MILWAUKEE — The excitement is mounting as we count down to the start of Summerfest. This year, you'll want to get your hands on the brand-new festival gear.
Dan Elias is the vice president of TSMGI, the licensed supplier of official Summerfest merchandise.
"What we like to say is that this is a year's worth of retail in 11 days," Elias said.
He's been involved with the festival for 20 years and says there's just something about it that people love.
"There's such an affinity for Summerfest, and people are willing to wear apparel and buy gift items that feature the Summerfest brand or the smile logo," Elias said.
This year, they're selling 140 items to get you rocking in style.
They're selling everything from drinkware to pet leashes, Christmas ornaments, and, of course, clothing.
You can even find some items made by local artists including jewelry, candles and recycled flannel shirts.
It's a part of their "Homegrown Collection" that gives local designers the chance to showcase their work on a big stage.
"There's such an affinity for Summerfest, and people are willing to wear apparel and buy gift items that feature the Summerfest brand or the smile logo." — Dan Elias, vice president of TSMGI
"It almost brought her to tears to see how we have featured a lot of her products and how we have it displayed," Elias said about one of the artists.
Also new this year is their partnership with Islands of Brilliance, an organization that supports kids on the autism spectrum, to design a tote and a T-shirt. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit.
Gates open Wednesday at noon.
