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Appleton celebrates a decade of Mile of Music; local business expects a record weekend

Mile of Music 10th Festival
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APPLETON (NBC 26) — Music holds a special place in the heart of Appleton and this weekend the city is celebrating music at the Mile of Music festival.

“It’s these artists pouring themselves out, and that’s what this community has really embraced,” said Dave Willems, a Mile of Music team member.

For the past ten years, Mile of Music has become a tradition, bringing original sounds to the heart of Appleton. Residents like Jeff and Lindsy Kokke anticipate the festival each year.

“It’s a way to draw people together, you know like there’s the food for the soul, it’s kind of like music for the soul,” said Lindsy Kokke.

The festival brings in an estimated 95,000 people to downtown Appleton each year. For local businesses like Doughlicious, an ice cream shop, Mile of Music brings in a lot of business.

“Mile of music is our best weekend every year,” said Chloe Schumann, manager of Doughlicious.

Schumann treats the festival as a weeks-long project. During the Mile of Music weekend, they extend their hours until 2:30 AM to cater not only to the daytime crowd but also for band members after their shows.

As the festival marks its tenth milestone, Willems reflected on its journey.

“It's a milestone, that’s the term we use. It’s surprising, in some ways it feels like its 30 years, and in some ways, it feels like a year or two,” said Willems.

Mile of Music goes on until Saturday, with hundreds of free performances. As the festival unfolds, it is expected that this year will be another successful chapter in the festival's history.