UW participates in Celebrate South Madison festival

The connection between UW–Madison and a vibrant neighborhood community will be renewed this weekend during the Celebrate South Madison festival.

The annual event will take place Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Labor Temple at 1602 S. Park St. Running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Celebrate South Madison will include dances, choir performances and live music intended to reflect the diversity and vitality of the neighborhood. The festival will be held rain or shine.

Celebrate South Madison is planned and hosted by the South Metropolitan Planning Council (SMPC). Highlights include a “Call for Peace,” Italian folk dancers, the Mount Zion Choir, and more.

“Celebrate South Madison came out of some residents’ interest in organizing a celebration that would be for everyone,” said Margaret Nellis, a member of the SMPC who has been involved in campus and community connections for more than 13 years.

UW-Madison representatives will be an integral part of the day’s events:

• The Morgridge Center for Public Service will be staffing a table and recruiting student volunteers to support the festival.
• Slow Food UW South Madison interns will also be in attendance and will engage kids in healthy food-related activities.
• The Nelson Institute’s Capstone Seminar students will be volunteering in support of the South Madison Farmers’ Market and Growing Power Madison. They will be helping to raffle off Growing Power Market Baskets to festival attendees.
• Associate Professor Young Mie Kim’s “Savor South Madison” journalism students will videotape and live tweet the event from http://savorsouthmadison.com/.