About Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance 

Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance is one of the most iconic celebrations of music in America, hosting the industry’s biggest acts for an unforgettable live music experience. Since its inception in 1968, Summerfest continues to distinguish itself as a premier national music festival and has developed an unrivaled reputation, consistently featuring hundreds of performances across 12 stages, throughout the permanent 75-acre festival grounds along Lake Michigan. Summerfest will take place over three weekends – June 19-21, June 26-28, July 3-5, 2025. For the latest information, visit Summerfest.com, or Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok: @Summerfest.

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., producer of Summerfest, continues to fulfill its nonprofit mission of bringing the community together and providing a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation to the public, through music and special events.

About Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.  

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. is an independent, private 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1965 that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, a three-weekend music festival featuring over 600 artists across 12 stages.  Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. also maintains and improves Henry Maier Festival Park, located on 75 acres on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI.  In addition to Summerfest, Henry Maier Festival Park hosts a variety of ethnic and cultural festivals, concerts, family programming, walks, runs, and other special events.  The mission of the organization is to promote an understanding of different ethnic cultures, the histories and traditions of various nationalities, harmony in the community, civic pride as well as to provide a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation for the public and employment opportunities for the youth of the community. For more details, visit MilwaukeeWorldFestival.com or Summerfest.com, and on socials @MilwaukeeWorldFestival or @Summerfest.  

About Sarah Smith Pancheri
Sarah Pancheri serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., (MWF) the non-profit organization that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance and manages, develops, and stewards the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park.  In 2023, events held at the Park delivered $318MM in economic impact to Wisconsin, supported 4,700 jobs and generated over $22.4MM in state and local taxes.
The 2024 season is delivering big results for MWF, with various events, concerts, and seven cultural festivals. In total, Henry Maier Festival Park will host almost sixty events, while Summerfest hosted over 600 artists across a variety of genres, offering attendance as well as record sponsorship results.

After spending the formative years of her career with MWF, Sarah left the organization to gain experience as Managing Director for Milwaukee Fundraising at Marquette University, and, later, as Vice President of Development and Communications for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee.  Rejoining the MWF team in December 2015 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sarah continued to play a central role in strategic planning, budgeting, programming, and operating decisions for MWF.  She was promoted to President in 2022 and on January 1, 2024, she also assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer. 

Sarah is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently serves as the Board Chair of VISIT Milwaukee and is a member of the Sponsorship Marketing Association, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design as well as the Historic Third Ward Association Board of Directors. Sarah was named a Woman of Influence by the Milwaukee Business Journal and is also involved with several civic endeavors including the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.