Recently I had the opportunity to visit Wisconsin for the first time to work Summerfest in Milwaukee. I was so excited about this incredible experience. I went the last three days of the festival in September of 2021. During my stay in Wisconsin, I headed to Green Bay for my last night for the free Jake Owen Kickoff Show at Lambeau Field.
Where to stay in Milwaukee:
For my stay in Milwaukee, I was excited to partner up with Cambria Hotel who is by Choice Hotels. I received a three night complimentary stay by Choice Hotels in their downtown location. It was a perfect spot since it was only a twenty minute walk to the festival. It was located near Historic Third Ward & The Riverwalk with only a five minute walk to Milwaukee Public Market Place and three miles to Miller Park. It has a full service bar, restaurant, fitness center, and indoor heated pool. The décor of their upscale hotel is inspired by the energy of the city, and you’ll find design elements that highlight Milwaukee’s history and culture. My favorite part of this modern hotel was the bluetooth mirror in the bathrooms. You can connect it to any device and listen to music while getting ready. I absolutely had an amazing stay during the three nights in Milwaukee! For more info you can visit their website here.
What to do in Milwaukee:
The popular thing to do in Milwaukee is their yearly Summerfest that goes on for nine days. It’s the largest music festival in the world located in downtown Milwaukee. It goes on during Thursday to Saturday of the week. Countless Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famers, One Hit Wonders, Innovators and Entertainers have performed on the stages for over 50 years. There are 11 stages during the festival, which one of them is called the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. A separate ticket is required to see concerts in the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, but your Amphitheater ticket also includes same-day admission to Summerfest. There are single day or multi-day tickets sold for the other stages in Summerfest. The festival isn’t just about the music, there are over 100 vendors including food and drinks. Over the nine days, there are over 500 artists who come and play. It was such a fun experience! The festival only takes credit cards so if you have cash on you, you can take it to the prepaid card machines. The prepaid card can be used outside the festival as well, it’s just like a gift card.
I was available to photograph Jake Owen, Cam, Nora Collins, and Scotty McCreery with my DSLR Camera while working as media. I saw about 10 artists and made new friends through out the three days. Make sure to check out my recap video and photos from the festival. You can find more about the festival here.
Summerfest isn’t the only thing you can do in Milwaukee. You can visit Milwaukee Art Museum, a game at American Family Field, drink some brews at Lakefront Brewery, take the kids to the Milwaukee County Zoo, explore Milwaukee Public Market, and enjoy a stroll on Milwaukee Riverwalk.
Where to eat in Milwaukee:
Milwaukee is known for it’s cheese and breweries! For breakfast though, I just had what the hotel was offering each morning. I am not a huge breakfast person. It was very convenient to grab and go each morning. You could also get it the night before & keep it in the refrigerator. Each room had a microwave & refrigerator. For lunch during my stay I hit up the Milwaukee Public Market Place & Milwaukee Sail Loft. I loved visiting the Market. Bursting with unique, high quality selections of artisan and ethnic products, and freshly-made prepared foods, you’re sure to enjoy shopping the independent merchants of the Milwaukee Public Market. You can sit down and eat or go shop. Tons of vendors through out the two story Market. I ended up eating at the wine bar. I had to order the cheese plate & a glass of wine. The next day for lunch, I headed to Milwaukee Sail Loft before attending the festival. During my stay I made some new friends at the festival who were conveniently staying at the same hotel as me. We decided to eat together that day. The Milwaukee Sail Loft is a unique and scenic location right on the water next to the festival. The food and atmosphere was amazing! These two places I visited for lunch I would definitely recommend for anyone who is going to visit Milwaukee. Every night I obviously ate at the festival. Summerfest had over 100 vendors so there was many different types of food to choose from when you had the appetite.
Milwaukee Public Market Place 
Milwaukee Sail Loft 
A Day in Green Bay:
During my stay in Wisconsin, I ended up staying in Green Bay on my last day. That Sunday morning, I checked out of my hotel and immediately went back to Milwaukee Airport to rent a car for the night. I was heading to Green Bay just to see the free Jake Owen kickoff show at Lambeau Field. The Green Bay Packers were playing that next night, and it was going to be a great show! If anyone hasn’t been to a show at the stadium parking lot, you can bring your own alcohol and lawn chairs. The show started at 5pm but I arrived two hours earlier and was able to get up to the front of the stage. Over 20,000 Green Bay fans attended this show right in the parking lot. It was unbelievable! This was really the only thing I did in Green Bay, but it was so worth it. If you are looking for inexpensive stay away from downtown, then I would suggest Cobblestone which was only a fifteen minute drive from the stadium. Next morning was my drive back to Milwaukee and to fly back home. I officially have crossed Wisconsin off my bucket list! If you want to follow my adventures you can find me at @adventuresoflilred on Instagram.
