Transportation Options Available for Summerfest 2018
Fans have a variety of options on how to get to and from the festival.
MILWAUKEE (June 18, 2018) – When planning your visit to Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance June 27-July 1 and July 3-8, 2018, fans have a variety of options on how to get to and from the festival. The key is to plan ahead, as there are many convenient transportation choices available to make the Summerfest commute easy to navigate.
Summerfest Parking Information:
Summerfest Car/Bike/Motorcycle Parking
Car: Parking lots open daily at 9:00 am. All parking is on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-paid parking passes for specific dates during Summerfest may be purchased online. Preferred parking is $25 a day and Premier is $40 a day. There is no RV parking on the Summerfest grounds. For information on nearby RV parking please visit the Wisconsin State Fair RV park. Accessible parking spaces are available in Lot H. Vehicles must have appropriate plates or permits to park in accessible spaces.
Motorcycle: Free motorcycle parking is located near the Mid Gate and opens at 9:00 am, sponsored by Harley-Davidson®, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Bicycle: Bicycle parking is located near the Mid, North and South Gates.
Transportation options for Summerfest 2018 include:
Bus and Shuttle Service:
MCTS Freeway Flyer Service
Milwaukee County Transit System offers easy options that get you straight to the gates of Summerfest. Catch a Milwaukee County Transit System Freeway Flyer from a Park-Ride lot or take advantage of the Downtown Shuttle. You are encouraged to purchase a MCTS•CARD in advance. Get your MCTS M•CARD online here Visit MCTS online for more information and suggested routing or call (414) 344-6711 for 24-hour automated bus information.
NEW: There is a new way to pay – riders will simply board the bus and pay for their round-trip fare at ticket booths located in the Summerfest lot, prior to entering the festival. Upon making payment, riders will receive a wristband which permits them to get back on the bus to the park and ride lot. When leaving Summerfest, if a rider does not have a wristband, they must purchase a wristband at the ticket booth in the Summerfest lot. These riders must pay the full fare of $7.00 when boarding the bus to leave the grounds. One-way fares are not available
For a fast and easy way to the Summerfest Mid Gate, park at any of the following Park-Ride lots in Milwaukee and Ozaukee County and hop on a Freeway Flyer to Summerfest:
- College: College Avenue, at I-94 (both lots)
- Whitnall/Hales Corners: I-43, east of S. 108th Street
- State Fair Park: I-94, S. 76th and W. Kearney
- Watertown Plank Road: Watertown Plank Road, west of U.S. Hwy 45
- Holt: Holt Avenue, west of I-94
- Loomis: Loomis Road, south of Coldspring Road
- Brown Deer East: Brown Deer Road, west of I-43
- Bayhore Town Center/Silver Spring: Port Washington Road, east of I-43 (extra parking on the 3rd floor of Bayshore Town Center structure)
- Grafton Target/Home Depot: 60 west of I-43
- Weekday Schedule (approximate times)
- 11:30 am – 5:00 pm: Service every 30 minutes from Park-Ride lots and Summerfest
- 5:00 pm – 12:30 am: Service every 15 minutes from Park-Ride lots and Summerfest
- Weekend Schedule (Saturday and Sunday – approximate times)
- 11:30 am – 12:30 am: Service every 15-20 minutes from Park-Ride lots and Summerfest
- Fares:
- Freeway Flyer round-trip cash fares: $7. Pre-Fare Digital Ticket: $6.
- Freeway Flyer round-trip with MCTS M•CARD: Stored value of $5. Riders with a 1-, 7- or 31-Day Pass on an M•CARD add $2.50 (cash or stored value). Valid M•CARD Transfer add $2.50 (cash or stored value).
- Children under age 6 ride free when accompanied by an adult. Children, Seniors, and Disabled persons may be eligible for reduced fare. Visit RideMCTS.com for more information. U-PASS (Summer Semester), Freedom Pass, GO Pass and the Commuter Value Pass are accepted as full fare on all MCTS buses.
Wisconsin Coach Lines / Coach USA Milwaukee – Waukesha County Service
Wisconsin Coach Lines takes you to Summerfest with safe, convenient, and affordable service straight to the Mid-Gate. Park for free at any of the 4 Park and Ride lots:
- The shuttle originates from the Nagawaukee Park-Ride in Delafield (Hwy 83 and I-94). Other pick-ups include the Meadowbrook Park-Ride lot (I-94 and County Highway G), the Goerke’s Corners Park-Ride lot (I-94 and Barker Road), and Eble Park Ice Arena (19400 W. Bluemound Rd.).
- The shuttle drop-off and pick-up at Summerfest is located west of the Mid Gate on Chicago Street.
- The shuttle operates every day of Summerfest beginning at 11:00 am with the last shuttle departing Summerfest at 12:15 am.
- Round-trip tickets are $11 and purchased at point of origin. Children under 12 who are accompanied by an adult are only $5 round-trip through the 3PM departure to Summerfest.
- Call (262) 542-8861 or visit WisconsinCoach.com for more information.
