Willy Street Fair celebrates 39th year

 Street Vendor Thomas Adeetuk poses by his collection of goods from different parts of the world, including Africa. (Claire VanValkenburg/Madison Commons).

Attendees, vendors and musicians with roots from all over the world gathered last weekend at the Willy Street Fair to commemorate the 39th annual tradition.

Attendees could stroll up and down the 800, 900 and 1000 blocks of Williamson Street as vendors displayed everything from local foods to hand-sewn clothing and toys.

“It reflects different lifestyles,” fair worker Clerance Jackson said. “People get a chance to see each person’s favorite foods, dances, music and, for some people, language.”

The fair was founded by Common Wealth Development Inc., a non-profit organization aimed at improving housing and businesses of Dane County while also creating community development. The first Willy Street Fair, in 1979, strived to bring prosperity back to Williamson Street during a period of hardship according to the Common Wealth Development website. Now, the fair is a major event in the East Side and is in partnership with the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center.

Attendees enjoy the Willy Street Fair parade. (Claire VanValkenburg/Madison Commons)

Musicians came together to fill the blocks with music.

“As a musician you get exposure but this is also our hometown crowd for this band, it’s like we feel all the love,” Anna Purnell of the Forward! Marching Band said. “It is the fashionable and politically active East Side, so this is the heartland of that.”

Street vendor Thomas Adeetuk has been coming to the Willy Street Fair for over 20 years and said he enjoys seeing the different types of people.

“I always meet new people and I just love the camaraderie in the place,” Adeetuk said. “It gives so much meaning to culture, so many different people from different aspects of life, and I love that. I love the total mix.”

Brad and Kathy Pierce of Mount Horeb, said this was their 15th time at the Willy Street Fair and reminisced about living right above the action.

“We used to live up the street and it was always really cool just to have this crazy, put-together fair that happened right in front of our house,” Brad Pierce said. “We’d open up the window, sit out on the porch, and we’d be there from dawn til dusk.”

The Willy Street fair is a long-standing tradition for Madison’s East Side. For some it means a moment of renewal just before fall, for others it is catching up with old friends but for John Wanserski of Creative Juice, “this is Madson.”

Two women promote 350 Madison’s first Art Build. (Claire VanValkenburg/Madison Commons)