MILWAUKEE –- Summerfest officials announced Tuesday morning a new ten-year partnership with the Klement’s Sausage Company.
With this new partnership, a new stage area called the "Klement’s Sausage & Beer Garden” will be built on the Summerfest grounds. Klement's was also named the "Official Sausage of Summerfest."
The new Klement’s Sausage & Beer Garden will be located on the North End of Henry Maier Festival Park and will feature acoustic music from 2-8 p.m. daily during the festival. Summerfest officials say the new area will include a “backyard” picnic-style area, seated lounge area, picnic tables, and barbeque grills, as well as locations to purchase Klement’s products.
“A Klement’s / Summerfest partnership is music to our ears. Nothing sounds like summer in our hometown more than The World's Largest Music Festival and nothing tastes like summer more than Milwaukee's hometown sausage company," said Tom Danneker, President & CEO of Klement’s Sausage Company in a news release. “We are excited to join together to offer our products at the festival and make a hometown tradition even better by building the new Klement’s Sausage & Beer Garden. We look forward to this long-term partnership as we continue to invest in Milwaukee to help our hometown and company grow.”
This morning's sponsorship announcement comes a couple months after the Milwaukee Brewers abruptly ended their 25-year partnership with Klement’s.
The sausage company did not end their sponsorship with the Brewers quietly. They criticized Major League Baseball and the team on social media for becoming "more about making money and maximizing profits.”
After this partnership ended in January, the sausage company said it had “plans” to deepen its ties in Milwaukee by "entering into more community partnerships.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Klement’s Sausage Company to our sponsorship family with a ten year commitment,” said Don Smiley, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. in a news release. “Sponsorships such as this one allows us to continue to add amenities to Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park and keep it accessible and affordable for all of our fans,” he added.
Summerfest says construction will begin immediately on the new Klement’s Sausage & Beer Garden, which will make its debut during Summerfest 2018.
