APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The downtown Appleton area was alive with the sound of music, and it’s all thanks to the return of the four-day Mile of Music festival along College Avenue.
You could hear music from a mile away Wednesday as the 6th Mile of Music festival kicked off and took over the one-mile stretch of the avenue.
It’s the largest free music event in the world, so the planning for it happened almost immediately after last year’s festival ended.
“It does take a village, it really does, and we couldn’t be more happy and proud of the team – we do have a small, but mighty team; the ‘Mile Team,’ and we start planning,” Mile of Music director of operations, logistics, and talent Ian Thomson said. “You know, it takes about a year to put this event on.”
Dozens of stages had been set up a few days prior to preparing for the big event.
About 900 live performances by original artists are planned at several venues. Some of those performers that helped kick-off the 6th Mile of Music included Zaney Carney out of Los Angeles, and the father-daughter songwriting team from Springfield, Ill, Lost Acre, if acoustic is more your style.
A variety of music can be heard out of almost every business during the music festival.
There’s also other music featured this year that you may find in unexpected places, by unexpected people.
“This is our Tundraland Jam Room that we have setup here on College Avenue,” explained Tundraland president and owner Brian Gottlieb. “There are acts performing now through Sunday, and what’s really great is in between the acts is an open mic and open-platform for anybody that wants to perform.”
As for how you should prepare for this huge event? Organizers say you shouldn’t and recommend not sticking to the schedule, but instead letting your ears be your guide.
“If I were an attendee, I would not use a schedule, I would just go,” Thomson said. “Just go and explore, take everything in, you know, it’s just…experience it!”
But for those who may not want to miss a favorite act, a full schedule of performances is available on Mile of Music’s website.
The musicians are all performing their own original music. Each concert is free.
Mile of Music brings in more than 75,000 people and more are expected this time around.
