A 501(c)(3) organization, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. hosts a variety of festivals and other events and manages Summerfest, The World's Largest Music Festival, an annual 9-day music celebration that averages 900,000 attendees and began in 1968. In addition, the organization manages the operations of Henry W. Maier Festival Park, situated on a 75-acre permanent site along the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee. The property is the setting for a series of events, concerts and ethnic and cultural festivals that attract an average of 1.4 million patrons each year.