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In Festival Guide
Summerfest takes the day off on July 4, 2011
Summerfest announced today that the 2011 event will be split in two with the festival taking a day off on Monday, July 4.
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., which runs the 11-day music festival, said in a statement the change is in response to "customer feedback and the premise that, in general, if given the choice, people prefer to attend entertainment events, like Summerfest, on a Wednesday versus a Monday."
The 2011 festival -- which organizers call a test of the new configuration -- will open Wednesday, June 29 -- the event has started on Thursdays for most of its 30-plus life-span -- and run through Sunday, July 3. It will close for July 4 and reopen Tuesday, July 5 and wrap up Sunday, July 10.
"As stewards of Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park, we respond to customer preferences and suggestions," said Don Smiley, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. president and CEO, "which periodically entails making adjustments to the event and its operations so the event and all of its partners and stakeholders have the strongest opportunity and probability for success in delivering the event experience that festival-goers' desire."
Organizers say they will watch closely how this year's festival is affected by the alteration in the schedule and may decide to stick with the new idea. That suggests they may also consider scrapping it or trying something else, too.
The move is an unexpected and unusual one -- especially considering many people are off on July 4 -- for the festival which rarely makes such a big scheduling move. But it will be interesting to see customer response and how the festival responds in 2012.
What do you think of the changes? Share your opinion using the Talkback feature below.
In related news, Summerfest announced the popular Children's Fest Day is set for Tuesday, July 5. The festival offers free admission to all that day until 3 p.m.
Talkbacks
sandstorm | Nov. 19, 2010 at 2:58 p.m. (report)
if they didn't care about their patrons they wouldn't have added the wednesday they did. i guess if summerfest really cared they'd book every stage every night of the summer for you. also, it would seem you and your pals have been given plenty of notice to switch your plans to the 3rd this year and can resume meeting on the 4th in 2012. i don't know. i guess i just don't get all the wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments on this one.
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Poeartemer | Nov. 19, 2010 at 10:43 a.m. (report)
NO ...I just figure if they do'nt care about their PATRONS...why should we care about them!
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sprag57 | Nov. 19, 2010 at 9:27 a.m. (report)
It's a shame for them to close on July 4th. Since I always had the day off, Summerfest was a great option for me and my friends. Maybe the Brewers are playing instead.
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sandstorm | Nov. 19, 2010 at 8:57 a.m. (report)
"...I WILL NOT GO AT ALL IF THEY DO THIS!!!!!" i guess Poeartemer believes in cutting off the nose to spite the face.
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sandstorm | Nov. 19, 2010 at 8:55 a.m. (report)
older/wiser, just meet on the 3rd. problem solved. you're welcome. and just to clear up your obvious confusion, summerfest was always going to open on the 6th this year. what they've done is added the wednesday before that weekend (as sf traditionally started on a thursday) and admittedly the decision seemed odd to me as well, but i don't have access to the numbers SF has at their fingertips for their bean counters to count. therefore, i could question the decision from now until the 4th of July, but i would have to assume they know what they're doing better than i would know what they're doing.
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