For a lot of people (myself included a lot of the time), the walkway along the lakefront side of the Summerfest grounds is simply an easy way to get quickly between either end of the grounds. It's a shame, because there's some pretty cool stuff off the Big Gig's main drag.

For one, the atmosphere is completely different. People are more relaxed. Crowds are rare, and the constant pushing and jostling you have to endure stage-side is almost nonexistent.

There's some pretty cool music, too. The vibe is different, but it's still the world's largest music festival, after all, and it just wouldn't be right if every inch wasn't permeated with sound. Here, you get the drum circle, a cool singer/guitar ensemble, the Refugee Stage and similarly offbeat – yet very cool – groups that are perfectly suited for their "off the beaten path" locale.

A lot of the space is devoted to arts tents and random, quirky stuff for sale. A good amount of them are jewelry/hippie dress sellers, but there's some pretty unique and fun stuff mixed in that's definitely worth checking out. I used to do the handwriting analysis just for kicks (anyone who's bought one before knows it's far from scientific), but this year I couldn't resist picking up a pair of starfish earrings.

The best part of the area has to be the people-watching, though. With plenty of seating on the benches, tables and rocks, you can easily pick up some food, head over and spend an hour just sitting back and watching the fest-goers shuffle by.

I spent so much time this year hustling around the front end of the grounds that it almost slipped my mind that there was more going on than the main stage music. Sure, that's Summerfest's big draw, but it's great to be able to slow things down and absorb the whole experience, which includes the often-underappreciated lakeside setups. I'm glad I made time to enjoy it.