Next Level Park St. Music & Community Fest will take place on Saturday, August 6th at The Labor Temple on Madison’s South Side and will feature a variety of diverse musical artists including Kinfolk, Collage & Company, Orquestra Salsoul De Mad, Na3 Superstar and Dj Ace.
Park Street Music Fest originated in 2017 as a free, one-day outdoor live music event designed to bring together people from a cross-section of musical genres with local and regional artists.
“We’ll have the great music as always, but we’ll also include services and resources that the community can benefit from,” Next Level Park Street Music Fest organizer Clyde Gaines told Madison365.
Gaines says they hope to once again host a 5K walk/run geared toward African-American men, but open to everyone.
“We’re targeting African-American men as a way for them to be aware and more actively involved in their health care, exercise and just general health in general,” says Gaines. “And this is a starting point. We want to use it as a catalyst for African American men to become more involved in monitoring and caring for their personal health and wellness.
“The 5K walk is also an opportunity to build some brotherhood and camaraderie,” he adds.
Jordan Sallis, success coach for the UW-Madison Office of Student Financial Aid, will deliver the event’s keynote address at Madison College South at 11 a.m.
“This address will engage us around the conversation about how black men interact with each other and the ways we see each other and the ways we can better understand each other,” Gaines says.
Park St Music & Community Fest will host a free COVID vaccination clinic inside the Labor Temple grounds from 3 to 5 p.m. “People will be able to get a free gift card with their vaccination,” says Gaines.
Food trucks and retail vendors will be at the event while musical artists perform from 3 to 8 p.m.
“We have a great musical lineup there, as you can see,” says Gaines. “We’ve always had other components to this event besides music, but every year we’ve added something. I think it’s great that people can access all these great community resources at this event and be able to share information that can be important to people, especially communities of color.
“It’s an opportunity for family and friends to get together and be in a fun, positive environment,” adds Gaines.
The South Side of Madison is going through a revitalization right now, and Gaines wants his Park Street Music Fest to be a longtime staple of that community.
“The south side of Madison continues to grow and develop and flourish and we really want this Park St. Music Fest to be a staple in the community there,” says Gaines. “And we want it to grow. We want people to really tune in and come and support it. It’s a big thing. It’s a great outing for people who have never been there. It’s a fun time.”
