By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Aug 20, 2019 at 6:01 PM Photography: Dan Garcia

Slurp up these festival stories packed with vitamins, minerals and everything you need to spike your summer fun. The Summer Festivals Guide is brought to you by Punch Bowl Social. Come on in – it's time we all win at adulting.

If you're going to start a new festival in Milwaukee, combining the sweet sounds of Brew City tunes and squeaky cheese is a pretty outstanding way to go about it. That's the plan with Deer District's first Chords & Curds Festival, coming to the plaza outside Fiserv Forum on Saturday, Aug. 24. 

As the name implies, the day-long festival is a celebration of tasty local eats and even tastier local music – ranging in genre from hip-hop to rock, DJs to gospel choirs, and much more. And best of all, proceeds from the new event will benefit the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.

Where: The plaza at Fiserv Forum

When: Doors open at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24. The festival's final act (DJ Avets) will take the stage at 11:15 p.m.

Admission: Admission is $10 for adults while children under 12 and attendees over 65 are $5. VIP options – which include a fast-lane exclusive entrance, a private air conditioned area, unlimited beverages and more – start at $75.

Highlights: As for the food part of the festival's name, Chords & Curds will feature a fleet of local food trucks serving up tasty eats ranging from Jamaican dishes to empanadas, barbecue and, yes, cheese curds – whether alone or mixed with herbs or into a poutine. There will also be a gospel brunch for those who purchase VIP admission. The vendors attending include Foxfire, Uppa Yard, MKEat, Iron Grate BBQ Co. and Lola's Empanadas. 

And then there is the chords part of the name, which will include a day packed with performances from local musicians across multiple genres. The schedule is as follows:

  • Noon-1 p.m. – The Milwaukee Public Schools Gospel Choir
  • 1-1:30 p.m. – The Midwest Mixer Dr. B
  • 1:30-2:30 p.m. – Misha Siegfried
  • 2:30-3 p.m. – DJ NuStylez
  • 3-4 p.m. – Christopher's Project
  • 4-4:30 p.m. – DJ Bizzon
  • 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Grace Weber
  • 5:30-6:30 p.m. – DJ set
  • 6:30-7:30 p.m. – De La Buena
  • 7:30-8 p.m. – DJ Avets
  • 8-9:15 p.m. – Angie Swan
  • 9:15-9:45 p.m. – DJ Avets
  • 9:45-11:15 p.m. – New Age Narcissism 
  • 11:15 p.m. – DJ Avets

For more information: Visit the Chords & Curds Festival's website