Summerfest's grand new playground Northwestern Mutual Community Park was an instant hit when it opened this June, drawing hundreds of families each weekend. Our only quibble was with it was its relatively short season: The playground was open to the public for just a little over two months before its public hours ended for the season (although it remained open during events at the Summerfest grounds).
For parents looking to maximize these final weeks of prime outdoor weather, Summerfest announced some very welcome news today: Northwestern Mutual Community Park will again be open to the public for the time being. The playground will be open daily from noon-4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. (There are some exceptions to those hours: It will be closed to the general public during the Oct. 3 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon and during Pridetoberfest Oct. 8-9. It will also be completely closed Oct. 7 and Oct. 10 from event load in and load out).
So how deep into the season will the playground stay open? That remains to be seen. "The closing date for the Northwestern Mutual Community Park will be determined by winter weather conditions," Summerfest officials write.
But the playground is definitely worth checking out while you can. "Playing off the Summerfest grounds’ music motifs, the playground is filled with interactive musical instruments, various xylophone-like metal bars and pipes of all sizes, along with towering climbing structures for older kids," we wrote in our review. "Even the most traveled kid is likely to see some equipment they’ve never encountered before."