The Williamson-Marquette area came alive over the weekend as the 32nd annual Willy Street Fair showed residents a good time amid Madison's near east-side neighborhoods.
Beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday along the 900 block of Williamson Street, Madison residents of all ages enjoyed food, music and other entertainment.
Three separate music stages, each playing a distinct style of music, helped to set the festive mood. The World Music stage offered a variety of ethnic groups while the DJ Stage showcased Nick Nice and Friends.
Food booths filled with Mexican, Asian and even Jamaican food lined the sidewalks as patrons browsed the many stations stuffed with arts and crafts. Several beer carts allowed patrons to choose from a variety of different ales and lagers.
A leather shop, glass-blowing booth, massage station and jewelry and T-shirt stands were just some of the features patrons were able to take advantage of.
Two residents, Jay Bradbury and Adrienne Bressman, who have lived in the area since the mid 1980s, have been attending the fair for years and say they enjoy the community raffle with over 200 prizes.
""We come to see our friends and to support the organizations the money goes to, but the raffle is our favorite part,"" Bradbury said.
Bressman added that one year the pair won two plane tickets.
For those working the booths, however, the fair is all about people watching and enjoying their craft.
Two artists with Bohemian Bauble, an artists' co-op on Lakeside Street, said this year was their first Willy Street Fair.
Julie Walser and Linnea Phillips are just two of the eight artists who contribute their art to Bohemian Bauble and work there to sell their pieces.
Both said the crowd, along with the fact that their booth was placed directly across from one of the music stages, helped make their first fair a success.
According to Richard Slone, co-coordinator of the event, the Willy Street Fair is a major fundraiser for the Common Wealth Development and the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center. Both groups are nonprofit organizations aimed at bettering the neighborhood and its residents. Creation of new jobs and providing low-income housing are just two of their goals.
