Silver City InterNational Festival Returns
12th annual event to celebrate diversity and culture in Silver City.
The 2022 Silver City InterNational Festival. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
As the South Side anticipates the return of its signature dining week, one Milwaukee neighborhood will get an early start on the festivities.
Silver City InterNational Festival will return for its 12th installment on Sept. 9, serving as a precursor to the upcoming globally-inspired feast.
The festival, presented by VIA CDC, takes place on W. National Avenue between 33rd and 35th streets from noon until 5 p.m. The Ethnic and Diverse Business Coalition (EDBC) is sponsoring the event.
“The Silver City InterNational Festival is a vibrant and lively event that celebrates the diversity and culture of our communities,” said a statement from the organizers.”
Throughout the day, attendees can sing along to Mexican hip-hop, practice cumbia footwork and observe traditional dances from a variety of performers and musical groups across two stages at the festival.
The full lineup includes Latin Sound System, Sindoolaa, True Skool and Browns Crew on the main stage, with Rising Dragons, Bembe, Aparna Bag, Salsabrositas and Milwaukee Repertory Theater on the ground stage.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen local vendors will be present, selling tea, candy, handmade jewelry, art, apparel and other gifts.
For a more interactive experience, artist Ceci Tejeda will lead a pinata-making workshop. Samantha Villazaez will be on-site sketching caricature illustrations, while Anja Sieger creates custom typewriter poetry.
Food options will include Birrieria La Tia Juana, Lovely & Tasty Walking Taco, Aroma Cafe, Orenda Cafe and Bro’s Backyard BBQ. For dessert, Isa’s Ice Cream will provide a refreshing assortment of nieve de garrafa in flavors such as mango, pepino (cucumber), nuez (pecan), chicle (bubblegum) and strawberry. A number of brick-and-mortar establishments ring the festival, offering guests even more opportunities to enjoy a wide array of food offerings.
Even after Silver City InterNational Festival comes to an end, the South Side will remain in the spotlight. Southside Dining Week will kick off at the end of the month, taking place from Sept. 30 through Oct. 7. This year’s event will feature more than 25 dining establishments and bars, including Silver City‘s own Orenda Cafe.
The Sept. 9 festival is free to attend. For more information, visit VIA CDC online.
National Avenue — a main thoroughfare typically bustling with traffic, will be closed to vehicles for the duration of the festival. Historically, the high-traffic street has proven unwelcoming to pedestrians and bikers, but that may soon change under a new proposal.
In June, the City of Milwaukee and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) put forth a plan to reconstruct W. National Avenue between S. 1st and S. 39th streets, reducing four lanes to two and adding raised, fully-separated bike lanes, among other changes.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
