Among the sea of Wisconsinites visiting Summerfest for the gazillionth time, there are outsiders, many having never used the term “ope” or worn a Cheesehead. By the gates’ opening on the festival’s first Thursday, visitors from every corner of the country had already converged at Henry Maier Festival Park to count themselves among the 600,000 annual attendees. Traveling a long distance to Summerfest is no small feat, but there seems to be a consensus among those who’ve done it: It’s totally worth it.
MUSIC PICKS, FREE TICKETS AND BEYOND: MORE SUMMERFEST COVERAGE HERE.
Some of them hear the Big Gig gospel from Milwaukeeans spreading the word in their travels. Some come to see one special artist, others to revel in the Wisconsin stereotypes. Some are here to fulfill a longtime desire to see the largest music festival in the U.S. All experience part of the three-weekend testament to the universal appreciation of music and community.
Here are some of the travelers we encountered on the festival’s opening day, and what brought them to Milwaukee.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
David and Dawn Swartwood, 300 miles
Ten years ago, this couple from suburban Cleveland were at Abbey Road on the River, a Beatles-inspired music festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
“While we were down there, we ran into several people who said, ‘Well, this is good, but have you ever been to Summerfest?’ We said, ‘No, what’s that?’ And a decade later, here we are,” David says.
The Swartwoods made their first trip to Milwaukee to celebrate David’s 70th birthday with a stacked weekend of fun. “I thought, what can we do differently to make [his birthday] special? So I gave him the choice: Summerfest or the Bourbon Festival in Kentucky. He picked this, and now we’re here to enjoy it for the whole three days,” Dawn says.
Though they were impressed with the grounds thus far and Thursday’s afternoon atmosphere, the music was the main draw and source of anticipation. “When I saw Steph Strings and AJ Croce, that’s what made me pick Summerfest, and this weekend specifically rather than the other ones. I’m excited to see them tomorrow,” David explains.
One pickup from the Summerfest Store: hats that could pique the interest of other Ohioans upon their return from the birthday extravaganza.
Grady and Lana Schamberger, 840 miles
This couple came to Summerfest all the way from Fort Morgan, Colorado, a small town about 80 miles northeast of Denver. The Schambergers originally traveled to Madison for a cousin’s wedding. A family member surprised them with Garth Brooks tickets, who performed at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on June 16 and 17, just before the fest’s official start.
“We came for that show, but we booked a hotel in Milwaukee and decided to stay for Summerfest. We said, ‘oh yeah, we’ll stick around for that,’” Lana says as she sipped a beer and took in the early hours of the festival. “We’ve only been to Milwaukee one time before, and that was 10 years ago. The downtown looks a lot different than it did, so that’s been fun to see.”
Michael and Doreen Unger, 1,200 miles
Summerfest is part of an annual tradition for this southwestern Florida couple, attending while during their trip to visit their Wisconsin children and grandkids.
This year, they were delighted by the weather – a not-too-hot day in comparison to years past. “There’s just so much to take in right now. What we do mostly is we just walk stage to stage, and it’s good entertainment, and there’s promotions to get you in every day,” Michael Unger says of their annual trips. “And it’s good people watching,” Doreen Unger adds.
It’s not only the buzzing atmosphere and live music that lures them back, but the variety of Wisconsin food – a delicacy for these two Floridians. Doreen’s advice as a seasoned festgoer is a local classic: the Saz’s Sampler Platter.
Donna and Peter Chappy, 1,460 miles
This couple came all the way from Phoenix with a good friend referred to by all as “Spoon.”
“We’ve been hearing about it for years,” says Donna. “You hear about Summerfest in Arizona at other festivals, and when you go to those events, you meet people who’ve gone, even if they’re not from here. We had to see what all this hype was about. … So far, it’s meeting our expectations for the first day with the music and good food.”
By their first Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee, they’d tried Saz’s cheese curds – “Did you guys invent these?” Donna asked – and a few local beers, as well as seen an “awesome” band at the T-Mobile stage.
Delaney Wilson, 180 miles
Traveling to Summerfest doesn’t always mean getting on a plane or spending all day in the car. Along with a few friends, Wilson made a four-hour, early-morning drive to her first Summerfest from Peoria, Illinois, to see one of her favorite musicians.
“We came to see Dora Jar. I’ve seen her quite a few times, but I’m excited to see her at a festival like this,” Wilson said. Also on the agenda were Passion Pit and Avery Cochrane. “Very fun so far.”
While she road-tripped for the chance to see a star-studded lineup with a single ticket, Wilson ended up loving the “cool” atmosphere. While she’s briefly visited Milwaukee before, she enjoyed seeing a new side of the city electrified by the buzz of Summerfest.
Kimberly, Brianna and Isabella Solis, 88 miles
Not every remarkable Summerfest story lies in that its owner comes from far away; plenty of Wisconsinites traverse America’s Dairyland each year. For Kimberly Solis of Appleton and her two adult daughters, the festival is the highlight of every summer.
“I grew up in Milwaukee,” Kimberly says. “We’ve been going as a family since these ones were little, and now they’re adults, so it’s become a tradition. Not everyone can come at noon and stay all night, but we do. We love it.”
Kimberly has attended Summerfest almost every year since she was 14 – she’s seen Duran Duran, the original lineup of Journey – and has fostered her love of live music in her children.
“In general, I just like to come listen to new music. The people I’ve seen here, you see them one year, and then a few years later they’re up-and-coming,” Brianna says. “I also really like that it’s not just all pop or all rock. You get a wide variety of different genres.”
The family has won a variety of special live music and festival experiences through local radio ticket giveaways and contests, including a special party last year and Chance the Rapper tickets in 2021, Summerfest’s COVID-comeback year. They’ll be back again for another Milwaukee weekend. “This year, my husband won Jelly Roll tickets in Appleton on a country radio station,” Kimberly says, “so we’re going to see him this Fourth.”
