Music and the smell of food filled the air on West National Avenue between 32nd and 35th Streets as members of Milwaukee’s south side communities celebrated the progress of their neighborhoods.
At VIA Community Development Corporation’s (VIA CDC) 14th annual Silver City Fest on Saturday, Sept. 6, community members, local business owners and elected officials gathered to celebrate the diversity and culture of Milwaukee’s south side and commemorate VIA CDC’s 30th anniversary.
The free festival brought out an estimated 2,000 attendees according to VIA CDC staff and featured dozens of vendors, art displays, children’s activities, and live performances from acts like Ometochtli Mexican Folk Dance, the Milwaukee Flyers Tumbling Team and De La Buena.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate,” said JoAnna Bautch, the organization’s executive director.
The festival, presented by the Forest County Potawatomi community, AARP Wisconsin and JPMorgan Chase, among others, also marked VIA CDC’s expansion into the Clarke Square neighborhood, according to Victor Amaya, the event’s emcee and executive director of Data You Can Use.
VIA CDC will now serve Clark Square in addition to Silver City, Layton Park and Burnham Park neighborhoods.
“VIA is a partner in building strong, healthy neighborhoods where all of us can thrive. I’m so grateful we’ve been doing that for 30 years, and I’m looking forward to the next 30 years,” Bautch said.
Neighbors celebrate together at Silver City Fest
Each year, Silver City Fest provides neighbors with a space to gather and immerse themselves in the community’s culture while celebrating VIA CDC’s efforts to connect neighbors to each other and to critical resources.
Mark Miskimen, 70, lives in Silver City and has attended every Silver City Fest since VIA CDC started hosting the event over 14 years ago.
Miskimen said he enjoys the music and food offered at the festival each year, and over the years, he has seen the festival’s growth.
“It seems to be enthusiastic. I like seeing people from outside the community come here,” Miskimen said.
This year, he brought along his friend, Kitty O’Meara, 70, to celebrate with him.
O’Meara, who lives in Walker’s Point, said she enjoyed the festival. She was able to get a sense of the community’s culture and visited several vendors.
“I love all the variety. I love all the life. I love the way people are supporting each other,” O’Meara said.
Fanta Guindo, 22, said she enjoys “the community and unity” at Silver City Fest, adding that she also enjoys connecting with the local vendors to see their handmade goods or taste their food.
“Just going around and seeing what everybody has to offer has been amazing,” Guindo said.
Karen Garcia, 28, is a resident of Silver City and has been attending Silver City Fest with her four brothers for over five years.
She said this year, the event had more attractions, and she appreciated VIA CDC’s efforts to make the event family-friendly.
Garcia’s four brothers most enjoyed meeting the local firefighters and sitting in a fire truck, she said.
However, connecting with local vendors and greeting her neighbors at the festival is what makes Garcia “look forward to this event every year,” she said.
Elected officials support VIA CDC at Silver City Fest
To add to the festivities, state and local officials welcomed attendees and praised VIA CDC’s 30 years of accomplishments.
Wisconsin State Rep. Priscilla A. Prado, a Democrat representing Assembly District 9, recognized VIA CDC by offering a citation from the State Assembly.
The citation commends the organization for its support of over 31,000 neighbors in Silver City, Layton Park, and Burnham Park, creating over 150 job opportunities for neighbors and investing $2.7 million in public improvements, according to Prado.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and District 8 Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa issued a proclamation that Sept. 6 is officially “VIA CDC Day” in Milwaukee to celebrate the organization’s impact.
“I’m so pleased to partner with VIA,” Johnson said to the crowd. “They’re doing such incredible work on the nearest south side of the city.”
Ald. Zamarripa said she feels grateful that neighbors in Silver City, Layton Park, Burnham Park and Clarke Square, can lean on the non-profit for support.
“They’re so rooted in community, and even more so, they’re rooted in neighborhoods. That’s so vitally important to have a non-profit that has that commitment, because it means the neighbors succeed,” Zamarripa said.
Zamarripa recently announced she will be running for secretary of state. She said she will continue to support VIA CDC if elected to the statewide office and looks forward to the organization’s continued growth.
“I’m hoping to be a voice for all,” Zamarripa said. “But, as the first Latina in city council here in Milwaukee, I do want to be a voice for Latinos at the statewide level. Especially now, when our families are under attack by the federal government.”
Vendors promote their small businesses at Silver City Fest
In addition to bringing the community together in celebration, Silver City Fest provides local vendors with the opportunity to grow their businesses.
This year’s festival welcomed more than 70 vendors, including small businesses, food trucks, community resources and more.
Rosa Sibaja, owner of Unforgettable Delights by Rosa, sells Mexican American sweets and baked goods. She started her business five years ago after earning a degree in pastry arts from Milwaukee Area Technical College, she said.
This year marked Sibaja’s third year as a vendor at Silver City Fest. Events like Silver City Fest make a large financial impact on her business, and she is grateful for the impact, while she works to put her son through college, Sibaja said.
“I connect with this neighborhood, and I love doing these events to be able to be closer to the community,” Sibaja said.
“VIA does a great job, and you find a lot of people. There’s a lot of sales traffic … we’re just trying to put ourselves out there as local vendors.”
Melissa Diaz, who teaches at Carmen High School on Milwaukee’s south side, said she started her small business, “Southside Sippers,” in January 2025 with her sister, Patty Diaz, who is a social worker for Milwaukee Public Schools.
The two sisters were looking for a project to focus on during their summers off, and started selling “dirty sodas,” or mocktails, made with soda, energy drinks and coffee. They brought their recipes to Silver City Fest for the first time this year, Melissa said.
Participating in Silver City Fest as Latina business owners fills them with pride, Patty said. Running into their students, family and neighbors at the festival made it more special for the sisters.
“Just putting a smile on their face makes a difference,” Melissa said.
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: Annual Silver City Fest celebrates Milwaukee’s south side with food, music and culture
Reporting by Alyssa N. Salcedo, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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