Summerfest 2011 will not be 11 consecutive days of music and celebration.
There will be a break in the action, closed on Monday. In 2011, that Monday happens to be the Fourth of July.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Summerfest officials announced on Thursday a new 11-day schedule for next year that includes closing the festival on Monday, July 4.
Instead, the festival will open on Wednesday, June 29 - the festival normally opens on a Thursday - and will be closed on Monday, July 4. The full schedule will be June 29-July 3 and July 5-10.
In a statement, Summerfest officials said the adjustments were made based on customer feedback and the premise that, in general, "if given the choice, people prefer to attend entertainment events, like Summerfest, on a Wednesday versus a Monday."
So this is about Monday, not competing with Fourth of July activities.
Customer feedback shows that if given the choice, people would prefer to attend an event on Wednesday rather than Monday.
What about Tuesday? Do customers have issues with Tuesday, preferring to attend 24 hours later on that popular party day, Wednesday?
I don't like this at all.
Those early weekdays in the fest's schedule, Monday through Wednesday, provide an opportunity for families to avoid the insanity that comes with the weekends.
Furthermore, depending on the weather and the entertainment scheduled, Mondays can be quite crowded at Summerfest.
This Monday closure is really weird.
Why not eliminate weekdays altogether? Make it a month-long weekend festival.
"As stewards of Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park, we respond to customer preferences and suggestions, which periodically entails making adjustments to the event and its operations so the event and all of its partners and stakeholders have the strongest opportunity and probability for success in delivering the event experience that festival goers desire," Don Smiley, president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival Inc., said in a statement.
Summerfest officials said they will monitor the change in operating dates and see how it affects attendance, its partners and Summerfest fans.
"Should 2011's results support the strategy, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. may consider making the change on a permanent basis moving forward," the statement said.
I don't think the break is a good idea.
Vendors can't be happy with being idle for a day.
Extended major events like this don't stop.
State Fair doesn't close on Monday. The Olympics don't pause on Mondays.
What about the t-shirts?
"World's Largest Music Festival June 29 - July 10 (Closed on Monday)"
That doesn't work.
Here's some customer feedback: MORE BATHROOMS. Adust that.
3 comments:
This angers me. My birthday is on the 4th and I planned to spend the day down there with a bunch of friends. Grrr. Yes more bathrooms would be lovely!
I'm sure a lot of people like you have plans that have now been wrecked. You'll be celebrating your birthday elsewhere.
This is so strange. Closed on Monday? It's especially weird because so many people aren't working on that day and it's going to be a long holiday weekend.
Given when the 4th falls, 2011 is really a bad year to experiment with closing down on Monday.
wtf are they thinking? I work 2nd shift and well, that is the only weekday I'll have off to go. why would they close on a holiday where a majority of their customers have off work? sad loss of income to summerfest if you ask me. and they want us to buy bonds to aid in development of the 22-acre redevelopment program? how do they expect to make the money back if they close on busy days?
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