Every Friday, Stuff We Missed looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for, well, stuff we missed throughout the week.
• Every July, Milwaukee has a field day with the question of how many people attended Summerfest. Was attendance up? Was attendance down? WHAT DOES THIS YEAR’S ATTENDANCE SAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE BIG GIG? Then, in August, the Wisconsin State Fair quietly drops its post-game press release, typically notes it attracted more than one million attendees, and spends most of the time talking about how many cream puffs were sold or something.
We say “typically” because, yeah, 2021 State Fair attendance was down due to the pandemic—but it was back with a vengeance in 2022! A total of 1,003,450 folks checked out the 11-day State Fair this year, up 19% from 841,074 in 2021. Disregarding the COVID years (the 2020 State Fair was canceled completely), the number returns the State Fair to its one-million-plus streak it held from 2013-2019. Not too shabby! (Summerfest’s nine-day 2022 installment, meanwhile, drew 445,611 people.)
And oh yeah, 320,000 cream puffs were sold. [BizTimes]
• Speaking of the State Fair, a special shout-out to the always incredible Grand Champion Hall. You know, that building with all the textiles and crafts and flowers and vegetables and this “rock and roll”-themed bread display:
• Headline: “Will RNC Have $200 Million Impact on City?” Answer: nah. [Wisconsin Public Radio]
• That foot bridge over Ravine Road in Lake Park that has been closed forever and is being repaired as we speak is expected to reopen soon. [OnMilwaukee]
• Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) added 73 new clean diesel buses to its fleet. The buses are replacements for buses “federally recognized as past their useful life.” [Milwaukee Independent]
• Mr. Wings is coming to 3rd St. Market Hall this fall. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Some folks and groups aren’t happy about the prospect of FPC Live building a new concert venue in the Deer District. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Milwaukee ska band Something To Do released a “surprise new-ish” EP called Assemble! All proceeds from the record will go to Indigenous Women Rising. [Bandcamp]
• New grocery store on the north side. [Urban Milwaukee]
• New barbecue place on the north side. [Urban Milwaukee]
• New food truck park on the north side. [Urban Milwaukee]
• Sherman Phoenix is now Sherman Phoenix Marketplace. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• The Brown Bottle is closed. For real this time. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• R.I.P. 1250-AM “The Fan.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!
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