With the chilly fall weather right around the corner, Madisonians everywhere are enjoying the last bits of warmth before parkas and boots become the uniform of necessity. This weekend Saturday and Sunday the 33rd annual Willy Street Fair will allow the sun seekers to soak in the end of summer with music, food, and fun.
This year, fairgoers will be able to enjoy more music, with eight stages over the two days. There will be 10 performers on Saturday and over twenty on Sunday.
Saturday’s warm up festivities include 3 stages this year. The World Music stage will feature, among others, the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, who are touring to promote their latest release Rise and Shine. The DJ stage will feature Nick Nice and Friends and some local skateboarders will be showing of their tricks next to the stage. The Folk stage is new to the fair this year and is sponsored by Madfolk, and will be present both days of the fair.
Sunday begins with the traditional “wacky” parade at 11:00 am, and the day will be filled with festivities, including street performers, 150 vendors, five stages, arts and crafts, and a raffle with over 200 prizes.
The Willy Street Fair is a major fundraiser for youth programs for two non-profits in the neighborhood, the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center and Common Wealth Development. It is a large volunteer collaboration with businesses, volunteers, and the two non-profits. Support from sponsors all over the city and neighborhood make the fair possible.
The fair will be going on the 25th from 1:45pm to 9pm on the 900 block of Williamson Street, and on the 26th from 11am to 7pm on the 800, 900, and 1000 blocks of Williamson Street. For more info, visit http://www.cwd.org/2010/06/this-is-a-community-story/
