Freshwater Food & Wine Festival

Freshwater Food & Wine Festival Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Freshwater Food & Wine Festival, Festival, 200 N Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, WI.

Set along Lake Michigan at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee, WI, Freshwater Food & Wine Festival celebrates world-class wines, craft beverages, and culinary artistry with stunning waterfront views.

We are so pleased to welcome Peggy Williams-Smith, President & with our Beyond the Cookbook presentation and panel feat...
09/03/2026

We are so pleased to welcome Peggy Williams-Smith, President & with our Beyond the Cookbook presentation and panel featuring Wisconsin chefs as our very first mainstage attraction of the Freshwater Food & W**e Festival!

Hosted by Visit Milwaukee President & CEO Peggy Williams-Smith, this engaging Mainstage panel gathers featured chefs to share the personal stories, communities, and passions behind their recipes. Kick off the festival with an inspiring look beyond the pages at the culinary talent defining Wisconsin’s vibrant food culture.

🗓 Saturday, September 19th
⏰ 1:30pm
📍The Performance Pavilion Mainstage

Chef Feature: Meet Jack Holt of ! 😎🍖💪🔥What started as a ghost kitchen in 2020 has grown into a family-run Milwaukee favo...
09/01/2026

Chef Feature: Meet Jack Holt of ! 😎🍖💪🔥

What started as a ghost kitchen in 2020 has grown into a family-run Milwaukee favorite with locations at , American Family Field, in Brown Deer, the East Side of Milwaukee and a food truck! Jack’s approach is rooted in community, bold barbecue, and bringing people together — exactly the kind of story we’re proud to celebrate at Freshwater.

Smokin’ Jack’s BBQ is a smokehouse built around chef-driven, slow-smoked meats and bold, soulful flavor. Their Brown Deer smokehouse turns out USDA Prime brisket, St. Louis-style ribs, rib tips, pork shoulder, chicken and signature sauces, with all meats smoked in-house daily for a barbecue experience that feels elevated without losing its roots.

Smokin' Jack's BBQ promises to bring their big, bold BBQ we all know and love...with a few surprises you'll only experience at Freshwater! 🙌🙌🙌

Meet the full lineup at Restaurant Row! 🤩 🍽️💪💥We're bringing together a curated collection of standout restaurants, chef...
09/01/2026

Meet the full lineup at Restaurant Row! 🤩 🍽️💪💥

We're bringing together a curated collection of standout restaurants, chefs, and flavors for one unforgettable weekend on the lakefront. For many of our festival restaurants, Freshwater marks their debut at Henry Maier Festival Park.
..And this is just the beginning.

The chefs are putting the finishing touches on their festival menus now, and soon we’ll start unveiling the dishes, the inspiration behind them, and plenty of sneak peeks at what you’ll be able to taste at Freshwater.

Keep watching...some major is in your {very near} future. 😏📸👌

Fit check: Yep. That’ll do. That’ll do juuuuust fine. If you’re going to travel to seven global w**e regions featuring o...
08/28/2026

Fit check: Yep. That’ll do. That’ll do juuuuust fine. If you’re going to travel to seven global w**e regions featuring over 80 w**es, we think you should brag about it. Here’s a very first look at the official Freshwater festival passport! 😎🌎🛂

Shout out to our incredibly talented brand designer Jonathan Charles for bringing this piece to life! 🎨💯👌

Milwaukee, let's meet our ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: James Hartel! Freshwater is proud to welcome James Hartel as our festival...
08/28/2026

Milwaukee, let's meet our ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: James Hartel!

Freshwater is proud to welcome James Hartel as our festival Artist in Residence and the creator of the official 2026 Freshwater Food & W**e Festival poster.

Throughout the weekend, James will be painting live near Lakefront Lawn, creating original pieces that will be raffled off, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center Food Pantry, Children's Wisconsin via Chef Adam Pawlak's Cooking for Kids, and Kennedy's Disease Research.

Guests will also have the chance to meet James throughout the weekend, and a limited run of official Freshwater posters will be available for purchase in the Festival Pro Shop.

Come see the festival through the eyes of an artist and take home a piece of Freshwater history!

About James Hartel:
James Hartel is a Milwaukee-based artist with a career spanning nearly 50 years and an international footprint that includes London, Vienna, New York City, and his hometown of Milwaukee. Since his 1976 SoHo debut, his work has appeared in major exhibitions and earned recognition from institutions including the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor Wisconsin, and the American Watercolor Society, where he became a Signature Member in 2020. His paintings are held by private collectors and public institutions, including the Racine Art Museum, which added *Gravity* to its permanent collection in 2021. Throughout his career, Hartel has also created work for hotels, developments, restaurants, bars, and social spaces, making his art a familiar part of Milwaukee’s cultural landscape.