Racine & Kenosha Service
Wisconsin Coach Lines does not have dedicated service to Summerfest, but offers 7 northbound and southbound weekday trips and 4 weekend/holiday trips per day as part of their daily commuter service to serve Racine and Kenosha Summerfest attendees with a bus stop 2 blocks from the North Gate. Call (262) 542-8861 or visit WisconsinCoach.com for route and fare information.
Ozaukee County Express
The Milwaukee County Transit System operates service from Ozaukee County straight to Summerfest –
- Buses pick up at the Target/Home Depot (Hwy 60) in Grafton.
- Service runs every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time and day.
- Round-trip fare is $7 cash, $6 Pre-Fare Digital Ticket or $5 M•CARD. Riders with a 1-, 7- or 31-Day Pass on an M•CARD add $2.50 (cash or stored value). Valid M•CARD Transfer add $2.50 (cash or stored value).
- Children under age 6 ride free when accompanied by an adult. Children, Seniors and Disabled persons may be eligible for reduced fare.
- Visit RideMCTS.com/Summerfest for more information.
GO Riteway Summerfest Shuttle from Washington County
Park your car – it’s FREE. Then, take GO Riteway’s shuttle to Summerfest from two convenient locations in Washington County: the Washington County Fair Park, Highway 45 and Pleasant Valley Road and the Life Church parking lot, in Germantown Center, Mequon Road and Squire Drive.
- Daily round-trip service is offered throughout the day, beginning at 11:00 a.m. from Washington County Fair Park; and 11:30 a.m. from the Life Church parking lot in Germantown.
- Return service from Summerfest is offered hourly from 4:00 pm with the final bus departing Summerfest at 12:30 am. GO Riteway’s drop-off and pick-up location at Summerfest is the North Gate.
- For more information, visit goriteway.com or call GO Riteway Transportation Group, (262) 677-3282.
Badger Bus Madison Service
Badger Bus will offer special service from Madison to Summerfest 5 times a day during the festival.
- Return schedule from Summerfest will operate four (4) times each day. Please check the online schedule at badgerbus.com for details on the Summerfest schedule.
- The bus will drop off and pick up at the corner of East Michigan and Jackson Street, four blocks from the Summerfest North Gate.
- Purchase tickets at BadgerBus.com/Summerfest for a special online round trip fare from Madison to Summerfest of only $25.
- Email info@badgerbus.com for more information.
Uber to the Fest
Uber is the Official Rideshare Provider of Summerfest. To help concertgoers easily meet their drivers, Uber and Summerfest have teamed up to create special Uber Zones for pickups and drop-offs. The main Uber Zone is located right outside of the Mid Gate at E. Chicago St. & N. Jackson St.
- To request an Uber ride, Summerfest attendees will need to:
- Open the Uber app · Enter drop-off location · Confirm pickup location · Select preferred vehicle · Tap the “Request” button
- New users can get a free ride (up to $15) using code SF2018. Offer valid through 7/8/18.
- Pick-up and Drop-off Zones
- E. Chicago St. & N. Jackson St.
For more information visit https://summerfest.com/getting-here/
Train Service to Milwaukee
Coming to Summerfest from the Chicago area or Racine/Kenosha? Jam without traffic and take the train! Amtrak Hiawatha Service offers easy access to Summerfest from the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. You can catch the train to the fest from Chicago Union Station, Glenview, and Sturtevant (Racine/Kenosha). Visit Summerfest.com/getting-here for more details and to purchase tickets.
The City of Milwaukee’s bike share system. Currently the system has over 30 stations and conveniently serves the Summerfest grounds at Discovery World, a few steps from Summerfest’s North Gate. Users can check out a bike from any station and check it back in at any other station. For information on station locations and how to borrow a bike, visit bublrbikes.com.
SpotHero Parking
Summerfest fans can book convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation’s leading parking reservation app. To reserve a parking spot, visit the Summerfest SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up. With SpotHero, guest can book a spot near Henry W. Maier Festival Park and walk to the festival or book a spot along the shuttle route and take the shuttle to Summerfest.
When arriving at Summerfest, be aware of the following security policies:
- NO backpacks or bags larger than 9x10x12 will be allowed on the grounds.
- ALL bags are subject to inspection prior to entering
- Visitors will enter the festival through metal detection and should be prepared to comply with security requirements.
About Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance
Following its 1968 debut, Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance has evolved into what is now recognized as “The World’s Largest Music Festival” and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration, hosting the music industry’s hottest stars, emerging talent and local favorites along with approximately 850,000 people from Milwaukee and around the world each year for an unforgettable live music experience. During the festival, the spotlight shines on over 800 acts, over 1,000 performances, 12 stages delectable food and beverages and interactive activities, all in a world-class festival setting. Summerfest 2018 takes place June 27-July 1 and July 3-8, 2018, closed on July 2. For more details, visit Summerfest.com, Facebook.com/summerfest or Twitter: @Summerfest.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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