Maifest 2026

It’s the five-year anniversary of the Midwest’s largest gluten-free festival, Lakefront Brewery’s Maifest! Join us outside Lakefront Brewery Beer Hall on Sunday, May 17th from 10am to 3pm for an expanded version of our popular event, which will spill into Commerce Street and into our auxiliary lot next door for the first time, doubling the festival space.

A dedicated free shuttle service from Schlitz Park down the street (1555 N. River Center Dr.) will be provided during and after the event to accommodate additional parking demands. As producers of New Grist, the country’s first and best selling gluten-free beer, and founders of the CurdWagon all gluten-free food truck, we’ve become well aware of how underserved the regional gluten-free community is. We organized this fest for you to peruse, drink, and eat quality hard-to-find food with confidence.

This year’s Maifest will feature over 40 celiac-safe food vendors and food trucks as well as a tasty array of gluten-free Lakefront munchies, including our famous GF cheese curds, at multiple stations throughout the festival grounds. Stroll the Lakefront Lane to enjoy specialty food offerings from yours truly including grilled burgers and sausages, soft pretzels, BBQ flavored cheese curds, Cheez-It crusted chicken tenders, and Thai PB&J Fried Brussels Sprouts – all gluten-free!

It will serve as the official release of our Gluten-Free Cherry & Sakura Sparkling Mead aged in Wollersheim Brandy Barrels, the latest in our Beer Hall exclusive Brewers’ Reserve series. This one-off gluten-free rarity is our first entry in the mead category and will be available on-site and in 12oz cans to-go. We’ll also be celebrating the release of our freshest New Grist variety, the New Grist Radler, a gluten-free beer and grapefruit juice cocktail now available in six packs all over the market. Our gluten-free beverage options won’t stop there. Not only will we be serving up Bloody Marys, but our popular, limited, gluten-free cask beers will be returning with the following flavors:

> Orange Marmalade
> Strawberry Lemonade
> Jala-Piña Colada
> Radler Paloma
> Ginger Mule*
> Ginger Mule Aged on Gin*
(*available after other varieties run dry)

From Sunday, May 10th, through our Maifest event, we will be hosting a “round-up” donation drive for the Bonnie Lynn Mechanic Celiac Clinic at Children’s Wisconsin. Children’s Wisconsin will have a booth at Maifest offering information about their mission and other ways to get involved.

LIVE MUSIC
This will be our first year showcasing full band performances with a full stage and sound sponsored by Kneeverland Productions!
10:30AM | Long Line Riders
11:40AM | Social Cig
12:50PM | Known Moons
02:00PM | Wisconsin Space Program

ACTIVITIES
Join in or just take in the following activities over the course of the event:
> German Dancers (12PM)
> March of the Doxies – A Parade of Dachshunds (2PM)
> Street Performances
> Henna Tattoos
> Flower Crowns
> Festive Photo Ops
> Brewery Tours on the Hour (Purchase HERE)

Saunter through Milwaukee’s most extensive patio, take in views of the Milwaukee River and skyline as you sip and nosh on the best gluten-free food the Midwest has to offer. Maifest is a free, kid-friendly event; bring the whole family down for some fun. See below for a full vendor list:

VENDOR LIST
Batters That Matter
Bethmayhem
Big City BBQ
Bite The Farm
Bunny’s Bite
Buzzshack Apiaries
Chillwaukee
Clean Cruisine
Creative Crusts Pizza
Devour Gluten-Free
Don Arepas Cafe
Elegant Henna
EZ Tiki
Fuelify
Garrett Waite Magic
Girl’s Got Balls
Gluten-Free Lake Life
HWY UFO Coffee
Inspired Alchemy
Johnny’s Hot Sauce
Milwaukee Irish Fest
Molly’s Gluten Free Bakery
MOR Bakehouse MKE
My Keto Corner
Oak City Amaretto
Old Country Style Nuts
Olympia Granola
Original Empanoli by Papole Foods
Paleo Mama Bakery
Pedro’s South American Food
Prairie Junction Co.
Rustic Made Holdings
Sadie’s Sticky Fingers Bakery
Scrump
Smoke Ring BBQ
Southside Sippers
Tabal Chocolate
To Your Health Juicery
Tria Frog Treats
Versie’s Cookie & Bake Shop
Waffle Blox

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Questions, vendor inquiries, or looking to march your dachshund? Contact [email protected].
Vendor spots are full and on a waiting list at this time. Be wary of any online scams posing to be in charge of vendor space, we will contact you via an official Lakefront Brewery email, never via social media.