Summerfest 2011 Lineup

My friends ask me to take a guess as to who will perform at Summerfest 2011. I don't have a crystal ball. In fact, it's a well kept secret as to who is being courted by Summerfest management. We won't know until the ink is dry on a contract.

What I can say is that history has proven that there is usually an announcement in late March. The first Marcus Amphitheater act is booked around that time. More announcements trickle in as spring comes. The rumors may fly, but few people ever guess the right guess.

One other thing we have come to expect is the genre of music, and how many nights each is represented. There will be rock, pop, soul, country, and more. I'm not an insider, so I will wait with the rest of you.

Summerfest Grounds Southern Renovation

The ink is dry on the plans to invest 25 million dollars on the south end of the Summerfest grounds. I have always felt that the area in question could use a face lift. Now it's going to be a reality.

The plans include a new south end box office, new restrooms, and of course the most important part, reconfiguring of the M&I stage. This will make the M&I stage change its third in just as many years. I liked the fact that they moved the M&I stage closer to the lake shore. The plan is to move it even further east.

The Briggs and Stratton stage area will also be updated. The Summerfest improvements will take two years, as this is the biggest project in nearly ten years.