The inaugural Freshwater Food & Wine Festival takes over Henry Maier Festival Park Sept. 19-20, bringing local restaurants, global wines, celebrity chef demonstrations and distinct Wisconsin experiences together on Milwaukee’s lakefront.
It’s an idea that founder Wesley Shaver describes simply as “food and beverage, but rock and roll” – a laid-back environment with dining and drinking experiences that are all inclusive.
Shaver, who’s spent 20 years working in Milwaukee’s hospitality industry, saw Freshwater as an intersection of his experience hosting large-scale events and his culinary roots.
Despite its upscale subject matter, Freshwater isn’t designed to feel exclusive. General admission costs $35 and includes access to the festival grounds, three live entertainment stages and a reusable acrylic wine glass for pours throughout the day and beyond. Guests are encouraged to “choose their own adventure” when deciding what food to try, with an à la carte structure to the tasting.
Check It Out!
“This was created with the Milwaukee mindset, our lakefront festivals are meant to be accessible, affordable and approachable,” Shaver said. “Milwaukee is getting so much national and international recognition for the chefs, the culinary scene and the work that the industry is doing; it just seemed like the right time to do it, and everyone should be able to access that.”
Make sure you get to the festival early, as the first 1,000 guests each day will be greeted with a complimentary, Wisconsin-inspired “supper club on a skewer” from Gordon Food Service, along with a spritz, to kick off their adventure. The fun goes from 11 A.M.-11 P.M. on Saturday and 11 A.M.-6 P.M. on Sunday.
Here Are Five Things to Look Out For
1. Try Local Eats
While it may share a home with Summerfest, this is not your average fest food, with mainly brick-and-mortars who “don’t really do festivals” bringing their flair to the lakefront for the first time.
“I wanted this festival to represent the diversity of our restaurant scene and the talent, whether it’s a small shop or a James Beard award-winning establishment or chef,” said Shaver.
The food will be split into three sections: Restaurant Row, offering nine establishments serving iconic and new dishes, the Flavor Yard with a host of indie food trucks and 3rd Street Market Hall bringing its vibrant vendors.
Dishes from around the world are coming to a head at Freshwater. With options ranging anywhere from La Dama, a small Mexican kitchen and bar, to Lupi & Iris, a nationally recognized restaurant serving French and Italian-Riviera cuisine. The flavors only expand from there, with Filipina Cocina’s comfort food and Bebe Zito’s ice cream serving treats as well.
Plus, Shaver gushes that Milwaukee legend Trocadero, a brunch hotspot and bar that closed in 2017, will make a brief – yet much-anticipated – return with its fan favorite items from the original menu. The resurrection includes their signature Bloody Mary’s, French-style beignets and more local foodie nostalgia.
Freshwater keeps things decidedly local, with one notable exception: Chicago’s Professor Pizza, who joins the festival as a headliner, bringing his signature pies across state lines.
2. Sip Through Seven Wine Regions
More than 80 wines from Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, South America, California, Italy and France, will be offered throughout the festival.
Before sipping, grab a complimentary passport – guests collect stamps from each region as they “visit” and taste the area’s finest pours, souvenir glass in-hand.
“Wherever you go, there’ll be a server there; they’ll pour your wine for you, and often the distributors and winemakers will talk to you to learn more about the vintner, the varietal or the year, and they’ll talk your ear off,” Shaver remarked. “We wanted to have a program that accommodates people, so even if you’re an entry level wine person, there’s still so much to enjoy.”
For the aficionados with refined palates, look no farther – there are reserved lists at every region with limited allocations for people to try more exclusive bottles.
3. See Celebrity Chefs in Action
At Freshwater, the food and beverage experience is not limited to just eating or drinking.
The festival’s Performance Pavilion transforms cooking masterclasses and culinary storytelling into a live show, complete with two cooking show-style competition kitchens, LED walls, lighting and DJs.
Throughout the weekend, nationally recognized and local culinary talent will take the stage for cooking demonstrations, audience Q&As and competitions. Shaver spotlights chef Elena Terry, who will showcase Indigenous cooking practices while preparing a bison tomahawk steak and three sisters salad on Saturday at 5 P.M. Terry, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, will also be introduced with a performance from her son’s drum group.
Another standout is burger expert and documentarian George Motz, who will fire up the grill for demonstrations before taking questions from the audience and welcoming four Wisconsin “burger legends” for a conversation on Saturday at 3 P.M.
Then, on Sunday at 3 PM, the kitchen becomes a battleground. “Midwest HEAT!” pits Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs against Chicago’s Joe Sasto in a live “Top Chef”-style competition. Plus, Milwaukee locals are further elevating the duel, with chef Adam Pawlak hosting the showdown while DJ Shawna provides the soundtrack.
4. Toast to Wisconsin Tradition
Freshwater may dabble in the exotic, but in Shaver’s words, it’s still “so Wisconsin,” paying homage to its Midwest home with familiar traditions and nostalgia.
A must-visit is Berens Backyard Bar, where the Northwoods come to the lakefront through a collaboration with Charlie Berens’ brandy brand. The outdoor space recreates an “Up North” Wisconsin bar with classics like pull tabs, bar dice and four special brandy cocktails, along with a live music stage.
Then there’s the Champagne Room paying tribute to the “Champagne of Beers” – Miller High Life. Overlooking the Miller Stage area, Shaver calls the experience a “celebration of High Life and Summerfest,” complete with vintage festival posters, shirts, jackets and other memorabilia from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
Wisconsin icon Saz’s takes the homage one step further with a never-before-seen “fine dining” version of their famous Sampler Platter – beef tallow fries, beer glazed jalapeño poppers, caprese wontons and Ellsworth curds.
5. Find Local Talent Beyond the Table
Beyond bites and pours, Freshwater offers plenty of artistry to explore. An entirely local music lineup will soundtrack the weekend, with live jazz, acoustic acts and DJs spread throughout the grounds.
Each area brings a different sound to match its atmosphere. A Shaver-recommended experience is Pearl & Pop, where its sparkling wine and oyster bar is paired with live jazz before mixing in French pop in the evening.
“It’s got this great lineup of local people doing all different kinds of music.” said Shaver. “We have incredible artists like Joe Wray, B.D. Greer and the Gents, Kris & Dani Crow and different DJs,”
Guests can further support local artistry by attending the festival’s Collective Marketplace, featuring artisans selling everything from fresh breads, honey and cheese, to jewelry and art. Shaver intentionally kept the market small and “digestible,” leaving plenty of open space to sit back, sip and enjoy the lakefront.
Ready to sip, savor and explore? Get your tickets for a day (or two) here.
