New festival Sept. 9 celebrates Brady Street
As Milwaukee’s “Urban Playground”

BRADY STREET, a bustling shopping and dining district almost every day, will become an “urban playground” September 9, thanks to the efforts of Michael Eitel, one of the street’s leading entrepreneurs.

The first Urban Playground Festival will start with the closing of the street to traffic at 7 a.m. A full day of activities, including live music, will start at 9 a.m. and continue until midnight.

Eitel and other organizers of this planned annual event see it as a way to demonstrate that the Brady Street area is a unique place to live and work, close to the downtown area, but with access to the natural features of the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.

The event also highlights the recent completion of two bike and pedestrian bridges: the Marsupial Bridge on the west end of the street and the Brady Street Footbridge link to the lakefront.

Activities on September 9 include:

•  The Trocadero 11k Urban Trail Ride beginning from the Marsupial Bridge at 9:30 a.m.

•  A 5k Urban Trail Run beginning at 10 a.m., also at the Marsupial Bridge.

•  Anodyne Cycling Sprints on Brady Street, beginning at 11:30 p.m.

•  A soccer tournament throughout the day, leading to a championship game at 6:30 p.m.

•  Local live music beginning at 1 p.m. and continuing until 11 p.m.

Proceeds of the Urban Playground Festival will be used to support Milwaukee’s urban parks, trails and playgrounds. Visit www.urbanplayground.info.