It’s no secret that the cost of food and drinks at Summerfest can add up fast.
We sent a Public Investigator reporter to see what vendors are charging for concessions and compared them to prices at other establishments downtown.
Drinks had some of the largest markups, with beers like Miller Lite going for more than double the price at other downtown restaurants. Some food was also pricey, with Ian’s Pizza selling slices for twice their usual price.
Although prices may vary depending on the vendor and the day, here’s what a reporter observed on June 25:
Drinks
Food
How does Summerfest make concessions and food more affordable for attendees?
Unlike standard sporting stadiums and concert venues, Summerfest offers a variety of pricing deals for festival attendees that make concession costs less burdensome.
On June 25, the festival was offering 50% off beer, seltzer, cherry vodka lemonade, Aquafina water and soda for attendees who arrived between noon and 6 p.m.
Every day from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., select Molson Coors products are on sale for $6.
On multiple festival days, Topo Chico, Happy Thursday and Leinenkugel beverages are buy one, get one free.
Are there limits to how much food and drink can be marked up at Summerfest?
No, there are no legal restrictions on how much vendors can charge at Summerfest.
Some state lawmakers are trying to put caps on exorbitant concession pricing at sporting events, but the legislation wouldn’t affect entertainment venues like Summerfest.
State Senators Sarah Keyeski and Brad Pfaff introduced the “Stop the Stadium Squeeze” bill this spring. The legislation aims to prohibit tax-supported stadiums serving more than 3,000 people from marking up food or beverages more than 20%.
“We as taxpayers have put our hard-earned money, through taxes, into some of these stadiums,” Pfaff told Public Investigator. “To have a situation in which you can barely afford to go to a game in person because of the price and the food causes sticker shock is unacceptable.”
However, the bill wouldn’t affect Summerfest because it does not include private or small-scale entertainment venues. Since the Summerfest grounds are leased and run by a nonprofit, Milwaukee World Festival, and none of its stages were taxpayer-funded, it would not be beholden by the bill.
Tamia Fowlkes is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be contacted at tfowlkes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: $11 pizza slices, $6 water. Here’s what food and drinks cost at Summerfest
Reporting by Tamia Fowlkes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Tamia Fowlkes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
