College: not exactly known as a money-saver these days ... that is, except on Friday afternoon, when several of your favorite local higher education institutions will team up to help you save some cash getting into Summerfest with Show Your College Pride Day.

Sponsored by CW18, My 24 and yours truly OnMilwaukee, this admission promo gets you into the Big Gig on Friday for the smallest possible cost: zero dollars. That's right: Attendees who arrive at the midgate promotions booth between noon and 3 p.m. on Friday, June 30, wearing a hat or shirt repping one of six participating colleges and universities will score a free admission ticket – valid for the day and time of the deal. Those higher education institutions include:

• Carroll University
• Herzing University
• Marquette University
• MATC
• UW-Milwaukee
• UW-Whitewater

That's not the only way to snag free Summerfest admission on Friday, however. Attendees can also simply show their high school ID at the midgate promotions booth between noon and 3 p.m. to earn a free admission ticket for that day. And as another bonus, those high school students who start their FAFSA by Thursday, July 6, can also collect a free admission ticket for the Big Gig. 

To snag your FAFSA-induced free ticket, reach out to pollacel@milwaukee.k12.wi.us – and for information about Show Your College Pride Day, click here. And don't forget all the other ways to save bucks getting into the Big Gig; you can find the full list of admission promos for 2023 right here. 

Here's to seeing you at Summerfest on Friday – and here's to saving some money in the process that can maybe go toward those student loans instead. (Who am I kidding: It's going toward beverages and Saz's sampler platters.)