A major stage at Henry Maier Festival Park has a new sponsor and will get a substantial upgrade.
The stage just inside the Main Gate at the park will now be known as the Aurora Pavilion through an expanded partnership between Milwaukee World Festival Inc. and Aurora Health Care.
Plans were unveiled Thursday morning prior to a meeting of the Milwaukee World Festival board.
“Expanding our relationship with Aurora Health Care, who has been the exclusive health care partner of Summerfest since 2017, opens the door to a new chapter of community impact – a mission that has guided both organizations for decades,” Milwaukee World Festival Chief Executive Officer Don Smiley said. “This is a unique opportunity for us to join forces to bring a diverse set of artists and range of cultural experiences to Henry Maier Festival Park throughout the season and make the arts more accessible.”
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Past sponsors for the stage have include Johnson Controls Inc. and Potawatomi Casino Hotel.
“We know that music and the arts have the power to bring people together and a strong social fabric is correlated with improved health outcomes,” said Cristy Garcia-Thomas, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Advocate Health, Aurora Health Care’s corporate parent, and President of Advocate National Center for Health Equity. “In addition to making continuous investments in accessible housing, nutritious food and stable employment, Aurora Health Care is proud to strengthen our local neighborhoods by building vibrant places to bring our communities together.”
Upgrades are planned for the stage as part of the new sponsorship. They include:
- Widened entrance leading to increased venue capacity.
- New permanent video screen
- Improved accessibility for patrons with mobility limitations
- Improved access in and around the venue, as well as to public restrooms
- New hospitality area and backstage artist production support area
“It will look brand new when we are finished,” Smiley said.
During Summerfest, the Aurora Pavilion will host a mix of local artists and national touring acts, featuring diverse artists and genres. The Sound Waves DJ/dance party concept, which debuted this year featuring popular DJs and elevated lights and sound, will continue to be incorporated into the Aurora Pavilion programming each night.
“It’s in an investment in our community and in our state,” Garcia-Thomas said in an interview following the announcement. “It is an asset that not only the entire state benefits from but it’s also something that draws people from outside the state to the world’s largest music festival. Being able to be part of that is just phenomenal.”
Beyond Summerfest, Aurora Health Care and Milwaukee World Festival will partner to provide expanded public access to the pavilion through free community events for families focused on arts and entertainment, healthy living and community giving initiatives.
Through the agreement, Aurora Health Care will continue to be the exclusive health care partner of Summerfest, including the continued sponsorship of first aid, the nursing mother’s suite, lost children’s area and identification wristbands, healthy menu, sunscreen, and hand sanitizer stations, as well as Latin Music Day during Summerfest.
In addition, Aurora Health Care will continue to sponsor Rock on To Wellness, a free morning workout event at Henry Maier Festival Park.
