By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published May 15, 2025 at 1:02 PM

The Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival, which has taken place in the past at BAYSHORE in Glendale, is moving "across town" to the Bavarian Bierhaus' Old Heidelberg Festival Grounds and getting a new name in 2025, according to organizers, Discover the North Shore.

The event – which will now be called Wisconsin & Beer Lovers Festival – is produced in collaboration with the Wisconsin Brewers Guild.

The coming year's festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, from 1 until 5 p.m. Tickets are available online now.

Admission ($75.41, or $24.55 for a designated driver) includes unlimited samples, food pairings from local restaurants and artisan vendors, a souvenir tasting glass, lawn games and live entertainment.

A VIP experience ($98.01, or $35.85 for designated driver) will add early entry (at noon) and exclusive pours.

A list of participating breweries, distilleries, cideries and wineries is here.

“We’re thrilled to be moving the festival to the Bavarian Bierhaus grounds, a venue with deep beer heritage and ample room to grow,” says Becca Petrillo, President/ CEO of Discover the North Shore. 

“This move allows us to elevate the experience for this great Wisconsin Festival, with more beverage options, more food, more vendors and more fun.”

The festival was founded in 2010 and had always been held at BAYSHORE.

According to organizers, the Heidelberg Park location offers better ambience and more space, including more room for tastings, live music and activities.

This year's festival, organizers say will boast more than 60 breweries, more food offerings and, "will expand into a “Wisconsin Lovers” experience for attendees," encompassing Badger State distilleries, wineries, cideries and non-alcholic options.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

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.