The 13th-annual Mile of Music is coming to downtown Appleton this week, though attendees should expect some adjustments due to storm damage.
The mile-long music festival returns to College Avenue July 30 through Aug. 2, featuring more than 200 independent artists, nearly 650 performances and a variety of food options and free workshops. The event is free to attend and requires no ticket to enter.
Despite extensive damage to the Fox Valley from July 27’s tornado and severe storms, organizers say they “fully expect to have a festival.” But they warned attendees to expect some adjustments to the schedule.
“We have received some questions about how the festival will be adjusted. Truth be told, it is still too early to tell as many venues are without power,” festival organizers said in a July 28 statement.
Updates will be available on the festival’s website and social media pages, they added.
Mile of Music’s Mile 13 is scheduled to kick off 11 a.m. July 30 with performances from Christopher Gold at the Hilton Paper Valley Lobby Merch Store, 333 W. College Ave., and the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival at Lawrence Memorial Chapel, 510 E. College Ave.
The four-day event spans 35 venues, including bars, coffee shops and parks. It’s expected to draw 90,000 to 110,000 attendees to downtown Appleton, organizers estimated.
Mile 13 hours are:
Mile of Music launched in 2013 to bring up-and-coming artists to downtown Appleton. It attracts musicians both homegrown and from across the country, with genres including folk-rock, soul, indie and bluegrass. Most performers play more than once, jumping between venues throughout the festival.
Several food trucks and restaurants will offer food options along College Avenue. The festival’s Music Education Team also hosts music, dance and instrument workshops for both children and adults.
Last year’s festival drew more than 90,000 people, organizers said.
Mile 13’s full schedule and line-up is available on Mile of Music’s website, mileofmusic.com.
What will the weather be like for Mile of Music?
According to The Weather Channel, July 30, is expected to have a high of 89 degrees, partly cloudy with five to 10 mph winds. That evening is expected to have a low of 70 degrees, overcast with five to 10 mph winds.
On July 31, guests should expect to cover up as there will be showers early in the day which are expected to turn into steady rain later on. The high will be 77 degrees with 80% chance of rain around a quarter of an inch. That night temperatures will drop to a low of 63 degrees, cloudy with periods of light rain at 70% chance.
Aug. 1, may start off gloomy with rain showers early in the day but sunshine is expected later on. There will be a high of 79 degrees with a 60% chance of rain. The evening will cool down with a low of 62 degrees, partly cloudy and there will be no rain.
The final day of the festival, Aug. 2, will shine brightly with partly cloudy skies and a high of 79 degrees. The evening will drop to a low of 60 degrees with a few clouds overnight.
Is there parking available during Mile of Music?
The official Mile of Music website urges visitors to use the parking ramps throughout downtown Appleton for parking needs.
There are three public parking ramps in the downtown area; Red, Green and Yellow. Parking in these ramps costs $3 for less than four hours and $6 for more than four hours. Cash, credit cards and pre-purchased parking tickets are valid forms of payment. The parking ramps can be found at:
Street parking currently costs $1 per hour and is limited to two hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Parking becomes free after 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is free all day on Sunday.
The festival encourages goers to download the Appleton Downtown, Inc. Passport Parking app to make payment for parking meters easier.
On Aug. 1, all cars must be removed from College Avenue between Appleton Street and Drew Street, as well as Houdini Plaza, for the duration of the Appleton Farm Market.
If I’m not from the area, where can I stay for Mile of Music?
There are several hotel options for those traveling from out of the area. Reservations fill up quickly so guests should book soon if they have not.
The Hilton Appleton Paper Valley Hotel, 333 W. College Ave., is an official partner of Mile of Music, hosting five performance stages and an official merch store. The hotel’s location makes it easy for its guests to join the festival.
The Mile of Music website lists several other preferred lodging partners for festival-goers which include:
For a full list of preferred lodging partners visit mileofmusic.com/hotels-lodging
Will there be food at Mile of Music?
Mile of Music has partnered with several local and popular food trucks and booths to provide plenty of food options for festival goers.
Food and drink reporter Jelissa Burns listed all of the food trucks and booths that will be in attendance in a previous article.
Festival-goers can expect to find trucks like:
Alongside food trucks, there are several restaurants and bars along College Avenue that will be open during normal hours and serve their own food.
Burns also reported on a short list of available restaurants, but guests should call ahead to ensure availability to any of the restaurants in the area.
For more information about Mile of Music visit the official festival website at mileofmusic.com.
Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Mile of Music returns to downtown Appleton July 30 despite July 28 storms
Reporting by Francesca Pica and Jelissa Burns, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Francesca Pica and Jelissa Burns, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
