. Or perhaps he is gazing at something inhuman – a platonic ideal, an alien intelligence, a mythic light. You, beside it, are nothing, for Post Malone has seen far beyond your meager flesh.
I believe these observations say something significant about each performer, something about their work, something about our connection to it as consumers, and perhaps even something about art itself. What, though, is up to you.
7. The Drink Vendors Are Cool … But It’s Impossible to Look Cool While Drinking From a Two-Inch-Long Straw.
Besides all the food vendors at the party, there were also plenty of folks serving drinks. There’s all the obvious stuff, of course, but this year you’ll also see some new drinks like a “Key Lime Colada” and “Blue Hawaiian Mocktail,” along with a lineup of new PepsiCo sodas, and brandy alexander and grasshopper cocktails from The Wisconsin Table and more.
And also slushie old fashioned cocktails, which is what I immediately wanted to try when I saw the samples set out in tiny little shot glasses. They were scrumptious. I was in awe that they could taste so good while still being alcoholic. Then I learned that they did not have alcohol, and I felt a little silly – but not nearly as silly as I felt sipping from the minuscule straw that came with the little sample cups. Whatever faint glimmers of cool I maintained were flushed straight down the toilet as I maneuvered that thing around my mouth. In retrospect, I probably should have just drunk it straight from the glass like a normal person, but hindsight is 20/20.
8. There’s Nothing Wrong with a Shot of America-Flavored Monster.
Another change to Summerfest’s drink lineup this year – Monster energy drinks are going to be available at bars across the grounds. Full disclosure: Monster is a drink I force myself to avoid because I know if I unleash my limitless desire for caffeine I’ll be guzzling them down by the dozen. But at the party, I decided that it would not be too terrible to have just one small, delicate, reasonable sample of Monster. Of the cans on offer, I went for the “ultra red white and blue razz,” because when in Rome, I guess.
9. Mini Cream Puffs May Be Better Than Full-Size Ones.
This article isn’t the place to wade into controversy, I know, but they were handing out mini cream puffs at this thing, and I have to admit, I enjoyed eating them more than I do the full-size standards at the State Fair. These puffs were golf ball-sized, just one easy bite. There was no cream spillover, no sticky fingers, just a clean, simple lovely cream puff. Grab a dozen, and you have a full puff’s worth. This is innovation. This is forward-thinking. This is the future – screw all that AI BS.
10. Meat Sticks.
You know, with the Michelin guide people coming to Milwaukee, there’s been a lot of talk about elevated dining: impeccable service, striking presentation, complex flavors, innovative approaches, so on and so forth. And in all this chatter, I worry that we’ve forgotten something fundamental – processed sticks of meat.
At the party, Johnsonville was giving out was giving out snack sticks – think Slim Jims but Johnsonville … Long Johns? Man, let me tell you, nothing beats those things. Culinary bliss. The pinnacle. The peak. Do I regret looking at the sodium content? Maybe. But c’est la vie.
11. Summerfest Merch Is Great As Always.
Every year, Summerfest kills it with the merch drops – they dig back across decades with retro styles, keep it funky and fresh, offer plenty of variety. This year is no exception. Of all the options I saw on display, I’m most partial to the gray shirt that just says “Fest” across the front.
12. I’m Not the Man I Want to Be.
OK, part of Number 11 was a lie. I actually like the neon ’80s style Summerfest shirt more than the “Fest” one. The one with the boat and the block letters and the “Miami Vice” vibe. But I’m too scared to wear it. I don’t think I could pull it off. I’m too small and nerdy and lame, and so I’ll settle for the plainer, slightly ironic “Fest” shirt instead. But what am I scared of really? Styling? Stunting? Flossing? Why do I allow myself to be controlled by these silly anxieties? No more, I say! I shall rock the boldest of Summerfest gear this year! My inner ’80s style will shine! I won’t care what people think! I’ll buy the … oh, dude, that T-shirt costs $42. Yeah, never mind.
13. Saz’s and Cedar Crest Are Deep into Middle-Age.
That’s right, two of Summerfest’s big wig vendors are celebrating milestones this year. Saz’s, the sampler platter kingpins, and Cedar Crest, the ice cream icons, have both been ruining diets for half a century. Frankly, Summerfest wouldn’t be the same without them. Can you imagine listening to Third Eye Blind without easy access to mozzarella sticks?
14. Garth Brooks Has a Very Dedicated Fan in Milwaukee.
During some brief remarks, Sarah Smith Pancheri, Milwaukee World Inc. president and CEO, gave a shoutout to the first concert of this year’s festival – Garth Brooks’ performance on June 17 at American Family Insurance Amphitheater. One woman whooped. Quite enthusiastically. She was an island of exuberance in a sea of silence. It was almost beautiful in a way, to see such unselfconscious expression of admiration. I’m not sure who she was, but I wish her the best in this cruel world – may she see Garth live, and may he live up to her expectations.
15. Toasting With Mozzarella Sticks Is a Thing of Pure Beauty.
At the end of the preview party, servers walked around with trays full of small shot glasses, each one with a tiny dash of sauce and a mozzarella stick gently placed within. These were raised in a toast to Summerfest at the event’s end and instead of sipping a drink, everyone munched on the fried cheese delight.
Why haven’t we all been doing this? Screw Champagne, man. Mozzarella sticks forever!
