Editing Summerfest (section)

==History==
Summerfest was conceived in the 1960s by then-mayor [[Henry W. Maier]]. Inspired by his visit to [[Oktoberfest]] in [[Munich]], [[Germany]], Maier envisioned a similar ethnic-themed festival in Milwaukee, and in 1962 formed a panel of business and civic leaders to study the feasibility of a large-scale summer festival. By the middle of the decade, the panel drew up a proposal for a 10-day multi-event festival with the proposed name of "Milwaukee World Festival," which was changed briefly in 1966 to "Juli Spaß" (German for "July Fun") and then to "Summerfest".<ref>{{cite web |last=Tanzilo |first=Bobby |url=https://onmilwaukee.com/seasonal/festivals/articles/summerfest50.html |title=The history of Summerfest |website=OnMilwaukee |date=2017-06-29 |access-date=2019-08-22 |archive-date=2019-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822140137/https://onmilwaukee.com/seasonal/festivals/articles/summerfest50.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The inaugural Summerfest was held in July 1968 at 35 different locations throughout the city (including [[Milwaukee County Stadium]] and [[US Cellular Arena|Milwaukee Arena]]), and its events ranged from concerts to a film festival, an air show, and even a pageant. The first Summerfest, produced by Dee Robb and Con Merten was regarded as a success; the second event in 1969, was less successful, as it was plagued by additional venues, inclement weather, and severe financial debt.

In 1970, a permanent central location was decided upon, and Summerfest moved to a former [[Nike missile]] site on the [[Lake Michigan|lakefront]], where it continues to be held to this day. Also that year, Summerfest introduced its red "smiley face" logo, an insignia that has become synonymous with the event. The logo was designed by local graphic artists Noel Spangler and Richard D. Grant.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stingl|first1=Jim|title=The man behind Summerfest's big, fat smile logo|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/the-man-behind-summerfests-big-fat-smile-logo-b9942225z1-213056971.html|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|access-date=6 July 2016}}</ref>

It was also in 1970 that [[Henry Jordan]], former [[Green Bay Packers]] defensive tackle, became executive director of Summerfest, a title he held during the event's early years until his death in 1977. After a few other businessmen were hired by the board for the executive director's job, Elizabeth "Bo" Black,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=568531|title=Black undergoes surgery after stroke|first=Jesse|last=Garza|work=jsonline.com|access-date=2007-06-24|archive-date=2007-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929122046/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=568531|url-status=dead}}</ref> who was formerly Henry Jordan's secretary, became executive director in 1984 after a ten-year lobbying effort.

The event has not been without its controversy. On December 9, 2002, [[Lee Gates]] commented in the ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'' about the lack of opportunity to play at Summerfest. "I don't get the credit I deserve here. I've been playing 50-something years. There's discrimination at Summerfest. I shouldn't need to have a CD out to be paid $700 at Summerfest. If they want you to have CDs, they should pay you like they pay the professional people."<ref name="Groups">{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/bit.listserv.blues-l/Tis3VzeZqUQ |title=Google Groups |website=Groups.google.com |access-date=2017-07-16}}</ref>

Summerfest celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007. The event's history was the subject of "Summerfest Stories", a documentary that aired in June 2007 on [[WMVS|Milwaukee Public Television]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mptv.org/insidemptv/news/detail.php?n=185 |title=News & Events {{!}} Milwaukee Public Television |work=mptv.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703113008/http://www.mptv.org/insidemptv/news/detail.php?n=185 |archive-date=July 3, 2015 }}</ref>

In 2015, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc and ReverbNation announced a three-year agreement to use the online service as an audition to give musicians a chance to perform. Summerfest wanted to provide an opportunity for performers to get a chance to be one of the 800+ acts and allow new talent to be seen by over 900,000 people that attend.

2020 saw the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] as grounds for scrapping the concert part & moving others online.

===Attendance===

'''Summerfest attendance since 1995'''

{{Graph:Chart
 | width=1000
 | height=350
 | xAxisTitle= Year
 | yAxisTitle= Attendance
 | type=rect
 | x=1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021,
 | y=864023, 873235, 945565, 906250, 949666 , 948503, 1022250, 1000563, 905135, 867754, 901841, 864866, 892005, 831024, 835679 , 856254, 878636, 805437, 840356, 851879, 772652, 804116, 831769, 766192, 718144, 0, 409386,
}}
Summerfest attendance peaked in 2001 (12 days over 2 weeks) at 1,000,563 attendees.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foran |first=Chris |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/summerfest/2019/07/12/summerfest-posts-6-drop-attendance-lowest-total-more-than-30-years/1720159001/ |title=Summerfest posts a 6% drop in attendance, for the lowest total in more than 30 years |website=Jsonline.com |date=2019-07-12 |access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref> In 2010 Summerfest officials announced a new 11-day schedule for the 2011 festival. Summerfest was closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 (409,386 attendees), the event was revised to 9 days ( 3 weekends) instead of 11 days (over 2 weeks), and it occurred in September rather than during the summer months.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foran |first=Chris |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/festivals/summerfest/2021/09/22/summerfest-in-milwaukee-attendance-down-sharply-2021-covid-september-weather-factors-officials-say/5822139001/ |title=Milwaukee's Summerfest attendance was down sharply in 2021, as officials blame the COVID-19 pandemic, September dates and rain |website=Jsonline.com |date=2021-09-22 |access-date=2021-11-03}}</ref>Summerfest returned to the June /July summer months in 2022 (445,611 attendees), but continued the 3 weekend format. Citing analyzed available data, patron surveys and the event landscape Milwaukee World Festival ultimately determined the best possible path forward for Summerfest was to transition to a 3 weekend format. 

The festival reported 555,925 fans during Summerfest 2024, despite rain impacting six of the nine festival days (2024 saw the most rain since Summerfest 2000). In fulfillment of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.'s (MWF) nonprofit mission, 21% of those patrons who attended the festival gained access via one of the 14 free admission promotions.