25 Events Happening at Bronzeville Week
16th annual event, Aug. 1-8, celebrates neighborhood’s history, culture and businesses.
Children paint during an event at Bronzeville Week 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)
It’s almost the time of the year to celebrate the Bronzeville neighborhood’s history, culture and small businesses.
The City of Milwaukee’s 16th annual celebration of arts, culture and commerce in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood starts on Saturday, Aug. 1 and will run through Saturday, Aug. 8.
District 6 Ald. Milele A. Coggs, who created and hosts Bronzeville Week, said the city has worked to blend the schedule with crowd-favorite events while introducing new events reflective of the current state of the neighborhood.
“I hope the community is as excited as I am about the tremendous schedule of events we have lined up this year, and I encourage everyone to participate in one, or multiple, events as part of this year’s annual celebration,” Coggs said in a statement.
Here’s what the city has in store for Bronzeville Week.
Saturday, Aug. 1
HaRUN for a good cause with the National Coalition for Healthy Black Families at North Martin Luther King Drive and West North Avenue on Saturday, Aug. 1. Registration opens at 6 a.m. and the race begins at 7:30 a.m. Register here. More information here.
Head to the Summer of 85 at 2213 N. Martin Luther King Drive on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 5 to 9 p.m. for an evening of live music, culture and community. Entry is $35 and free to the first 20 people. More information here.
Sunday, Aug. 2
Empowerment Sunday:
Enjoy an outdoor church service with the King Solomon Baptist Church, Ephesians Missionary Baptist Church and Bethel Temple C.O.G.I.C. at the Gospel, Jazz and Blues Stage at North Martin Luther King Drive and West North Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Bronzeville Cultural & Arts Festival:
Shop local vendors and enjoy three stages of live entertainment on West North Avenue between North Martin Luther King Drive and North 7th Street on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information here.
Dear Home – An Ode and a Love Letter to Milwaukee:
Immerse yourself in themes of memory, migration, longing, return and belonging at Jalayna Muhammad’s photography gallery at America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave., on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3
Just Us and Books with Dannette Justus:
Dannette Justus will be hosting Just Us and Books, a weekly read aloud for children that connects reading with a virtual field trip of a business or landmark in Milwaukee. Watch virtually on the Bronzeville Week Facebook Page on Monday, Aug. 3 from 10 to 10:30 a.m.
Bronzeville Lunch & Learn:
Head to Confectionately Yours Café and Bakery, 1920 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Monday, Aug. 3 at noon for a “lunch and learn” about leveraging culture for economic, political and social impact.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants:
Visit America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave., for a look at how Halyard Park and historic Bronzeville laid the foundation for what is being built in the neighborhood today on Monday, Aug. 3 with a reception at 5 p.m. The program begins at 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Building Bronzeville:
Listen to a panel discussion of local members of the development community at Bronzeville Kitchen & Lounge, 2053 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Tuesday, Aug. 4 from noon to 1 p.m.
Glow Like Bronzeville Naturally You:
Join Jadah Webb for a 30-minute virtual makeup tutorial aimed at empowering Black women to enhance their natural beauty with soft, skin-kind techniques on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. Watch on the Bronzeville Week Facebook page.
Tuesday, Tacos & Games:
Summer of 85, 2213 N. Martin Luther King Drive, is hosting a game night with music bingo, trivia, Twister and more on Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
Bronzeville Business Breakfast:
Hungry? Head to America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave., on Wednesday, Aug. 5 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast. Registration is required here.
Rooted ‘N Natural:
Head to Allah Mode, 1942 N. Martin Luther King Drive, for an indoor-outdoor experience of confidence and healing through natural hair, with food, music and live hair demonstrations on Wednesday, Aug. 5 from noon to 4 p.m.
Line Dancing with Lady Jai Janay:
Join Jamila Carney, also known as Lady Jai Janay of Outsideington, for a beginner-level line dancing class for all levels and ages on West Garfield Avenue between North Martin Luther King Drive and Vel Phillips Avenue on Wednesday, Aug. 5 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6
Cool Aid & Canvases:
Turn canvases into works of art for a kid-friendly paint session at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 2901 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Thursday, Aug. 6 at noon. Seating is limited.
Milwaukee Police Department District 5 is hosting its National Night Out with basketball, food, face painting, a petting zoo and more at James W. Beckum Park, 900 W. Brown St., and Carver Park, 911 W. Brown St., on Thursday, Aug. 6 from 3 to 7 p.m. More information here.
Bronzeville Trolley Rides:
Head to America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave., on Thursday, Aug. 6 for a ride on a trolley with the first tour at 3:30 p.m. and the second at 5 p.m. Seating is limited.
Bronzeville Fashion Show:
Kennedy Harris and America’s Black Holocaust Museum, 401 W. North Ave., are hosting a fashion show on Thursday, Aug. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is a platform for storytelling, entrepreneurship and community pride explored through fashion.
Friday, Aug. 7
Bronzeville Lunch & Learn – Housing & Neighborhood Resources:
Connect with resources to strengthen your neighborhood at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 2901 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Friday, Aug. 7 at noon.
Lit in Bronzeville:
Kalaya Tatum is hosting a community movement experience bringing together residents, families, artists and wellness advocates at Salute Society, 2372 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Friday, Aug. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8
Bronzeville Sleepover for Education:
Donate school supplies at North Martin Luther King Drive and West North Avenue between 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 and 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
Saturday, Aug. 8
Pancakes & Poetry:
Mario the Poet is hosting a pancakes and poetry event at Rise & Grind Café, 2737 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m.
Bronzeville Farmers Market:
Shop the Bronzeville Farmers Market at 414Loral, 1739 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Bronzeville Ride:
Meet for a ride through Bronzeville at Niche Book Bar, 1937 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Saturday, Aug. 8. The meetup starts at 10 a.m. and the ride starts at 10:30 a.m.
Local Legends Softball Game:
Watch the Local Legends Softball Game led by Bronzeville business owners at Carver Park, 911 W. Brown St., on Saturday, Aug. 8 from noon to 2 p.m.
Together We Dream – Bronzeville Art Walk:
Explore the Capstone Gallery at Salute Society, 2372 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Saturday, Aug. 8 from 4 to 7 p.m.
High Hearts – A Mono Series:
Join a spiritual theatrical experience exploring perseverance, awakening, identity, empowerment and higher consciousness through the actions of unforgettable women at Allah Mode, 1942 N. Martin Luther King Drive, on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Free to the first 20 attendants.
Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
