Picking out that prime spot: Campers at Veteran's Park gear up for U.S. Bank Fireworks Show

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's a tent city within a city -- and something you'll only see in Milwaukee once a year. Stakes were hammered on Wednesday, July 2nd -- as hundreds lay claim to spots in Milwaukee's Veterans Park ahead of Thursday night's U.S. Bank Fireworks Show! For some families -- it's a tradition dating back decades.

"We try to get as close to the barges as possible," Jere Trudeau said.

Trudeau is expecting up to 75 friends will join him for the fireworks show.

"It's something we've been doing for 37 years now. It's grown in the number of people who all of a sudden become our friends," Trudeau said.

It's camping in the traditional sense, but instead of escaping the city, they're in the heart of it.

"You get to see the lights of the city, and it's a very different camping experience than you get in the woods," Dwayne Schlund said.

Schlund was busy Wednesday building a canopy for the 50 friends who usually show up.

"There are some people I only see once a year because they know we're going to be here.  They just come down for this.  I don't have to invite them. They just know we're gonna be here so they show up," Schlund said.

Erica Kearney has endured rain and heat in the past -- so Wednesday's chilly weather didn't discourage her.

"We've been here at least 35 years and we come and spend the night the only night you can do it at the lakefront. Everybody knows where to come -- and they come and see us for years," Kearney said.