MILWAUKEE — Brady Street will transform into a its long time neighborhood festival Saturday, with 21 acts performing across three live music stages, food vendors, and rows of street vendors lining the road from Farwell Avenue to Van Buren Street.
The Brady Street Festival runs from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Performers include Violet Wilder, Wave Chapelle, and the Brew City Belly Dancers, among others.
Michelle Eigenberger, owner of Bandit MKE, is celebrating her 5th year at the festival.
"We want to see our favorite customers. We want to see people we've never met before. We just want to soak it all in. It's the best day of the year," Eigenberger said.
Brady Street from Van Buren to Farwell will be closed beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday. Organizers recommend parking on side streets or using public transportation to reach the area. The street will reopen Sunday. There is already no parking from Farwell to Humboldt under the Safety Pilot Project.
Organizers say additional Milwaukee Police Department officers and private security will be on site. All bars will be carding and wristbanding patrons in an effort to reduce underage drinking and outside alcohol sources.
Brady Street Executive Director Anna Antoine said the goal is to keep the event safe while supporting local businesses.
"We want people to partake, and be safe and really patronize our bars and establishments on Brady Street because that's what makes Brady Street unique," Antoine said.
Eigenberger said the security presence this year is significantly larger than in years past.
"With MPD, we have six times the police officers scheduled to be here as we did last year. We have a security team who we work with all the time and we've got an increased presence for this year. It's what we focus on, it's what we do, and it's the most fun and probably one of the safest days of the year," Eigenberger said.
The festival will still accept cash this year. Organizers say the event will go cashless starting next year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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