Flyer by Nayfa Naji
Celebrating Palestine Festival 2025 Flyer
Celebrating Palestine Festival flyer
Celebrating Palestine, a festival honoring all things Palestinian culture, will take place this Sunday, June 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N Water St. Hosted by the Muslim Women’s Coalition (MWC), the family-friendly festival will be the first of its kind in Milwaukee, showcasing Palestinian food, music, art, fashion and dance, complete with a cultural runway and several live performances.
“It is something that cannot be missed,” MWC Executive Director Janan Najeeb affirms. “We have never had a public event like this!”
The festival will have nearly 40 vendors selling clothing, home decor, henna, books, accessories and more, in addition to featured local organizations and a food tasting table. Performances for the afternoon include Palestinian singer Hamodah Alsalman as well as men’s dabke group Al Watan and all-new women’s dabke group Banat Al-Huriyah. Student speech and art contests, of which over a dozen Milwaukee schools participated, are also taking place.
Cultural Fashion
For the cultural fashion show, 40 models will showcase tatreez-embroidered dresses representing dozens of cities and villages in historic Palestine. “Each dress tells a story through the embroidery,” Najeeb explains. “The heritage and sense of pride is so strong that some of our models are wearing the thobes hand-embroidered and worn by their grandmothers and great-grandmothers.”
Born in Jerusalem, Najeeb comes from a proud Palestinian family, and she had been thinking about organizing an event like Celebrating Palestine for a number of years. “Metro Milwaukee has a very sizable Palestinian community,” she says. “The rich culture is on display at every event that the community attends, whether a baby shower, wedding or just a get-together with friends.”
She recalls when Arab Fest had been held at the Summerfest Grounds years ago, which was a robust display of cultures that showcased all 22 Arab countries. “The festival was gaining momentum and pulling in crowds, but unfortunately September 11 happened, which created a shameful backlash against all Arabs and Muslims, causing two years of cancellation.”
Tickets Going Fast
Arab Fest did eventually resume; however, factors like inclement weather and hindered attendance made it difficult for organizers to keep the festival going. Celebrating Palestine will be housed indoors and is being organized by two dozen committee members and dozens more volunteers. Tickets are already going fast, so Najeeb recommends that folks purchase in advance.
“Our plan is to definitely make this an annual event, especially with the phenomenal response we have had so far,” Najeeb mentions. “We are so thrilled with all of the positive feedback from across the city, including many elected officials.”
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Advance tickets can be purchased for $10 here. They are fifteen dollars at the door.
