"We don't have a concert tonight:" Mother Nature washes out week two at Jazz in the Park



MILWAUKEE -- It's a free event that draws huge crowds each week and rakes in big bucks in drink sales. But Thursday, June 11th 'Jazz in the Park' is losing thousands of dollars. The rainy weather means the show will not go on -- and that's not the only event the precipitation is dampening in Milwaukee.

Last week, organizers say Jazz in the Park delivered one of their best concerts ever in terms of attendance.

This week, the park is empty. The rain held off for much of the evening but the threat was too big to ignore.

Just like Jazz in the Park, the weather in Wisconsin can seem unpredictable, often hitting the wrong note with outdoor events.

"We always expect maybe a little rain during the summer, but not enough to shut us down completely," said Executive Director of East Town Association, Kim Morris.

It's a different song for the second Jazz in the Park event in Cathedral Square this season -- cancelled due to the threat of rain and lightening.

"We also have to protect our staff -- we have a production crew that climbs in these scaffolding at 9:30 at night," said Morris.

Kim Morris says last week's concert drew a record crowd of nearly 6,000, which makes this week-two-washout even more disappointing. On top of that, there are thousands of dollars East Town stands to lose.

"Even though we don't have a concert tonight, we still pay for the stage, the garbage, toilets and cancellation of the bands," Morris said.

Down at a special preview for their Willie G. Davidson exhibit, the show must go on at the Harley Davidson Museum -- but all the outdoor events like bands and concessions are moved inside.

The preview coincides with Harley's weekly 'Bike Night,' which last Thursday also drew a huge crowd of about 1,100 hogs.

Like Jazz in the Park, the weather decision was made at noon on Thursday to make changes -- bucking the weather trends we've been experiencing so far this season.

"We usually find that the first couple of weeks are amazing, because everyone is dying to get outside," said Morris.

Not tonight, sadly! Both events alerted guests on social media to the changes.

Next week, Jazz in the Park hopes to make up for this off week with two acts taking the stage.

Both Jazz in the Park and Bike Night run weekly through September.