Summer is the fest time of year in Milwaukee. It’s the part of the local calendar flush with festivals, a different one each weekend, in an endless seasonal celebration that has earned our city the title of the City of Festivals. As we prepare for the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest, this weekend, I thought now would be a good time to give you a rundown of what’s going on around town this month. Here’s what’s going on right now.

A large crowd gathers at the US Cellular Connection Stage during Summerfest in Milwaukee as the sun sets behind the city skyline, with high-rise buildings including the Baird Center visible in the background.

The Big Gig is Back

The soundcheck is over, and the year-long countdown to the world’s largest music festival is almost over. The festival hasn’t even started yet, but Summerfest is kicking off this year’s celebration with back-to-back nights of country music icon Garth Brooks as he performs his only U.S. tour dates of 2026 right here in Milwaukee. The festival officially gets underway tomorrow, for the first of three consecutive weekends of live music, tasty fest foods and a lakeside atmosphere that you just have to experience for yourself.

Taking place on June 18-20, June 25-27 and July 2-4, the festival draws some of the hottest artists on the planet, legendary musicians and the stars of tomorrow to the Henry Maier Festival Grounds. One look at this year’s lineup and you’ll notice names like Megan Moroney, Ed Sheeran, Father John Misty, Don Tolliver, Post Malone, All Time Low, Ella Mai and over 600 artists performing on the festival’s 12 stages. Check out the full lineup and find more information about the world’s largest music festival today.

ASTRA Toy logo

Beyond the Tradeshow Floor: American Specialty Toy Retailers Association

Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to host the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (ASTRA) for their annual Marketplace and Academy inside our award-winning Baird Center. Running June 5-8, every corner of the tradeshow floor was stocked with every type of toy imaginable, ready for retailers from across the country to place their orders and load up on fun, educational or outright silly additions to their stores.

 

While it was certainly a sight to behold, it was their impact beyond the tradeshow floor that left a lasting impression on our community. After the convention cleared out and the show was over, staff and volunteers loaded up semis full of toys and delivered them to four local nonprofit organizations, including Ronald McDonald House, Penfield Children's Center, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee and Kids Matter, giving children throughout the Greater Milwaukee area the gift of play. You can read more about it here.

 

 

Attendees participate in a networking session around a round table at a conference. Several people smile and chat while reviewing materials and a laptop, creating a collaborative, professional atmosphere in a meeting room.

Coming Soon: AMCI in Milwaukee

We’re thrilled to welcome the Association Management Company Institute (AMCI) to Baird Center next month for AMC’s Engaged 2026, and I can’t wait to see many of you there. Our first time hosting this event, AMC’s Engaged 2026 takes place on July 28 and 29, bringing around 150 association professionals to our city to share ideas, build connections, discuss the issues shaping the future of AMCs, and, of course, explore the very best of what our city has to offer.

 

This year’s theme, Architects of What’s Next, gives our destination a chance to spotlight the bold designs and fresh flavors that are helping us export our unique Milwaukee culture to the world.

 

External view of The Kimpton Journeyman Hotel

Venue Spotlight: Kimpton Journeyman Hotel

A rooftop bar, a restaurant and tons of shopping, all within a few blocks of downtown? That’s the Kimpton Journeyman Hotel. Located in the Historic Third Ward, this 158-room hotel is one of the city’s premier boutique hotels in the heart of it all. Home to The Outsider, a popular bar perched high in the Milwaukee skyline known for craft cocktails, warm ambiance and some of the best views in the city, as well as Tre Rivali, a Mediterranean restaurant on the ground floor serving a wide variety of pastas, pizzas and a seriously underrated brunch, you could say the Kimpton Journeyman is built on quality from the ground up.

 

With the Summerfest grounds, Milwaukee RiverWalk, Milwaukee Public Market and Broadway Street, loaded with designer and specialty shops and downtown just a few minutes' walk in any direction, it’s in the heart of it all. The Kimpton Journeyman Hotel has five meeting rooms, too, built to suit just about every event, from a board meeting to a wedding. Learn more about the Kimpton Journeyman today!

 

 

On the Road

The Visit Milwaukee team is out and about at tradeshows across the country every day, working to showcase the very best of what our city has to offer and connecting with meeting planners to book their events in Milwaukee. Here's where our team is headed: 

 

  • Next week, National Account Executive Chad Chappell and Leslie Johnson will attend PCMA's Business Events Summit in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 21-24.
  • On June 25, Manuel is heading back to Chicago for the 2026 Association Forum Honors Gala.
  • Closing out June, Account Executive Katie Lawrence is attending 2026 WSAE Live on June 25 and 26.
  • Then, on July 20-23, Katie will head out to Las Vegas for the 2026 Lamont Annual Meeting.
  • In July, you can find Leslie Johnson at the 2026 Destinations International Annual Meeting in Portland, Ore., on July 21-23.
  • Finally, National Account Executive Jessica Jacobs is traveling to Los Angeles to take part in the 2026 Conference Direct D2 on July 21-24.