''South Shore Water Frolics'' was a free three-day summer festival held annually at South Shore Park in the
Bay View neighborhood of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
. It featured a parade, live music, and fireworks at the lakefront.
The event, along with
Summerfest
Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's central business district. Summerfest attracts app ...
and the many ethnic and cultural festivals held throughout the city, is what gives Milwaukee the nickname, ''"City of Festivals".''
Description
Celebrating its 63rd year in 2012, the South Shore Frolics is one of the oldest festivals in Milwaukee. Originally known as the South Shore Water Frolic, it was sponsored by the Bay View
Lions Club
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, ...
, which provided a stage and music near the
South Shore Yacht Club
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
.
The event starts with a parade that runs through the center of the Bay View business district, along Kinnickinnic Avenue from Lincoln Avenue south to Estes, then East to the park. The parade can be seen with classic cars, local dignitaries, floats sponsored by local businesses, and competitions involving local high school sports teams, cheerleaders, bands, and organizations. Various park venues in the past have staged events such as the annual Classic Car Show and the South Shore Festival of the Arts, presented by the
Bay View Arts Guild. At the end of each night, there was the festival's signature Atomic Fireworks display, put on by Bartolotta Fireworks.
After
68 years of celebrations, unfortunately, South Shore Water Frolics was cancelled. Notably, the Bay View Lions Club, which organizes the Frolics, did not hold the event in the summers of 2012, 2015, and 2018, due to lack of donations.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official event websiteBay View Arts GuildBartolotta web site
Festivals in Milwaukee
South Side, Milwaukee