MILWAUKEE — The familiar sights and sounds of Summerfest filled the lakefront on Thursday night.
The ‘Big Gig’ returned with thousands taking in acts like Kane Brown, Gin Blossoms, Latin Mafia, Brittany Howard, DJay Mando, and many more.
It’s why Rick ‘RJ’ Jacob has attended every single Summerfest since 1968.
“I come to see all the people—to see old friends, some you don’t see for a year or two,” said Jacob. “It’s great, and everybody loves it. That’s a good thing. That’s what it’s about.”
Day one brought in people from all over the country. Jenny Flowers drove up from the Chicago area with her friend Kaitlin from Hawaii. Both got to check out the festival for the first time.
“We walked in and were like, “Wow, this is awesome,” so we love all of the options and all of the different bands and stages,” said Flowers. “All of the people have been great.”
Dawn Harrison has been coming since she was a little girl. She brought her friend, Cami Heck, who came all the way from Montgomery, Alabama.
“It’s clean. It’s beautiful. They have great acts. It’s great. I would never miss it,” said Dawn.
The two were heading to country star Kane Brown.
Some of the new attractions, like ‘Yield,’ an immersive sound and art installation, drew hundreds to walk through and explore.
New food was also a big draw. Milwaukee’s Chef Dan Jacobs, a finalist on Top Chef, opened a stand for his restaurant DanDan for the first time this year.
“I’m excited to be here, and I think people are just realizing, like, “What? You’re here?” said Jacobs. “Where else would I be?” I love this! I like working and also like being involved in restaurants.”
Summerfest continues for the next three weekends, from Thursday through Saturday. Jacob will plan on attending to drink in the music, the people, and everything that the festival has to offer.
“This is the best festival in the world,” said Jacob.
Learn more about Summerfest by clicking here: What you need to know for Summerfest day one (tmj4.com)
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
