One of the Harley-Davidson Homecoming festival’s centerpiece attractions — concerts in Veterans Park in downtown Milwaukee — ended not with a roar but with a whimper July 11, and abruptly, when the concerts were canceled around 6 p.m. due to approaching storms.

The cancellation happened about three hours after festivities in the park had started, but before the day’s biggest acts — including Treaty Oak Revival, Charles Wesley Godwin and headliner Hank Williams Jr. — were able to perform. Four of the day’s nine acts, including country rock band Ole 60, managed to play before the park was shut down.

It was the first of two consecutive days of concerts at the downtown Milwaukee park, the festival’s main event.

Social media posts on the festival’s accounts indicated around 6 p.m. July 11 that “Veterans Park is being evacuated due to severe weather approaching, bringing strong winds, lightning, and heavy rainfall. … The remainder of the festival day has been canceled.”

Similar announcements were made over the festival’s speakers at around that time, when Godwin was supposed to perform.

Skies were clear and remained clear for an hour after the cancellation July 11. Thousands calmly walked out of the park; some attendees swore, while others danced. A handful of fans stayed put and continued to camp out by the main stage despite the evacuation order.

Outside the festival entrance, the War Memorial Beer Garden sold evacuated fest-goers drinks, while a couple of savvy hot dog vendors camped out and took advantage of the situation. Several hundred people hung around, watching an unexpected 6:30 p.m. traffic jam of motorcycles roaring out of downtown on Lincoln Memorial Drive.

At around 7 p.m. July 11, Harley-Davidson posted on its social media channels that all July 11 passes purchased through the event’s primary ticket seller, Front Gate Tickets, would be refunded, and all two-day ticket holders who purchased passes through Front Gate would receive a 50% refund. Refunds will be processed directly within 30 days, according to the post.

“Unfortunately, due to severe weather in the area, we had to end the show earlier than we hoped,” read the company’s statement on social media. “Safety is our top concern, and this was the best course of action for our fans, artists and crew.”

The Harley-Davidson Homecoming is in its third consecutive year. It kicked off July 10 with events at the motorcycle company’s headquarters and adjacent Davidson Park, the Harley-Davidson Museum, Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations and six area Harley dealerships.

Of all of the Homecoming festivals, the Veterans Park concerts have been the main event. Last year, they featured headliners the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jelly Roll and Hardy; in 2023, it was Foo Fighters and Green Day.

Both of those years were blessed with great weather, and the two festivals drew about 140,000 people combined.

Two-day passes and July 12 passes for the Veterans Park concerts this year were sold out before noon July 11, according to a media release.

The Veterans Park concerts July 12 are scheduled to feature nine acts, including headliner Chris Stapleton; buzzy undercard artists Sierra Ferrell and Turnpike Troubadours; and movie star and Harley fan Jason Momoa’s rock band Oof Tatata.

Those second day Veterans Park shows were still on as of 7:43 p.m. July 11. At that time, the forecast for July 12 called for a high of 84 degrees, with chances of a stray shower or thunderstorm.