On one of the busiest weekends at the Milwaukee lakefront in recent memory, it's a two-way race for the biggest and loudest event between the Air and Water Show, and the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival.
The former may have military-grade aircraft in its corner, but the latter absolutely blows the competition away when it comes to music and entertainment. This year's H-D Homecoming runs Thursday to Sunday, July 25-28, with the two middle days being the biggest of the week. Here’s what you can expect at Veterans Park each of those days:
Friday, July 26
Willie G. Davidson Stage
- 3 p.m. — Hank Ruff
- 4:15 p.m. — Priscilla Block
- 5:45 p.m. — Warren Zeiders
- 7:30 p.m. — Hardy
- 9:30 p.m. — Jelly Roll
Iron Stage
- 3:30 p.m. — DJ Chill
- 6:45 p.m. — Shaylen
- 8:45 p.m. — Hueston
Saturday, July 26
Willie G. Davidson Stage
- 3 p.m. — The Criticals
- 4:15 p.m. — Destroy Boys
- 5:45 p.m. — Cypress Hill
- 7:30 p.m. — The Offspring
- 9:30 p.m. — The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Iron Stage
- 3:30 p.m. — Djay Mando
- 6:45 p.m. — Scarlet Demore
- 8:45 p.m. — Otoboke Beaver
In addition to the musical accompaniment, the Veterans Park programming includes four installments of Nitro Circus mototainment (3:45, 5:45, 7:15 and 8 p.m.), as well as various H-D-themed activities and food/beverage concessions. The park will be open both days from 2 to 11 p.m. But that’s not the only location hosting events across the four-day festival. Here’s what you can find at the other three primary venues:
H-D Museum
The campus located at 400 W. Canal St. will host the H-D Factory Race Team Experience, V-Twin Custom Motorcycle Showcase, a custom bike show and live music all four days.
Thursday, July 25
- 6:15 p.m. — War Hippies
- 7:45 p.m. — Austin Meade
- 9:30 p.m. — Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Friday, July 26
- 4 p.m. — God’s Outlaw
- 5:15 p.m. — Hillbilly Casino
- 6:45 p.m. — Big Guns
Saturday, July 27
- Noon — Cold Sweat and The Brew City Horns
- 5:30 p.m. — Poison Overdose
- 7 p.m. — Motley Crucial
Sunday, July 28
- 11 a.m. — Banana Wind
- 2 p.m. — Sons of Sconnie
H-D Headquarters
The home base of Harley-Davidson at 3700 W. Juneau Ave. will host activities Thursday through Saturday. Those include a historical tour and photo exhibit, an opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, a Homecoming Rev-Up from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, STE(A)Magination Day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and an interactive art and culture fair from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
H-D Powertrain Operations
Located at W156 N9000 Pilgrim Rd. in Menomonee Falls, the facility has programming scheduled for Thursday through Saturday. Among the activities are a self-guided factory tour, 2024 model year demos, slow-speed motorcycle skills, police skills and other demonstrations.
For the full schedule and to pick up tickets to this year’s event, visit the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival website.
