Milwaukee’s Growing Cooperative Movement Celebrates ‘Our Cooperative Communities’ at Co-Op Fest 2016

October 7, 2016 (Milwaukee, WI) – The Riverwest Cooperative Alliance, along with presenting sponsor Summit Credit Union, announces Co-op Fest 2016, scheduled for October 8, 2016.

The festival, happening in locations throughout the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, will feature workshops, panels and discussions on all aspects of the cooperative movement, as well as food, music and fun. It builds on the success of RCA’s first Co-op Fest in 2013, which was attended by over 200 people.

This year’s theme, “Our Cooperative Communities” reflects both the desire to celebrate two important milestones—the five and 15 year anniversaries of the Riverwest Public House and Riverwest Food Co-op & Cafe, respectively—and acknowledge the continued challenges the local cooperative movement faces as it works for racial, economic and environmental justice.

The day’s workshops and panels will be loosely organized into Co-op Basics, oriented toward those new to cooperatives; Centering Justice, focusing on issues of access and social, racial, and economic justice; and Co-op Economics, examining the contributions of local cooperatives to community and economic development in Milwaukee.

Ann Reynolds of the UW Center for Cooperatives will be giving a lunch keynote, and representatives of local cooperative organizations will be tabling throughout the day. The day ends with a happy hour celebration with music by WMSE at the Riverwest Public House, the state’s only cooperatively-owned bar. Full schedule can be found at www.rca.coop/fest

Individual attendance is $20 ($15 if pre-registering online). Volunteer opportunities are available for those unable to afford the cost. The Pink House Studio will also be hosting free childcare for attendees.

In addition to Riverwest Cooperative Alliance and Summit Credit Union, other sponsors include Riverwest Co-op Grocery & Cafe, Outpost Natural Foods, Brewery Credit Union, CommonGround Healthcare Cooperative, Riverwest Investment Cooperative, New Barons Brewing Cooperative, the Institute for Urban Agriculture & Nutrition and WMSE.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.