By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Apr 18, 2023 at 10:24 AM

The lakefront Northwestern Mutual Community Park in the Henry Maier Festival Park is now open for the season.

The park is accessible to everyone from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. When there are special events – like Summerfest, etc. – the facility is open to event attendees only. Pets are not allowed.

You can find a calendar at MilwaukeeWorldFestival.com.

Free parking is available in Lot G, located south of the park’s Mid-Gate, as well as designated bike parking.

The 54,000-square-foot park – which opened in 2021 and which you can see in more depth here – has inclusive and accessible play options for kids 2-12. There is a nursing room, sensory rooms, a flexible programming area and restrooms, too.

Sunday Family Fun Days returns to the Northwestern Mutual Community Park on June 18, July 16, Aug. 6, and Sept. 17. More info on these days will be announced soon.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.