by Jim Linneman and Tess Reiss Tell your neighbors and bring your friends to the Locust Street Festival on Sunday, June 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Now in its 26th year, the Locust Street Festival extravaganza has become one of Milwaukee’s most colorful and finest old-time street festivals. In 2001, Shepherd Express readers voted it the city’s best neighborhood festival. Bringing a community together to honor its history requires an intricate mix of ideas, planning, and personalities. The Locust Street Festival represents years of such efforts to best showcase and celebrate our neighborhood. What started out as nothing more than a few bands gathered around a few beer tents has metamorphosed into a highly organized and well-respected event with more than 10,000 people attending. A brief history of how the festival began appears on the front cover of the festival program every year: “In the early 70’s Milwaukee planned to widen Locust Street, between Humboldt and Holton. In 1976, after much discussion and debate, the neighbors here in Riverwest let the authorities know that they were against it. Miraculously, the City agreed and the neighborhood threw a party to celebrate. They called it the Locust Street Festival of Music & Art. We are still celebrating. Join us.” It’s a street party like no other and a great way to kick your summer into high gear. You won’t want to miss out on the six stages of live music, more than 40 arts and crafts vendors, a 1.8 mile Beer Run/Walk, Woodland Pattern’s magnetic poetry board, Milwaukee Public Theater’s community drum circle, the “Cosmic Patterns” block (featuring chair massage, palm readers, and health care products), plus a variety of food, children’s activities, and carnival rides. Want to join in on the fun? Call The Tracks at (414) 562-2020 if you would like to be in the Beer Run (the only way you can get one of those cool festival t-shirts) or for a booth application if you have a product, service, or organization you would like to promote. It’s a rain or shine event, so think sun!
by Jim Linneman and Tess Reiss