A crowd of 15,000 was expected at Sunday’s “Red, White and Brew” welcome party to kick off the 2024 Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee. The welcome party for delegates and credentialed guests was held at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward Sunday evening. It featured a spread of Wisconsin food
A crowd of 15,000 was expected at Sunday's "Red, White and Brew" welcome party to kick off the 2024 Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee.
The welcome party for delegates and credentialed guests was held at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward Sunday evening. It featured a spread of Wisconsin food and drinks as well as live entertainment -- headlined by country music artist Trace Adkins -- and a fireworks show.
Wow Milwaukee! I can’t wait to see this week progress! If last night’s Welcome Party was any indication of enthusiasm and energy around this exciting moment on the national stage - we are in for quite a week! @MKEHost2024#RNC2024@visitmilwaukeepic.twitter.com/k08wlbCP6L
While the event was closed to the press, members of the local media got a "sneak peak" of the party's setup Sunday afternoon before attendees arrived. Check out the photo gallery at the end of this post for scenes from pre-event media access and outside the security perimeter during the event.
[caption id="attachment_593422" align="alignleft" width="300"] A law enforcement officer stands at the bus entrance for the RNC welcome party at the Summerfest grounds.[/caption]
The event was marked by tight security, including a fenced perimeter surrounding the festival grounds, vehicle checkpoints, maritime restrictions, magnetometer screening for attendees and heavy law enforcement presence. Those safety measures were part of a broader, comprehensive security plan put in place by the U.S. Secret Service for the RNC, a designated National Special Security Event.
Security concerns raised
In the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign Saturday in Pennsylvania, the RNC's security was called into question by members of the media during the welcome party "sneak peak"
[caption id="attachment_593423" align="alignleft" width="300"] Alison Prange, COO of the RNC host committee.[/caption]
"Safety and security are of utmost concern for all of us, they have been since we began planning two years ago, and I would defer any questions about security and security logistics to the Secret Service," said Alison Prange, chief operating officer of the MKE 2024 Host Committee, during the pre-event media access.
Asked if the host committee had considered cancelling the welcome party following Saturday's assassination attempt on Trump, Prange said her team is "all systems go."
"You know we've been hard at work for everybody here in Milwaukee, full steam ahead," she said. "We're ready to bring it and showcase our city and state to the world."
The Secret Service held a press briefing Sunday afternoon to announce that the existing security plan for the 2024 Republican National Convention “will remain in place,” with no changes anticipated.
Showing off Wisconsin
Wisconsin culture was a main focal point of the "Red, White and Brew" party's food and beverage offerings and overall aesthetic. Concession stands were branded with themed signage, such as the Lakefront Creamery -- serving two kinds of sundaes made with Cedar Crest Ice Cream -- MKE BBQ and Harbor Drive Taqueria. Other local favorites served at the event included Wisconsin fish fry (beer battered cod and a fried walleye sandwich), smash burgers, "Sheboygan grilled cheese," and the Elegant Farmer's "famous" apple pie. The "Cork & Curd" area served cheese curds and locally sourced charcuterie. The Summerfest Store near the Miller Lite Oasis was rebranded as the Central Standard Old Fashioned Bar.
The idea was to introduce visitors to "Wisconsin hospitality," said Prange.
"We want to blow everyone away that comes here tonight," she said. "... They'll have the chance to check out supper clubs, old fashioned's, cheese curds, you name it. They're gonna get their best taste of Milwaukee here with us tonight. And it's really important because this is the first time a lot of people have been to Wisconsin."
The event also had a handful of VIP areas, some branded with their own nods to Wisconsin, including the White-Tail Supper Club, Northwoods Lodge, Dairy Club and the Fever-Tree House (sponsored by Fever-Tree drink mixers).
Waukesha-based florist Red Petal did the floral arrangements for the VIP areas, designing four different kinds of table centerpieces to match the different themes. The arrangements for the Northwoods Lodge, for example, featured sunflowers, oak leaves and feathers, while those at the White-Tale Supper Club had red roses and white antlers.
[gallery size="medium" ids="593417,593402,593416"]
"We're proud to be part of welcoming people to our great city," said Sarah Rasmussen-Davis, owner of Red Petal. "We love that people will see what we see in Milwaukee and how proud we are to be apart of it."
The business was contracted for the job by Waukesha-based event producer Majic Productions, which was involved in the production of the welcome party along with Milwaukee-based Dynamic Events. Both companies are regular clients of Red Petal and provided direction on the floral designs based on the four different themes -- an element that set this event apart from others the florist has done, said Rasmussen-Davis.
Local business involvement
Sunday's "Red, White and Brew" party was hosted by the MKE 2024 Host Committee in partnership with a group of local business leaders, including Anne Zizzo, founder and CEO of Zizzo Group Engagement Marketing; Omar Shaikh, owner of Carnevor and developer of the 3rd Street Market Hall and Jim Kanter, chief commercial officer of Central Standard Craft Distillery.
They are co-chairs of the 414 Council, a group of Milwaukee-area individuals, organizations and businesses that formed to financially support the welcome party — an opportunity they see to help promote Milwaukee and the community during the four-day, high-profile RNC.
"We are thrilled ... that they stepped up along with other Milwaukee businesses, because this is about showcasing Milwaukee, and the host committee's role is about highlighting Milwaukee," said Prange.
[caption id="attachment_593411" align="alignleft" width="300"] USCCA-sponsored area at the welcome party.[/caption]
Another local entity with its name on Sunday's event was the West Bend-based U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA), which had its own branded area with lounge seating and branded backdrop for photos opps. The RNC host committee recently announced a “major sponsorship agreement” West Bend-based Delta Defense, the services provider for the USCCA.
Previewing convention week
Monday, July 15, will mark the first official day of the GOP's convention, which is expected to bring 50,000 people to downtown Milwaukee. That figure includes 15,000 members of the media from across the country and overseas.
Delegates and alternates will attend official sessions daily at Fiserv Forum, which has been transformed over the past few weeks into the convention's main venue. That is where the party's presumptive nominee, former President Donald Trump, will deliver remarks Thursday night to close out the four-day affair. The first official session is slated for Monday, from 12:45 to 4:45 p.m., followed by the second official session starting at 5:45 p.m.
In addition to official sessions, there will be hundreds of ancillary events happening at various venues throughout the city each day. Convention Fest will also take place daily outside the Baird Center from 2 to 5:30 p.m. The outdoor street festival will feature roughly 100 local vendors selling food, beverages, locally made good and convention souvenirs.
Downtown residents and workers should expect traffic delays and street closures this week due to security. The hard perimeter surrounding the convention's main venues -- Fiserv Forum, the Panther Arena, the Baird Center and the Milwaukee Theater -- went into effect Sunday at 6 p.m. Only credentialed individuals can access the area within that hard perimeter.
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