The VIA Community Development Corporation is hosting its 14th annual Silver City Fest this fall, bringing together neighbors and community leaders in celebration of neighborhood pride.
The free festival, presented by the Forest County Potawatomi community, AARP Wisconsin and JPMorgan Chase, among others, will celebrate VIA CDC’s 30th anniversary and offers a lineup of food, entertainment and vendors.
“I grew up in the neighborhood,” said JoAnna Bautch, executive director of VIA CDC. “I feel proud to be part of that change in such a meaningful way. My hope is always that neighbors are figuring out their purpose, are leveraging their power and activating the space together.”
Here’s what to know if you wish to join in the festivities at Silver City Fest 2025.
When and where is Silver City Fest?
This year, Silver City Fest takes place Saturday, Sept. 6, from noon to 5 p.m. along National Avenue between 32nd and 35th streets.
The event is hosted on National Avenue, as it’s “the heart of the south side,” said Bautch.
What’s new at Silver City Fest this year?
VIA CDC has invited local elected officials like Mayor Cavalier Johnson, District 8 Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa and State Rep. Priscilla Prado to attend the festival and connect with their constituents, said Bautch.
The festival will include more local musicians like the popular Latino jazz group De La Buena.
VIA CDC will be displaying giant letters that spell “VIA CDC” and showcasing photos of community members who have attended the organization’s events or been impacted by its community efforts, said economic development director Brisa E. Van Galen.
VIA CDC is still accepting photo submissions for this art project. Before the festival, students at Escuela Verde in Silver City will create the photo collage that will be added to the giant letters, Bautch said.
“We’re super excited that the students of Escuela Verde are helping us make this come to reality,” Bautch said. “It’s not just us doing it, it’s a collective.”
A local artist group named La Familia de Arte, Spanish for “the family of art,” will create individual clay medallions with symbols like the VIA CDC logo as gifts to the community, said Van Galen. At a crafting station, festival attendees can attach these medallions to personalized beaded necklaces.
What’s the entertainment lineup at Silver City Fest?
This year’s festival will include music and performances from several groups. Plus, there will be a dance floor to give neighbors a space to celebrate, said Van Galen.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive by noon to see the musical performances, however, there will be acts playing throughout the day, according to Bautch.
Here is a list of groups performing at the festival:
What food vendors will be at Silver City Fest?
What local business vendors will be at Silver City Fest?
What activities and attractions will be at Silver City Fest?
What community organizations and resources will be featured at Silver City Fest?
This year’s Silver City Fest celebrates 30 years of local impact
This year’s Silver City Fest will commemorate 30 years of VIA CDC, a local organization that connects neighbors to the resources they need to build a better quality of life.
Formerly known as Layton Boulevard West Neighbors, VIA CDC was founded in 1995 by the School Sisters of St. Francis to promote neighborhood revitalization and community pride, according to the organization’s website.
VIA CDC serves several neighborhoods on the city’s southwest side, including Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park. Following a merger with the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, VIA CDC now also serves Clarke Square.
In addition to events like the annual Silver City Fest, VIA CDC offers a slate of social services and programs related to economic development, housing and neighborhood rehabilitation, and community outreach.
Two projects in particular stand out to Bautch.
Along with Milwaukee Recreation, VIA CDC helped fundraise and collect neighborhood feedback for the construction of a new playfield and splash pad at Burnham Park in 2022, said Bautch.
“Burnham Park is always active,” said Bautch. “To know that VIA was part of that … to create a space that speaks to the community and the cultures represented in these neighborhoods, I’m really proud of that.”
In 2023, VIA CDC finished the construction for their first home built on a vacant lot on 35th Street. Since, the organization has acquired the land to build 20 new homes to increase housing availability and home ownership in the community.
Nine homes are currently under construction and scheduled to be completed before spring 2026. Five homes are ready to go on the market, and six homes have been sold to local community members, said Bautch.
Where can I learn more about Silver City Fest?
Learn more about the event by visiting VIA CDC’s website.
(This article was updated to include the name of an additional sponsor.)
Alyssa N. Salcedo covers Layton Boulevard West for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Reach her at asalcedo@gannett.com. As part of the newsroom, all Alyssa’s work and coverage decisions are overseen solely by Journal Sentinel editors.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Silver City Fest is around the corner. Here’s what you need to know
Reporting by Alyssa N. Salcedo, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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