Packed Milwaukee weekend: 40th Bastille Days meets Harley-Davidson's 120th anniversary

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Thursday, July 13 marked the start of Bastille Days and the beginning of Harley-Davidson's 120th anniversary.

The two events brought hundreds of thousands to the Cream City.

Hometown hotels filled up with hundreds of people who temporarily called Milwaukee home.

"We have rooms available, not this weekend," said Michael Pacovsky, director of operations at The Pfister Hotel.

The Pfister Hotel sold out of its more than 300 rooms, including its presidential suites.

"If you want to come visit the Pfister and you're not already scheduled to arrive, probably not your best weekend to get in," said Pacovsky.

The summer weekend brought more than 250,000 people to Cathedral Square to celebrate Bastille Days.

While across town, hundreds of thousands more answered the call of the beast for Harley-Davidson's 120th anniversary.

"It's a family, Harley-Davidson, a family," said Tracy Brandenburger from Florence, South Dakota.

Brandenburg traveled more than 500,000 miles to be in Milwaukee.

"It's freedom, you can get rid of all your worries," said Brandenburger.

For the first time since 2019, Bastille Days put up their beloved Eiffel Tower in the center of Cathedral Square.