A Taste of Juneteenth food festival coming to Summerfest

Show Caption

People may have their Summerfest go-tos when it comes to food, but on June 21, guests will have a new way to feast at the fest.

Partnering with community center Northcott Neighborhood House, Summerfest’s new A Taste of Juneteenth event will celebrate food and culture as an extension of Milwaukee’s annual Juneteenth celebration on King Drive.

The ticketed event will have two time slots on June 21: at 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. During the event, a live DJ will provide music as guests sample dishes from 10 local vendors.

Vendors include Atwood Hwy BBQ Company, Dear Florence Sweets, Glad’s Kitchen, It’s Smackn, Jericho’s BBQ, Johnny’s Kitchen Creations, K’s Finger Food Catering, Peachy’s Plates, Pop’s BBQ Memphis Style and Uyghur Grill.

Tickets are $100 per person and include same-day admission to Summerfest. Proceeds directly support the participating vendors.

Tickets can be purchased online at summerfest.com.

“In the spirit of Milwaukee’s collective tradition as the City of Festivals, Summerfest is proud to partner with Northcott Neighborhood House to celebrate Juneteenth,” Sarah Pancheri, president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., said in a statement. “Together, we are committed to shining the spotlight on Milwaukee’s unique cultural celebrations.”

Summerfest will honor Juneteenth several ways on the holiday on June 19. As a part of its opening-day admission promotion, Bush’s Beans Stomp Out Hunger Day with FOX6 Milwaukee — in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin — a portion of food donations collected on June 19 also will benefit Northcott Neighborhood House’s food pantry.

The festival also will host a ceremony for the recipients of Northcott Neighborhood House’s 34th annual scholarship competition honoring Black youth — Miss Juneteenth and Mister Juneteenth (ages 14–18), and Little Miss Juneteenth and Mister Jr. Juneteenth (ages 8–13) — who show leadership and achievement in their community. The ceremony will recognize the recipients during Summerfest’s official opening ceremony at 6 p.m. June 19.

“An appearance for the Juneteenth Court at the Summerfest Opening Ceremonies will add to cherished moments for our youth. It’s an opportunity for more community members to see young people who care about the direction of their future,” Tony Kearney, executive director of Northcott Neighborhood House, said in a statement. “The donations that will support our food pantry program and our mission to meet the needs of those we serve are greatly appreciated.”

In addition to the scholarship ceremony and A Taste of Juneteenth event, Summerfest will honor the holiday through dedicated programming and music across multiple stages on June 19, beginning at 6 p.m.