Back in April, the parent company of Summerfest, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF), announced it was seeking consultant firms to come up with a new “Master Use Plan” for Henry Maier Festival Park. The plan will “explore increased public use of Henry Maier Festival Park, while maintaining a world-class experience for Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance and the ethnic and cultural festivals.”
On Thursday, MWF announced the two firms that will create the plan. Gensler, “a leading architecture and design firm with 56 offices around the world,” will take the lead on the project. Local firm Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc. will also get in on the action, and will assist with “architectural, civil engineering, and landscaping design services.”
“We look forward to partnering with both Gensler and Zimmerman to explore new possibilities that will enhance uses of this unique community asset,” said Sarah Pancheri, president and CEO, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., in a press release. “Henry Maier Festival Park will continue to be a cornerstone of connection and celebration through our festivals, and this collaboration will help to create even more opportunities to gather at the lakefront.”
The press release sheds further light on the intent of the “Master Use Plan”:
The Master Use Plan will focus on the increased use of Henry Maier Festival Park and include a site study, analytics, programming concepts, and a final report. The study will concentrate on events and operations that align with MWF’s non-profit mission, increased public use, and increased accessibility throughout the year by the public. The on-site study will also look at new event ideas, the use of temporary structures, and additional programming elements and physical components that could be added to Henry Maier Festival Park through capital improvements.
The project is set to begin immediately. The plan is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
Summerfest 2025 will take place June 19-21, June 26-28, and July 3-5. The festival drew 555,925 attendees in 2024, down from 624,407 in 2023. And you better believe they’re gonna bring back those wildly popular M&M’s and Bush’s Baked Beans booths (or something similar).
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