Last year we were thrilled to see a festival step up to fill the void left behind by the old African World Festival at the Summerfest grounds. Black Arts Fest MKE held its inaugural festival at the Summerfest grounds in August, with headliners MC Lyte, Tony! Toni! Toné! and blues legend Bobby Rush. If you weren't there, you missed out—it was a beautifully run event that drew a large, appreciative crowd, and today we're excited to learn that it will be back for a second year.
Black Arts Fest MKE will return to the Summerfest grounds on Saturday, Aug. 3. And while we don't have much information beyond that, the festival issued a call for vendors and volunteers in a press release this morning. You can read it below.
As summer draws near and the days last longer, people start to think of warm weather activities including the festival season. Black Arts Fest MKE, Inc. is excited to announce the second annual Black Arts Fest mke will celebrate the magnificence of African and African American culture on Saturday, August 3. The festival will take place from noon to midnight at Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds). The inaugural one-day fest, held in August 2018, welcomed approximately 9,000.
“The community showed tremendous support and we heard spectacular feedback about the first Black Arts Fest mke,” said Patrice Harris, the festival’s executive director. “We invite everyone to join us August 3 as we celebrate and learn about various aspects of our culture.”
Black Arts Fest mke will continue to place an emphasis on different forms of artistic expression – music, dance, educational activities, art and food. “Milwaukee is home to an abundance of African and African American talent and our goal is to create a forum for artisans whether visual, musical, culinary or another art form,” stated executive director Patrice Harris. She continued, “Artists in our community can’t reach the next level without exposure to new audiences, and this helps accomplish that.”
The Miller Lite Oasis, Johnson Controls World Sound Stage, Children’s Stage, Sport’s Area and the large grassy area east of the mid gate will all feature programming. The Children’s Play Area will provide culturally focused activities for young ones. The festival features various genres of music, performances and workshops for children and adults to enjoy. Activities, wares, textiles and artworks are heavily focused around the culture and black owned business.
The festival is accepting applications for:
• Marketplace vendors
• food and beverage vendors
• volunteers
Applications for each respective area can be found under “Festival Info” on BlackArtsFestmke.com.
Advance Adult (ages 12 - 59) tickets can be purchased for just $9, a 30 percent savings off the gate price ($12). Tickets for Youth (ages 8 – 11) and Senior (60 and older) are also available for $8. Children (0 – 7 years of age) and Military and Veterans with a photo ID and proof of service will be admitted free at the gate. Tickets are only available for purchase online and are on sale now through August 3 at BlackArtsFestmke.com.
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