Ticket prices will go up $1 for general admission entry in 2013 to Summerfest — but who really pays for Summerfest admission anymore?

There are numerous ways to get into “The Big Gig” for free. In 2012, each day had a freebie deal except for July 4, which had a buy-one-get-one opportunity. For most, you have to enter between noon and 3 p.m.

A few standing deals also were available. The Blood Center of Wisconsin offered a free ticket for a blood donation; the ticket was good any time.  Kapco made general admission tickets for children available. And of course the festival itself gave away 45,000 tickets to opening day, a promotion that temporarily crashed that web page.

Despite those freebies, Summerfest 2012 attendance was down 8 percent to 805,437, a decrease attributed mainly to last summer’s gruesome heat.

More important, perhaps, is the news that beer prices remain the same for next summer. It’s still $5 for a draft and $6.50 for a bottle. The festival has already announced country star Jason Aldean as its first headliner on June 29. 

Are you someone who pays full freight — now $17 — for a Summerfest ticket? Or do you only go for free? Let us know what you do by voting in our poll and join the discussion in the comments.