From Sept. 12-18, Milwaukee’s Near West Side is celebrating the neighborhood with events, giveaways and more.
The week starts with a cooking demonstration at the Vliet Street Oasis Market on Sunday, Sept. 12 from 3-5 p.m., and then officially kicks off on Monday at the New State Music Park from 12-1 p.m. There’ll be food trucks, live music and the unveiling of a new mural.
Events, both outdoors and virtual, continue throughout the week, including a mural tour, movie night and a scavenger hunt that will have participants searching through the neighborhood for hidden treasures. All events are free of charge.
There will also be specials and discounts for folks who mention Near West Side week at neighborhood restaurants, such as Daddy’s Soul Food, Five O’Clock Steakhouse and Pete’s Pops.
“I really want people to know that the Near West Side is open,” said Keith Stanley, the executive director of Near West Side Partners, who organized the event. “We’re ready for people to check out all the great assets we have.”
Near West Side Partners’ mission is to revitalize and sustain the Near West Side neighborhood. The inspiration behind this new week-long celebration came from the Near West Side Partners luncheon event that the group held every year. The event, which normally hosted 500 people, was cancelled due to COVID. Searching for a more pandemic-friendly way to promote the neighborhood, the group created Near West Side Week, according to Stanley.
You can find each event with the location and time on the official Near West Side website.
