Ok. i love this event every year. Looks like a good lineup so far (www.summerfest.com)

What are the best deals on tickets? I heard that 6packs of soda has coupons? Anyone in Wisconsin in the know?

Don't they have something called "Weedstock" in Milwaukee?

One thing I'll never understand ...why does Milwaukee's Summer Fest try to compete with Chicago's Taste of Chicago?

I never make it to Summerfest only because I want to be in Chicago during that time of the year.

*sigh*

Compete?????

a) different cities
b) different states
c) LOOK AT THE DAMN_ENTERTAINMENT LINEUPS! Milwaukee kicks serious Taste of Chicago ass here

Taste:
Brian McKnight
The Four Tops
Indigo Girls
Foreigner
Hootie and the Blowfish

Summerfest:
Sheryl Crow
Tom Petty
Alicia Keys
Nickelback
John mellencamp
The Eagles
Bodeans
Brian Setzer
Tonic
Allman Brothers
Heart
Ray Charles
The Four Tops
INXS
Earth, Wind & Fire
Ted Nugent
Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Love Monkeys
The B-52's
Soul Asylum
Live
Blondie
Sugar Ray
Violent Femmes
Filter
Indigo Girls
Jewel
Los Lobos
George Thorogood and The Destroyers

GuessWho,

a. and b. are in the same context. I don't know how you can be in a different state and still be in the same city. If you can provide an example, I'll digress.

In regards to c. Yes, usually the Summerfest has a better entertainment lineup, but the food is 100 times better at Taste.

I suppose people will choose Summerfest when they're sick of Chicago's Taste -- and the crowds. That CAN get to you after a while -- and Summerfest is geared more towards families.

Weedstock isn't in Milwaukee. It's out in the middle of farmland, like an hour and a half away. (Closer to the hippie holdovers in Madison)

Do you propose that Milwaukee shut itself down during the summer so that it doesn't compete with almighty Chicago. Is Chicago afraid of the competition or something?

Please.

We don't need to compete with anyone in Illinois. Wisconsin rakes in a ton of flatlander money as it is.

It's like this...

A should be a good enough reason to not consider it competition. but if that doesn't settle the issue for you, I offer choice B to further set them apart. As a last resort, we have C.

A festival is all about the entertainment. I can get the food anytime.


(and yes, I'm a lifetime Chicagoan defending Wisconsin here... I'm not blind and not deaf, so I can easily see which festival is better)

Abs - have you ever been to Summerfest?

There is a small area for kids (young ones), but it's basically an event for 18 to 35's. Some olders come to see musicians like the Allmans, Heart, Nugent, Doobie Brothers but you don't bring kids for that. What's a kid going to do while Dad is singing along to Bad To The Bone?.

And there is over 50 restaurants with a wide variety of ethnicities. Taste may hit a few more bases because of volume, but it ain't that much more.

Abs I think you've been hanging out at Weedstock...

Summerfest vs. Taste is no comparison whatsoever. Summerfest is like Lewis and the Taste is like Tyson (i.e. the Taste provides no challenge).

I like the Taste, but it is a one day event for me. I go, spend way too much money on overpriced food that sounds tasty and actually I am pretty oblivious to any form of entertainment that is happening outside of eating too much food.

Summerfest is another beast entirely. Over 8 stages of music/entertainment providing music and comedy from A to Z with legitimate main stage acts. Not to mention beer, beer, beer, and food that compares with the basics of the Taste. I have a reason to spend more than one day at Summerfest. After eating the food I want to eat at the Taste, why go back? I have naked Trixies in the apartment across from me and tons of other stuff to do in Chicago.

Me thinks Abs is going to get burned all day long in this thread...

I prefer Milwaukee's Bastille Days street fest over SummerFest and Taste combined. Been going up from Chi-town for eleven years....

Those are in early Sept. aren't they?

Nope. Second week of July... (wed-sun)

Oops! My bad. Now that I think about it that makes sense. I was thinking of the Storm the Bastille run. Since I participate in Al's Run in September I have no idea why I thought Bastille Days was in September....I'll claim brain freeze on this one.

Back to the topic...Summerfest still kicks the Taste's a$$!

I gave up on Taste of Chicago long ago. Its wayyyy too crowded and messy (no tables people spilling food on each other no napkins--God forbid that homeless people would take all the napkins!)

Summerfest has better BEER! more access to BEER too. At Taste of Chicago, the beer line is HUGE. and its all overpriced. Summerfest also has ROLLERCOASTERS yay.

Anyways, anyone know of good deals on tickets?

Blame it on the heat...

This year's Storm The Bastille run is Thursday, July 11 at 9 pm, btw

It also appears that Taste of Chicago has been going on for around 20 years, while Summerfest has been around over 30.

Apparently, Taste of Chicago is attempting to compete with Summerfest. Tell them to cut it out!

I'll be hittin up Summerfest this year. They are having another stage for house and techno music this year just like last. Which is cool. Some diversity yeah know. And I will most definately be going on the 28th to see Buddy Guy, who Eric Clapton calls "The best guitarist alive". I can't wait.

/ modiman.

One nice little thing about Summerfest is that the main act on the Rock Stage is broadcast live on Laser 103 FM... a nice second best on nights you can't make it down to the lakefront.

Yeah, Taste of Chicago can be fun once in a while, but it is overcrowded and overhyped. The food is only ok and ends up being expensive for the portions you get. Chicago has so many great restaurants and most of them don't participate in the Taste - you're better off just having a good meal at one of those!

Summerfest has the daily admission deals on their website:

http://www.summerfest.com/admission/promotions.php

well, two people can be in springfield and be in different states.

grunter pats the chair next to him and eagerly asks mysterX to drop the dirt on this here "Weedstock" type event.

Wow, didnt realise that the BoDeans were still around.

"Friends" was very, very good to them.

Very.