CHEF FEATURE: Let's give it up for one of Milwaukee's favorite chefs...Joe Muench + ! 🤩🦪🥂A Wauwatosa native and longtime...
08/27/2026

CHEF FEATURE: Let's give it up for one of Milwaukee's favorite chefs...Joe Muench + ! 🤩🦪🥂

A Wauwatosa native and longtime force in Milwaukee’s culinary scene, Chef Joe Muench has spent more than two decades helping shape some of the region’s most memorable dining experiences. From landmark kitchens to the creation of Maxie’s and the growth of Black Shoe Hospitality, Joe has built a reputation for bold ideas, strong teams, and food that feels both thoughtful and fun.

At Freshwater, Joe and the Black Shoe Hospitality team are bringing that energy in a 💥BIG💥 way: spearheading The Raw Bar @ Pearl & Pop, rolling in with a food truck, and showcasing their bakery in Restaurant Row. Talk about a triple threat! 💪

That means oysters and bubbles, live music, great food, and some serious Milwaukee hospitality all weekend long.

"We’re incredibly proud to have Joe and the Black Shoe team helping bring Freshwater to life. We couldn't imagine doing this event without his and their team's imprint on the experience. We're very lucky." - Wes Shaver, Freshwater's President & CEO

Milwaukee, let's meet the chefs! We're proud to welcome 's Executive Chef Mario Giuliani to Freshwater Food & W**e Festi...
08/26/2026

Milwaukee, let's meet the chefs! We're proud to welcome 's Executive Chef Mario Giuliani to Freshwater Food & W**e Festival! 😎🥩🔥

For 20 years, Carnevor has helped define what a great steakhouse experience looks like in Milwaukee — bold, polished, unforgettable, and unmistakably Milwaukee Street.

At the center of that legacy is Executive Chef Mario Giuliani, whose craftsmanship, precision, and deep respect for the steakhouse experience have helped make Carnevor one of the city’s premier dining destinations. Welcoming thousands of vistors from across the world, Carnevor's reputation goes far beyond Brew City.

As Carnevor celebrates its 20th anniversary, we’re incredibly proud to welcome Mario and the Carnevor team to Freshwater — bringing their story, their standards, and their signature steakhouse energy to the festival.

A Milwaukee original. A milestone worth celebrating. And a chef we’re honored to have on the Freshwater Mainstage and restaurant in our Restaurant Row...let's give it up for the Carnevor crew! 👏👏👏

On Sunday, September 20th, we're bringing the 🔥HEAT!🔥 Midwest Heat takes over the Freshwater Mainstage as Joe Sasto an...
08/25/2026

On Sunday, September 20th, we're bringing the 🔥HEAT!🔥

Midwest Heat takes over the Freshwater Mainstage as Joe Sasto and go head-to-head in a high-energy culinary showdown packed with skill, personality and plenty of competition. Hosted by Chef Adam Pawlak, this is a must-see, action packed competition!

And keeping the energy turned all the way up is Milwaukee’s own as the official musical guest, bringing the soundtrack to one of Sunday’s biggest moments.

Two chefs. One stage. No holding back.

⏰ 3pm, Sunday, September 20th!
📍 Freshwater Mainstage
🎟️ See the full Sunday lineup at fwfoodandw**e.com

Milwaukee: The Judge is 🔥IN!🔥 This time, Derek Mosley isn’t presiding over a courtroom — he’s taking on the internet’s m...
08/24/2026

Milwaukee: The Judge is 🔥IN!🔥 This time, Derek Mosley isn’t presiding over a courtroom — he’s taking on the internet’s most savage, ridiculous and downright unhinged restaurant reviews at 86’D: The Service Industry Pity Party! 😎⚖💪💥

The best restaurants & bars. The worst reviews. Plenty of laughs. And absolutely no mercy.

Court is officially in session. And now, we want Milwaukee’s service industry pros to take the stand! We need YOU! Submit one of your most memorable online reviews for the chance to read it live on stage during 86’d. Selected participants will receive a pair of Freshwater tickets, festival merch and more.

📩 Enter by sending your review to [email protected]

🌊 Catch 86’d with Derek Mosley live at Freshwater on 9.18 @ 9pm on the Mainstage!
🎟️ Explore the full schedule at fwfoodandw**e.com

Address

200 N Harbor Drive
Milwaukee, WI
53202

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