2022 Labor Day Parade

Milwaukee Laborfest is back, and with it the parade down Wisconsin Avenue to Henry Maier Festival Park.

The festival and parade, organized by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, was held Monday for the first time since 2019. It landed quite the headliner in President Joe Biden.

To accommodate the president, the parade was pushed forward to a 10:30 a.m. start time. Several hundred, if not thousand, marchers and dozens of pieces of heavy machinery set off from Zeidler Union Square to greet the president at the festival grounds. Interspersed throughout the various unions that make up the parade were several politicians, including Governor Tony Evers and Lieutenant Governor and senate candidate Mandela Barnes, but unlike most parades didn’t carry signs announcing their presence. One group, Voces de La Frontera Action, marched and publicly challenged Biden to strengthen his immigration policy.

And while initial images from the festival grounds show a sizable crowd, the parade itself attracted far more participants than spectators. Our photos capture the action.

Look for future coverage of Biden’s visit. The president landed in Milwaukee at approximately 11:00 a.m. and was greeted by Mayor Cavalier Johnson and County Executive David Crowley. Joining Biden at the event were AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. This article was published before Biden’s address.

Photos