First weekend of Summerfest draws impressive crowds, vendors say

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Saturday kicked off the first weekend of Summerfest 2023.

Vendors and attendees say the crowds out for Summerfest today seem much bigger than the past couple of years.

Attendees say they're out to see artists like James Taylor and Noah Kahan, and vendors say it's the most business they've done at the festival in years.

"We're seeing James Taylor and Cheryl Crow," said long-time Summerfest attendee Peter Cucinello.

"I'm here for Noah Kahan," said attendee Angela Tibbals.

"I saw Nitty Gritty Dirt Band earlier, that one was good," said attendee Grace Willer.

The first satruday of summerfest drew younger fans like Tibbals and Willer, along with older fans like Cucinello.

"I've been coming here, jeez, since I've been 15 so it's been a long time," laughed Cucinello.

He says he remembers the 25-cent beers and seeing James Taylor for free back in the day.

Scents and Such Scented Soywax Company founder Ashley Bester says her first Summerfest was three years ago amid the pandemic.
While she says the event was good for her that year, she knew it was slow.

"Speaking with the other veteran vendors, it was very slow," said Bester. She says things are very different now.

"Yesterday being the very first day of the festival, we almost sold out of several different things," said Bester.

The energy and size of crowds is something everyone had on their minds.

"This year there's a lot more people I would say, I think with the end of covid, everyone's coming back, getting back into it," said Willer.

"Summerfest has been expanding, so more and more people are coming, more stages, more headlines, so you expect to have more people," said Cucinello.

"It feels like the excitement is back and it's a great experience overall," said Bester.

Bester said in years past, it seemed crowds grew as the weeks went on. She says Friday and today's crowds were some of the biggest she's seen in her 3 years at the festival.