I am starting to plan a summer ride ( circling Lake Michigan) I see summerfest in Milwaukee during the time I could be. I am wondering if anyone has any tips for hotels / parking? I am checking the official website but am hoping for insider tips.

 

Stay at any of the airport hotels. Traffic and getting around Milwaukee is never difficult. Lots of motels near College, Rawson or Layton ave.
I lived in Milwaukee for many years. Summerfest can be a good time but there is lots of people and lots of drinkin'.

 

Personally I would stay downtown to avoid the hassle of riding and parking. true, there is free parking for motorcycles, but it can fill up. And that parking puts you right at the gate, which may sound good, until it's time to get in line and leave. The downtown/3rd ward area is also a great place to walk around and have fun. Water street is a big congregating area for motorcycles. It's not unusual to see hundreds of bikes lined up along Water st on a Summerfest weekend night. Brady Street is another strip that has great bars and restaurants. All of this is within walking distance to Summerfest or you can take a short cab ride or ride one of the shuttles that runs up and down Wisconsin Ave (basically runs east/west from the Summerfest grounds).

I did a quick check and the Comfort Inn has a few rooms available at a pre-pay price of $135/night. They have self park. I've stayed there (don't ask why ) and the rooms are decent and it's super close t Summerfest. If you have more coin, stay at the Metro or Pfister. Even more - stay at the Iron Horse. It's a little west of downtown and right by the Harley museum. It's very nice and fairly spendy. But, it's another congregating point for riders due to it's proximity to the Museum and the motorcycle theme. It has a fun, but again spendy ($13 Margarita!!) beer garden. There's a Wyndham, Marriots, Holiday Inn Express, etc downtown too. The MIlwaukee Athletic Club also has rooms and they're right in the mix.

I encourage you to make the trip. It's a great time to check us out. I promise, you'll have a great time.

 

Summerfest is awesome, 'nuff said!

 

As a native Milwaukean, you can also park at the external lots and take shuttles into Summerfest. One goes to a lot near the airport. Stay there and then take the bus downtown.

 

When do they start releasing the concert schedules? I saw they had two country acts booked already but not what I'm looking to hear.

 

Rush will be playing at summerfest July 4th. at the Marcus Amphitheater-I'll be there.

 

Summerfest has a special Harley lot for bike parking

 

I would love to see Rush but unless you are in the first 20 rows or so the acoustics at the Amphitheater are a nightmare. By the time the music gets to the cheap seats its just noise. And I can, never score good tickets.

 

i saw edgar winter and leon russel play at the marcus amphitheater for the HD 85 anniversary in 1988. i can honestly say it was the worst sounding show i ever saw. i never thought the acoustics were the problem, i just thought they sucked..