It’s been a few years since I’ve gone to Summerfest. I know some people who think it’s the showcase of human depravity, and at some times, and for some people it is. There’s a lot more there than beer, skimpy clothes and eardrum bursting music, though. They used to have a midway like the one at state fair, but they had to take that away because it attracted a younger, violent crowd. I think they closed a few stages that drew the same crowd. It’s kind of like Zoo a la Carte, too. All the best restaurants in town open up shop on the lakefront, so you can sample a little bit of everything and walk it all off. They have fun games, contests, military recruiting stations, autograph sessions for artists and athletes and some really good music (and some really bad). Summerfest has experimented the last few summers with different performers, and I think it’s working. A friend of mine called this year “Starbucks Summerfest” because there wasn’t anybody really crazy coming. Almost everybody is mellow this summer, which suits me perfectly fine.
If you are entertained by watching drunk people, Summerfest is usually the place for you. If you’re like me and you’re annoyed by drunk people, you don’t want to go. This year, I saw probably only 3 or 4 people that were clearly drunk, which is a huge improvement from past years. And, in years past I usually make a point of reporting people who are smoking pot (it’s kind of fun for me to watch them being taken away as they try to figure out who in this crowd of 5,000 people saw them smoking a joint). This year, I didn’t see anyone like that, I just saw one person that was popping some pills that probably weren’t legal, but I didn’t do anything. So if this is the effect of Starbucks Summerfest, bring on the coffee!
I didn’t spend too much extra time there this year. I only went the night of the concert and I got to the park about 2 hours before the show started. We walked through the new Lakeshore State Park (formerly Summerfest Island), which was pretty, but not once you know the story. Here’s the Cliff Notes version: $17,000,000. 17 acres. No trees. Short grass prairie with cement trail. Boat camping only. Boat slips for 30’ and under yachts only. 500 square feet of wetlands preservation land. 200 foot sand beach for those who choose to swim in the nasty water. Oh, and in January, this park will probably be covered in 2 feet of ice. I think that pretty much covers it. I love the government.
