 |
|
DJ Madhatter by A&A Photography |
It’s almost Labor Day – a day (for most of us) free from work and responsibility. This Saturday is another free day of sorts (free of charge) as the Made in Milwaukee festival takes over Cathedral Square Park from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. to celebrate all things local.
Haven’t been to the event before? Shame on you. Where’s your city pride? This is actually the 11th Made in Milwaukee event, though it’s only been at Cathedral Square for the past two, and it’s growing as fast as Lindsey Lohan’s rap sheet. Both Kilbourn Avenue and Jefferson Street will be closed to accommodate the over 100 local vendors and nonprofits that offer their piece of what makes Milwaukee great.
“It takes about six months to pull off this event and the people who put it together all have day jobs and take extra time out to make this happen,” says Chuck Watson, event founder, long-time Milwaukee resident and Alterra employee. “I don’t have words to express how grateful I am to work with such wonderful people.”
During the day, come for the farmer’s market, free coffee tasting with local roasters Alterra, Anodyne, Valentine and Stone Creek, Kids Fair with hands-on activities, art/craft fair and local business fair. At night, check out a live dance performance and fashion show.
The Milwauktoberfest Beer Tasting takes place from 3-6 p.m. ($30 or $25 in advance) and local musicians such as Tristan Royalty Squad, The Wildbirds, The Celebrated Workingman and Ethan Keller will be performing throughout the day. My favorite DJ Madhatter (a.k.a Jordan Lee from Radio Milwaukee) will be your host. And for all you film buffs, Made in Milwaukee is the first place you’ll be able to pick up the official Milwaukee Film Festival guide.
Just one more question for Chuck to try just to wrap my head around the immensity of this undertaking:
JK: What was the impetus to start the event?
CW: To be honest, the simple idea was to have a more entertaining music event. The most fun I’ve had at local concerts was when there was more to look at and/or listen to. We began to put together concert type events that included our friends’ art as well as mixing up the acts on stage to offer outstanding local music from various genres. We didn’t ever have a plan to grow, we just did. And that growth was possible because the community responded to what we were doing. As long as Milwaukee supports itself there is noting we cannot accomplish. I would like to stress that our success is based solely on the enjoyment of the attendees and the success of our vendors, musicians and artists. We aren’t doing this for money. This is an event 100 percent for and by the city.
If you can’t wait for the party, check out the Made in Milwaukee pre-party Friday, Sept. 2, 7-9 p.m. at Sugar Maple (441 E. Lincoln Ave.), which will continue at Hotel Foster (2028 E. North Ave.) with live local music. And wherever there is a pre-party, there is an after-party. Head over to Bad Genie (789 N. Jefferson St.) for Evan Christian and a special guest DJ at 11 p.m.
For a full schedule of events and the music lineup, visit the Made in Milwaukee website.
Follow me on twitter @jkashou for more insider tips, events and happenings around town. Or, tip me off to an event you know of that you’d like me to cover.
