Summerfest gears up for 45th anniversary festival kick off

MILWAUKEE -- Summerfest 2012 kicks off Wednesday, June 27th, and this year is a chance to celebrate the festival's 45th anniversary. Crews spent "Summerfest Eve" preparing for tens of thousands of music lovers to descend on Milwaukee's lakefront.

By Tuesday evening, setup was nearly complete at Saz's Dockside Barbecue, after over a week of physical work.

"The adrenaline rush is high right now. We've been working with crews of 20 for the last five days. We'll probably be working until about 1 in the morning, and then we should be ready to open up on time at noon tomorrow," Saz's catering director Joe Brueggemann said.

Contractor Chris Koerner worked to sand down the bar at Louise's Tuesday.

"Just getting everything ready for the festival. Just cleaning up and getting the final touches down," Koerner said.

Cindy Fenwick stocked shelves at the The Tie Dye Gal.

"It's hectic making sure we have everything in place!" Fenwick said.

Meanwhile, Kelly Ortiz prepared shish-kabobs to fill hungry stomachs at the Greek Village.

"Basically, we are pre-prepping to make sure that we have enough for the customers who come to partake in the festivities. We enjoy doing it for everybody and we hope they will come and have something good to eat," Ortiz said.

For restaurants like Saz's, preparing for Summerfest takes upwards of six months! They hosted staff orientation for 40 employees Tuesday night.

CLICK HERE for the Summerfest 2012 opening day lineup.