2018 Indian Summer Fest at Milwaukee’s Lakefront
Join us for Indian Summer Fest at Milwaukee’s Lakefront on September 7-9, 2018. Since 1986, Indian Summer Festival has been one of Milwaukee’s most popular and memorable ethnic festivals. And as Indian Nation’s largest cultural celebration of its kind, Indian Summer Festival has become a gathering place for Native people from all over the US, Canada and beyond.
Indian Summer Fest at Milwaukee’s Lakefront – 2014 Promo
Experience the rich diversity and vibrant cultures of Wisconsin’s First Nations at Indian Summer Festival’s Education Day. Join us on Friday from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm on Milwaukee’s Summerfest Grounds. Groups of all abilities are welcome! History, Tradition, Language and Contemporary Culture presented just for students in 3rd through 9th grades, including homeschooled.
Indian Summer Fest Hours:
Friday: Education Day, 9am – 2pm; General Admission, 4pm – Midnight
Saturday: Noon – Midnight
Sunday: Prayer Ceremony, 10am – 11am; General Admission, 11am – 8pm
Admission:
Adults $15
Elders (60 and over) $12
Children 12 and under free.
There are lots of family-friendly attractions at the Indian Summer Fest. The Mountain Men bring history to life in a European settler camp reenactment. The Fiddle and Jig Contest brings fiddlers and jiggers of all ages together for a very spirited competition filled with humor (with winners chosen by audience response).
A part of every festival is the FOOD. Vendors offer traditional foods – frybread, Indian tacos, bison burgers, wild rice, roasted corn and berry desserts – as well as regular festival favorites. (There will be no standing in line to buy food tickets this year, since visitors will pay vendors directly.) Foodies also flock to the festival’s food demonstrations
At the Circle of Art show, American Indian artists display works in a variety of media. The Indian Summer Fest Marketplace features Native-inspired goods. Sports fans are drawn to the festival by the amateur Olympic-style boxing competition as well as the lacrosse demos and matches.
Other spots to visit on the Indian Summer grounds include the Living Cultures of the Woodland area. Festgoers can gain an appreciation of traditional arts by seeing and talking to craftspeople making items such as hand drums, beadwork, flutes, lacrosse sticks and baskets. Visitors also can learn how wild rice is harvested.
The Living Cultures of the Great Lakes area highlights the traditional and the contemporary cultural life of the Great Lakes nations, while Iroquois social dancing also adds to the atmosphere.On Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., teachers and students in grades three through nine are welcomed to Indian Summer Festival’s Education Day. While Indian Summer Festival opens to the public at 4 p.m. on Friday, the grounds are open only to Education Day participants during the day. Early registration is requested by Sept. 1. The cost for Education Day is $6 per person. Register and pay online at indiansummer.org/education-day. Payment also will be accepted at the Indian Summer office.
Sunday events include the 10 a.m. non-denominational Indian Summer Prayer Ceremony and Dylan’s 5K Run & Walk for Autism, benefiting the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin.
Where to Stay: Indian Summer has partnered with many local hotels to provide special rates for guests coming in from outside of the city. Click here for a list of hotels.
Campers and RVs may be parked overnight near the festival grounds in the Italian Community Center parking lot. Rates will vary depending on the size of the camper. Hook-ups for water, gas, and electricity are not available at this site. Phone: 414 223-2800
For tent camping, you can go to Jellystone Park in Caledonia, WI – Located 15 minutes from Milwaukee, this Wisconsin campground is perfect for Indian Summer Festival attendees and features cabin rentals, tent sites and RV camping. Contact the park at 262 835-2565.
Milwaukee’s Summerfest Grounds
How to Get There: For GPS systems, use the address 200 N Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(For parking there are public lots surrounding the festival grounds, which charge between $5 and $20 dollars as well as metered street parking.) The public lot directly across from the main gate has handicapped parking spaces available.
For more information: Call (414) 604-1000; Email indiansummer@wi.rr.com
Mark your calendar today so you don’t miss the next Indian Summer Fest at Milwaukee’s Lakefront in September at Milwaukee’s Lakefront on Milwaukee’s Summerfest Grounds.
Tags: Indian Summer Fest at Milwaukee’s Lakefront, Indian Summer Fest Indian Summer Festival at Milwaukee’s Lakefront, Indian Summer Festival, Wisconsin Powwow, Wisconsin Pow Woww