Bo Black's Summerfest Legacy

The anticipation is growing. Milwaukee's annual Summerfest is just two days away.

Today, before the gates open up on the 40th addition of the Big Gig on Thursday, Bo Black will be honored for her tremendous contributions to the event.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The ubiquitous face of the festival for nearly half its 39 years has been etched into a piece of stone that will dedicate the children's fountain, just inside the main gate, to Black and her work.

The granite plaque attached to a concrete base standing 3 feet tall will be unveiled this afternoon, along with two benches placed next to the fountain.

When Summerfest opens its 40th Big Gig on Thursday, kids old and young will splash in the Elizabeth Bo Black Children's Fountain, named in her honor and in appreciation and recognition of her 19 years of service as executive director of the festival and Milwaukee World Festival Inc.

..."We thought it would be very appropriate to establish a permanent acknowledgment of her accomplishments and tenure," said Howard Schnoll, chairman of the festival board.

Still recovering from a stroke she suffered in February, Black will be unable to attend the dedication.

...In a short telephone interview Monday, she said it was "very nice" for the current Summerfest leaders to recognize her but called herself just a "spoke in the wheel."

Many of those who worked with Black during her tenure at the helm would disagree.

She wasn't just a spoke, but the hub around which Summerfest spun from a small event into the world's largest music festival, an 11-day extravaganza of song, fireworks, food and beer.

It's about time.

It would have been nice if Summerfest had given Bo Black this recognition sooner, when she would have been well enough to attend the dedication.

There was never any question that she deserves a tribute, a permanent "thank you" on the Summerfest grounds.

Bo Black certainly was so much more than a "spoke in the wheel."

I think naming the children's fountain in her honor is a wonderful way to thank her for the incredible impact she had on shaping Summerfest during her years as the guiding force of the event. Her influence is everywhere.

What a great idea to recognize her devotion to Milwaukee, the City of Festivals, with the Elizabeth Bo Black Children's Fountain!

The fountain is a centerpiece of the grounds, just inside the main gate. It serves as a welcome to festival goers.

It's where children splash and play as columns of water spray up. Adults often rim the fountain's edge and cool off as well.

It's a joyous place for all ages, coming together, celebrating the moment.

It's a perfect symbol of Bo Black's Summerfest legacy.