Looking for music? Head north to Milwaukee

As good as Taste of Chicago is, it's not the only big urban festival to choose from in the coming week.

Summerfest, which got under way on Thursday, is open noon to midnight through July 4 on the Henry Maier Summerfest Grounds along Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.

The event is to music what our own Taste is to food.

Dozens of bands will perform on 11 stages during the lakefront gathering roughly 90 minutes to the north. Most of the heavy hitters will perform at the 23,000-seat Marcus Amphitheater, though a few will join regional and up-and-coming acts on stages throughout the festival grounds.

The headlining acts offer something for just about everyone. Fans of American guitar rock will want to catch Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with ZZ Top (June 25 and 26). Teen and tween girls (and their mothers) might want to set aside time for Justin Bieber (June 27). Hip-hop/r & b fans can choose from Public Enemy (June 25), Usher (June 30) and the Roots (July 1).

That just scratches the surface; Rush, B.B. King, Carrie Underwood and John Hiatt are among the other A-list acts performing at the festival.

Summerfest tickets are $8 for adults, a charge that allows you to roam the grounds and check out any act on any stage. The only exception is the Marcus Amphitheatre, which requires an additional charge, though free tickets for lawn seats are issued for many shows on the day of performance.

Summerfest isn't all about music. There's plenty of food, arts exhibitions and entertainment on the grounds, too, including a variety of activities specifically geared toward families. For information about transportation, parking, full entertainment schedules and more, go to summerfest.com.