The Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival, which has taken place in the past at BAYSHORE in Glendale is moving "across town" to the Bavarian Bierhaus' Old Heidelberg Festival Grounds and getting a new name in 2025, according to organizers, Discover the North Shore.
The event – which will now be called WI + Beer Lovers Festival – is produced in collaboration with the Wisconsin Brewers Guild.
The coming year's festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, from noon until 5 p.m. and details on tickets, participating breweries and more are expected to be released soon.
“The Bavarian Bierhaus is a natural fit for the WI Beer Lovers Festival,” said Discover the North Shore Executive Director Becca Garrison. “This move allows us to elevate the experience for both our brewers and guests, all while embracing the rich cultural heritage of this historic location.”
The festival was founded in 2010 and has always been held at BAYSHORE.
According to organizers, the Heidelberg Park location offers more space and ambience and, "will provide attendees with an enhanced experience, including more room for tastings, live music, and activities that beer lovers have come to know and cherish."
The 2025 festival, organizers say will boast more breweries, more food offerings and, "will expand into a “WI Lovers” experience for attendees," too, encompassing Badger State distilleries, wineries and non-alcholic options.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
