When Summerfest returns in 2024, it will have yet another renovated stage as one of the covered venues on the grounds will be transformed into the Aurora Pavilion.
The announcement that the Johnson Controls World Stage – which was converted to the Sound Waves Stage, a DJ-focused venue, this year after the sponsor pulled out – will receive a makeover with a new sponsor came Thursday morning at the Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) board meeting at Summerfest headquarters.
“Expanding our relationship with Aurora Health Care, who has been the Exclusive Health Care partner of Summerfest since 2017, opens the door to a new chapter of community impact – a mission that has guided both organizations for decades,” said Milwaukee World Festival CEO Don Smiley.
“This is a unique opportunity for us to join forces to bring a diverse set of artists and range of cultural experiences to Henry Maier Festival Park throughout the season and make the arts more accessible.”
According to Smiley, the Aurora Pavilion, located just north of the Mid-Gate entrance to the Henry Maier Festival Park, will feature a new wider entrance to boost capacity, a new permanent video screen, improved accessibility for guests with limited mobility, improved access in and around the stage, and improved hospitality and artist production capabilities.
When the pavilion opened about 20 years ago, it was sponsored by Potawatomi Casino Hotel.
“This building will go through a complete transformation,” Smiley said. “It will look completely new when it’s finished.”
Eppstein Uhen Architects is the project architect.
That work is expected to be completed in time for Summerfest 2024, slated for June 20-22, June 27-29, and July 4-6.
Although in the evenings, the stage will continue its Sound Waves focus on DJs and dance music, at other times, a Summerfest statement said, the stage will "provide greater access to the arts, amplify diverse voices through music performance and improve the health of Milwaukee-area residents.”
In addition to a variety of performances by local and national artists in a variety of genres during the Big Gig, Smiley said, the Aurora Pavilion could hosts community events like health screenings.
Outside of Summerfest, the Aurora Pavilion, "will create a gathering place for cultural programming including free events and concerts."
“We know that music and the arts have the power to bring people together and a strong social fabric is correlated with improved health outcomes,” said Cristy Garcia-Thomas, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Advocate Health, and President, Advocate National Center for Health Equity.
“Through this partnership with MWF and the creation of the new Aurora Pavilion, we are honored to expand services and programming to create a community ecosystem that fosters health, hope, and healing for all,” added Aurora President Gabrielle Finley-Hazle.
Smiley pointed out that Summerfest has long partnered with Aurora.
“I’m excited that we’re going to take that relationship to the next level,” he said, “as a permanent stage sponsor with the Aurora Pavilion.”
As part of the agreement, Aurora will continue its role as the exclusive health care partner of Summerfest, carrying on its sponsorship of amenities like First Aid, the Nursing Mother’s Suite, Lost Children’s Area, as well as identification wristbands, healthy menu, sunscreen and hand sanitizer stations.
Aurora Health Care will also continue to sponsor the free Rock On To Wellness morning workout event at Henry Maier Festival Park and Summerfest's Latin Music Day.
“We look forward to rockin’ on in 2024,” said Garcia-Thomas.
In recent years, Summerfest has renovated, built or rebuilt numerous grounds stages, not least of which was a new amphitheater in 2021.
Most of that work was designed by Milwaukee-based Eppstein Uhen. You can see many of those projects here.
Later, at the same meeting Thursday, MWF Board saluted the departing Smiley's 20 years as president and CEO and approved the promotion of Sarah Pancheri as his replacement, effective Jan. 1.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
