The Milwaukee Post

6 • Milwaukee Post • July 19, 2013 Attendance, revenue up for 2013 Summerfest Festival fans consumed nearly 60,000 cheeseburgers during 11-day run By KEVIN PASSON Special to The Post MILWAUKEE – Good weather, great music and fun times combined to help draw 840,356 people to Summerfest this year, an increase of 4.3 percent from the 2012 total of 805,437, according to information released by Milwaukee World Festival Inc. officials. Attendees represented 49 states and 40 nations, including Australia, Brazil, France, Spain, Mexico, Germany Uganda and , Poland. Food and beverage sales at the event increased by 7 percent over last year's totals in the same categories. Additionally busi, ness-to- business sales rose by 4.1 percent over last year's totals, including new sponsorships with Johnson Controls, Uline, Scion, Badger Meter, Boston Store, Pick 'n Save, Coffee Mate, Palermo's Verlo, Direct Supply Forward Dental, Gruber Law, K, Nation, Kemp's, Tombstone and Jack's Pizza. Overall, 80 sponsors and media partners were part of Summerfest 2013. "This year's event was outstanding. From the music, food and beverage offerings, new daytime enhancements and promotions, attendees were able to 'Smile On' in a big way said Don Smiley president ," , and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival. About 140,000 hours were worked by nearly 2,000 seasonal employees during the 11 days of the festival. Also, 875 volunteer shifts, equating to 5,400 hours from 400 volunteers and drivers, contributed to help the festival run smoothly . Ted Kellner, chairman of the board, con- Park: Three Bridges opens Saturday continued from Page 1 35th and 27th Street viaducts along the southern bank of the Menomonee River. The Saturday opening kicks off with short group processions from each bridge to an area of the park across the new 33rd Street Court pedestrian bridge. After a ceremonial blessing by Potawatomi Tribe leaders and remarks by officials at 10:15 a.m., the public is invited to enjoy scheduled activities throughout the park until 2 p.m., including live music by Paul Cebar and the Afro-Cuban-Latin jazz band De La Buena. Three Bridges Park will be cooperatively owned by the state of Wisconsin and the city of Milwaukee and become a part of the Hank Aaron State Trail. The Urban Ecology Center's new Menomonee Valley branch is gratulated staff on a job well done. "I am appreciative of the staff who worked hard to produce this world-class event and thankful to everyone who supported and attended Summerfest this year," he said. More than 800 musical acts took the stage with more than 1,000 performances. Highlights included Violent Femmes and The Avett Brothers with special guests Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Ivan and Aloysa, Dropkick Murphys, Timeflies, Billy Idol, Cake, LL Cool J, Empire of the Sun, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Imagine Dragons, AWOLNATION, The Wailers, Pretty Lights, Alice Cooper, Skillet, Luke Bryan with special guests Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line, Rick Springfield, Nelly and Foreigner. Also, Summerfest celebrated the return of comedy with Lewis Black. To bring the music to life, 58 tour buses were parked and 15,185 man hours of local labor were used to set up and tear down all shows across the grounds. This year, new daytime offerings allowed festival fans to enjoy more than just the music. These included the paddleboat water experience, skydive shows, the zipline, the Summerfest parade and the big smile photo opportunity . The new enhancements proved to be popular as patrons took 4,105 paddleboat rides and 4,181 zipline rides, while the skyglider provided 92,566 one-way trips. As in years past, Summerfest provided patrons with the opportunity to get in free or at a discounted rate each day of the festival. In total, 78,445 patrons entered the event for free, taking advantage of an admission promotion offer. Also, 26,879 attendees entered for free on weekdays via the tickets that accompanied Fest Flags and 25,000 weekday tickets were distributed for free during the Opening Day Quarter Million Dollar Ticket Giveaway on site. Festival fans sampled more than 40 diverse food and beverage vendors, which resulted in the consumption of 59,947 cheeseburgers, 22,300 brats, 13,605 eggplant strips, 41,584 mozzarella sticks, 41,978 ears of corn, 167,796 mini doughnuts and 33,728 ice cream cones. On the grounds, 4,101,600 feet of towel was used along with 972 gallons of hand soap to help keep patrons hands clean after those meals. A large infrastructure improvement also was completed for 2013, which helped AT&T provide enhanced cellphone coverage across Henry Maier Festival Park. To fulfill the project, 260 miles of single mode fiber strands were installed underground. The new infrastructure is comprised of 65 antennas on 11 buildings, with 18 of the antennas located inside the Marcus Amphitheater. The #SFLive Lounge, also new this year, offered interactive fan experiences that showcased artist interviews and allowed patrons to participate in the 2013 campaign and other themed days to win prizes. Overall, 63 bands performed a live, acoustic song in the #SFLive Lounge that was captured on video and photo and posted on Summerfest social media outlets. Summerfest photographers captured more than 15,000 digital images during the 11-day run. While data on news coverage is still being compiled, the initial results are extremely positive, officials said. To date, Summerfest and the city of Milwaukee were included in more than 1,600 news mentions from January through July . International media attention from 48 major outlets focused on "The World's Largest Music Festival," including Rolling Stone, USA Today Billboard, New York , Times, Wall Street Journal, CMT, BBC, Pollstar, New York Post, Teen Vogue, London Sun and People Magazine. Summerfest 2014 will take place June 25 through June 29 and July 1 through July 6. located at South 37th and Pierce streets on the south end of the new Valley Passage bike and pedestrian bridge. In addition to the three new pedestrian/bike bridges crossing the Menomonee River, new asphalt paths have been created throughout the park and a canoe launch has been built on the river. Planting of prairie plants and trees is under way . The park's completion caps $26 million in interconnected projects that promote access to jobs, environmental education, outdoor recreation and neighborhood vitality . Partners in this effort include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the city of Milwaukee, Menomonee Valley Partners and the Urban Ecology Center. Other projects have included the Urban Ecology Center Menomonee Valley branch, which opened in September 2012, and a sixmile extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail and the Valley Passage bridge, which opened in November 2010. The other two new bike/pedestrian bridges will open Saturday – one at 33rd Court and the other linking the valley and the park to the Clark Square neighborhood at the Mitchell Park Domes. The 4.5-mile wide valley was once a wild rice marsh and home to American Indians. During the Industrial Era, the valley housed numerous industrial businesses, including the Milwaukee Roads Shops, a sprawling complex that made rail cars and locomotives. After the national decline of heavy industry and railroads, the valley was largely abandoned and became a highly visible eyesore along Interstate 94. In the late 1990s, the city and Menomonee Valley Partners began to develop and execute plans to clean and revive the Valley for recreation and employment. In the last 10 years, 35 companies have moved to or expanded in the Valley 5,000 , jobs have been created and the valley has become recognized as a national model of economic and environmental sustainability , according to valley officials. Businesses located in the valley include Palermo Villa Inc., Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Derse Inc. and Prolitec Inc. Rishi Tea recently revealed plans to build a $4.9 million headquarters in the Menomonee Valley Industrial Center, the latest business to be lured to the valley . The federal, state and city governments, along with private supporters, have funded the Three Bridges Park project, and the city of Milwaukee's Redevelopment Authority provided land for the park. The Menomonee Valley Partners and Urban Ecology Center have launched a grass-roots fund drive to raise the remaining support needed for science education and outdoor recreation programs for area youths and families, a land restoration effort in the new park and the building of community gardens and other park amenities. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee World Festival Inc. Summerfest 2013 drew more than 805,000 people to the Henry W. Maier Festival Park.

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