Neighborhood Festivals Become Porch Parades

The summer of 2020 became the summer of cancelations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gone is virtually every event where a crowd might gather.

Now two different Milwaukee street festivals will try to salvage what’s left by hosting socially-distant parades that snake through residential side streets.

The Silver City InterNational Festival drew 2,000 attendees last year to the corner of W. National Ave. and N. 35th St. “This year in lieu of a big street festival, we’re bringing the festival to the people,” said event organizer Layton Boulevard West Neighbors. From 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on September 12th a parade will loop an area roughly bounded by W. Pierce St., W. Becher St., S. 29th St. and S. 37th St.

Leading the parade will be two musical acts: Mariachi Zamora and Oumar Sagna & Sindoola.

Parade watchers are encouraged to grab lunch at Vientiane Noodle Shop (3422 W. National Ave.), Orenda Cafe (3514 W. National Ave.) or Thai Bar-B-Que (3417 W. National Ave.) before watching the program. More information is available on the LBWN website.

Bay View Bash

Normally thousands of people would fill S. Kinnickinnic Ave. to eat, drink and listen to live music at multiple stages during the Bay View Bash. But the 2020 event was canceled.

The volunteer-led street festival will transition solely to a “porch parade” that will loop through much of the South Side neighborhood starting at 7:30 p.m. on September 12th. “Featuring The Quilz, Nasty Boys and maybe even some dinosaurs,” teases the Facebook event announcement.

Dinosaurs? A group of neighborhood residents donned inflatable dinosaur costumes and led a short parade in late March shortly after the pandemic took hold in Milwaukee.

See our past coverage of the Bay View Bash and Silver City InterNational Festival.

Parade Routes