Update: You can find the music lineup/schedule, beer and cocktail lists, participating food and retail vendors, and everything else you need to know HERE.
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Since 2013, Burnhearts has curated a winning wintry mix of live music, rare and delicious craft beer, tasty food and barrel-aged cocktails, locally-made wares, and charity that all comes together outdoors to form “Mitten Fest.” The sprawling block party is a one-day escape from the seasonal doldrums and has quickly earned the distinction of being Milwaukee’s favorite wintertime celebration. We’re pleased to report Mitten Fest will be returning for another installment in early 2024. However, there will be one noticeable change.
On Saturday, February 3, from noon until 8 p.m., Mitten Fest 2024 will take place outside Boone & Crockett (818 S. Water St.) a few miles up the road in the Harbor District. The venue change is a temporary one, as Burnhearts owners B.J. and Jess Seidel wanted to take a year away from hosting the ever-growing block party “to re-envision [their] location.”
As they take some time to consider what the future of Mitten Fest looks like at Burnhearts, the owners decided to let Boone & Crockett take over the event in 2024 on account of their longstanding friendship with owners Emily Dell Revord and John Revord, the bar’s experience hosting events on a similar scale (such as Flannel Fest), and “the built-in infrastructure” Boone & Crockett offers in terms of its location, square footage, and staff size.
“We’ve known all of the Boone & Crockett owners, management, and staff on a personal level long before the bar even opened its doors in Bay View, and we feel that they have since created a truly legacy business alongside the river,” Burnhearts co-owner B.J. Seidel says. “Plus, people are drawn to their uniquely Milwaukee location. So basically, it was a no-brainer.”
While the site will be different than it has been in years past, Boone & Crockett co-owner Emily Dell Revord tells Milwaukee Record the beloved event is in good hands.
“It’s an iconic Bay View tradition that means a lot to so many people and we promise to do everything we can to uphold Burnhearts’ longstanding traditions,” Dell Revord says. “We will be working with the same partners and businesses, featuring local artists and musicians, and of course enjoying the winter season with the Milwaukee community.”
So expect an abundance of brandy drinks (and other winter-suited cocktails), tasty regional craft beer, an excellent blend of Milwaukee music, area food and retail vendors, and everything else you’ve enjoyed in the past…but outside a different bar this time around. Stay tuned for more info on the music, food, and vendor lineups. In the meantime, save the date for Saturday, February 3 and clear your schedule from noon to 8 p.m. because Mitten Fest is taking over Boone & Crockett in 2024.
“We can’t express how much gratitude we have that they are entrusting us with essentially their ‘baby’ for this year,” Dell Revord says. “Thank you all for giving us this opportunity. We can’t wait to freeze our little butts off with you.”
