Top 25 Vendors at Summer Soulstice

For the 17^th year in a row, Milwaukee will acknowledge our longest day of the year, celebrating the Summer Soulstice Music Festival and Arts Fair on East North Ave. on Saturday.

The festival is presented by Miller Lite and hosted by The East Side Business Improvement District. The celebration will run from noon until midnight.

This East Side street party features three stages with a diverse lineup of bands, an arts avenue where attendees can purchase of one-of-a-kind pieces and a food court featuring local eateries and thirst-quenching beverages.

Summer Soulstice features one of the largest free showcases of top local bands you’re likely to see, along with visual artists, creation stations, East Side restaurants and multiple activities for everyone to enjoy.

The East Side market showcases unique finds by local “makers” of Milwaukee’s arts and crafts scene, while the East Side Food Court delivers the best of the best small plates, fair food and various vendors.

Additional attractions include a BMX Bike Stunt show running from noon to 2:00 p.m., an adventure rock open for climbing until 6:00 p.m., and Rage in the Cage Dodgeball from noon to 4:00 p.m.

In short, the festival has offering for all ages, from adults to teens to children. Interactive art is shown until 6:00 p.m. and the Children’s Activity Area is open until 5:00 p.m.

Three stages will feature over 15 musical artists and bands. Each stage has two sponsors; Urban Milwaukee is one of the two sponsoring the Murray Stage.

Top 13 Arts and Crafts Vendors

1. Ginger and Judy – A boutique offering vintage, handmade clothing and accessories. Ginger and Judy launched in 2012, and has steadily grown since.

2. Studio Sweers – Photographs by a self-taught photographer. “I began to capture images that I thought were stunning in composition, contained a strong message, or told a meaningful story,” says photographer Annie Sweers.

3. Ink To The People – A company that gives you the tools to create a t-shirt and raise money for a fundraiser of your choice – all for free!

4. 3^rd Generation Jewelers – Creations of exclusively handcrafted jewelry using precious metals and semi-precious stones. Each gemstone is said to possess certain healing properties.

5. Rawkstar Printing – A custom printing business that provides specialized apparel for multiple occasions including bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, fundraisers, or for bands, businesses and athletic teams.

6. Wiskullsin – Represent Wisconsin with apparel that shows the state in the shape of a skull.  No, we’re not kidding. The wide variety of skull-themed apparel comes in shorts, shirts, hats, underwear and much more.

7. Tippecanoe Herbs – A community herbalist serving in Milwaukee Wisconsin, who offers prepared goods, client consultation, lessons, herb walks and workshops. “We keep a focus on sustainable herbalism, using only organic and locally wild-crafted herbs.”

8. Big Bubble Soap – All natural soaps including bar soaps, liquid soaps, lotion sticks and salt scrubs.

9. Bijoux – A boutique featuring various vintage costume jewelry pieces.

10. Birdsong – A family-owned business that specializes in premium body oil, handmade incense, lotion, shower gel, body butter, massage oil, scrubs, lotion bars, soaps and more.

11. Super GIANT Design – “We are dedicated to the madness of creativity, its beauty and limitless expression,” the company notes. They sell art, accessories and clothing.

12. Milwaukee Home – “A brand built by the community,” this organization declares, selling apparel that represents the city of Milwaukee.

13. Big Shot Robot – A company that embraces “weirdness” through quirky illustrations, spirited lettering, live painting, and characters filled with color.  On top of that, they provide apparel design, screen printing, and art direction.

Top 12 Food Vendors

1. Chubby’s Cheesesteaks – Founded in 2007 and located on Milwaukee’s East Side, Chubby’s Cheesesteaks seeks to provide customers with the best Cheesesteaks West of Philadelphia.

2. T. Best Kettle Corn – “We pop and sell the finest quality kettle corn, caramel corn and cheese corn.”

3. Yofactory – The Farwell Ave. shop offers healthy, high-quality frozen yogurt with more than 60 toppings ranging from fresh-cut fruit and crunchy cereal to warm chocolate and caramel syrup.

4. Afro Fusion – Blending African and Jamaican cuisine. Their spice blends, hand-crafted sauces and traditional foods are developed from family recipes, which have been passed down for generations.

5. Funky Fresh Spring Rolls – Uniquely flavored, hand rolled spring rolls made with fresh, local ingredients.

6. Donut Squad – New Prospect Ave. shop creates donuts in three categories: traditional, specialty (topped with candies, cereal or cookies), and specialty filled donuts.

7. Halal Guys – American Halal Food ranging from Chicken, Gyros, and Falafel. Try it with a side of hummus and fries, or make it a chicken and gyro combo.

8. Frankies Restaurant and Catering – “Our main goal is to share our dynamic cuisine with our customers. All of our dishes have distinct flavors you can’t find anywhere else!” They offer dining, takeout food, and fine catering services.

9. Bee’s Cuisine – Family owned and operated restaurant that serves Southeast Asian and Thai food. Some of the fan-raved foods include stuffed chicken wings, fried bananas, spring rolls, and crab ragoon.

10. Press. Waffles – Serving up authentic Belgian Liège waffles.

11. Meat on the Street – A food truck serving Filipino-style meats while vegan options are also available. Find the truck around the streets of Milwaukee or order it for your own event.

12. Hidden Kitchen MKE – Food truck offers professionally prepared culinary delights through a variety of outlets and uses as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible.

2016 Summer Soulstice Music Festival