Situated on a busy little strip of North Avenue that’s usually crowded even when there isn’t a free, well-funded street festival, the East Side’s Summer Soulstice festival once again wins points for imagination this year. Unusual highlights include BMX demonstrations, an extreme volleyball tournament and a Qdoba burrito-eating contest, but the main draw is the same as most other music festivals: the music. And this year there’s no shortage of good stuff. Milwaukee bands including The Buskers (4 p.m.), Juniper Tar (5:30 p.m.), The Lackloves (6 p.m.), Invade Rome (8 p.m.) and Fever Marlene (9:30 p.m.) are joined by Chicago folk-rock fetishists The Ike Reilly Assassination (7:30 p.m.) and Detroit rockers The Von Bondies (9:30 p.m.), whose single “C’mon C’mon” was recently immortalized with an appearance in the game “Rock Band.”
Summer Soulstice
Today @ North and Farwell Avenues, noon