For 19 years, Milwaukee residents would duck out of work a little early, run home to grab a picnic blanket, a bagged dinner, and a bottle of something, and then they’d head to Cathedral Square for Jazz in the Park.
This was widely practiced by about 99% of all who attended; it was tradition.
This year, however, East Town changed their policy, no longer allowing that bottle of “something” to be carried into the festival. Essentially, Jazz in the Park is throwing out the tradition that made the event special. By changing their alcohol carry-in policy East Town has changed Jazz in the Park from a community event into a street festival, and while street festivals are definitely still enjoyable, it’s evident that something is lost.
Of course, people can still drink alcoholic beverages if they choose (picnic food items will still be permitted too), and, yes, there will still be music and people hanging out each Thursday night. But to many locals, this new policy devastates a beloved East Town event because it ruins the overall experience. Scores of Milwaukeeans strongly believe that carrying in your own beer or wine is what facilitated the spontaneous gatherings, random meetings, and even that sense of community that made up Jazz in the Park.
As vendors set up last night, I contemplated sneaking in my own bottle of wine. Bare in mind, along with the new policy comes added security. Yep, Jazz in the Park is now staffed with “event security” to help keep a watchful eye on rebellious spectators. Security will even check your bags and coolers upon entering Cathedral Square. If you are caught carrying in items, you will be asked to return them to your car or dispose of them.
Having known this, I decided to suck it up and still go, sans my usual bottle of J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon that I usually pick up at Metro Mart on my way to Cathedral Square. Running late, Eric, my sister and I hopped in the car and made our way Downtown.
When we got to East Town, we could hear the music reverberating off the surrounding buildings. We found parking quickly, less than a block up the street from Cathedral Square, which seemed strange because parking is usually atrocious. As we gathered our belongings, I wondered if the lack of cars meant low attendance and, if so, was this a direct result of the new policy, or something else?
As the three of us made our way across the street, I noticed that while the turnout was decent, it was noticeably less packed. There wasn’t the usual sea of people flooding the park and spilling over into the streets. Last year if you showed up late, you’d be stuck sitting on a curb or on someone’s lap. (Yes, it got that busy.) Last night, however, we found an open plot of grass right in the middle of the park and then got situated.
By now, we’d have already uncorked our cabernet, but obviously, we came in empty handed. After noticing a lot of groups with bottles of wine, I caved.
The East Town Association holds a beverage license that allows the sale of alcoholic beverages on the grounds. So, similar to years past, alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at certain stands. And due to the new carry-in policy, the East Town Association developed an “expanded” beverage menu this season to accommodate a variety of drink preferences and price points.
Terry and I gathered up some money and made our way to a wine stand located amid a sea of vendors selling a variety of picnic fare. The meager selection of basic white and red table wine, and $10 merlot or chardonnay was extremely disappointing. While I’m not a wine snob, I certainly would have liked to bring a quality bottle of wine that I actually knew would taste good. Instead, we had about five, maybe six, varieties to choose from.
Eventually though, I coughed up the $8 for a bottle of Jazz in the Park table wine and died a little on the inside – eight bucks is a little steep for table wine, in my opinion. The vendor uncorked the bottle and handed us three plastic cups, and then we walked back to Eric, our heads hanging below our shoulders. Obviously, we would have enjoyed the night’s entertainment without a bottle of wine, but wine goes hand in hand with the night's event.
While we hovered over our watery red table wine, crying a little with every sip, we couldn’t help lament over the policy change. The ability to carry-in your own choice of beverage allowed groups of friends from all income levels to gather and celebrate together. Sure, some folks still enjoyed the night's free jazz concert with their friends, family or coworkers, but clearly, something was missing – the gusto.
Ultimately, patrons will have to get in the habit of leaving their alcoholic beverages at home per the new beverage policy. Of course, if we never had the option of carrying in beverages from the start, we obviously wouldn’t have a problem with the change in rules. It’s ludicrous for East Town to allow something for years and then take it away and expect everyone to deal with the change. But, until State Rep. Leon D. Young’s legislation falls into Gov. Doyle’s lap, we're going to have to suck it up, leave our drinks at home, or buy overpriced table wine.
Recent Comments