For the eighth year running, The Farmhouse, a “paint and sip” hall at 4511 S. 6th St., is hosting Frida Fest this Saturday and Sunday.
The festival honors painter Frida Kahlo’s Mexican heritage and celebrates a diverse Hispanic population and the Hispanic art scene in Milwaukee.
Former educator Blanca Noelia, who worked as a vendor at Frida Fest for the past few years and has been attending for several more, said she loves talking to passersby and potential customers about Kahlo.
“Being present at the festival gives me the opportunity to continue educating, even if it’s on a whim,” she said.
She said Kahlo represents who we are as a people.
“We’re beautiful, colorful, resilient. We’re proud people and she showed how she was proud through her work and her sense of style,” Noelia said. “She also represents love, style, pain, suffering, color, beauty, unity, solidarity.”
Magaly Vaquera, Frida Fest’s vendor coordinator, said celebrating Kahlo as an impactful Mexican artist has always been a vital part of Frida Fest.
“We wanted to celebrate her legacy and bring people together,” Vaquera said.
Kahlo, who died in 1954, was one of the world’s most influential artists. Her art and likeness live on through her status as a pop-culture icon and a symbol of female empowerment and Mexican identity.
Since launching in 2019, Frida Fest has expanded its art installations and the diversity of Hispanic art being featured.
“It is very important for the representation of not just the Mexican heritage but all the Latin American countries that have done amazing things in the community,” Vaquera said.
A distinct experience
Even among Milwaukee’s robust festival scene, Frida Fest stands out.
“There’s a lot of events that go on during the summer, but nothing like this because it focuses on Frida, and Hispanic culture and local vendors,” said Cristal Castañeda, owner of Amoralinda Designs. She’s been a vendor at Frida Fest since its inception.
There, she sells one-of-one pieces that include clothing, pillows, cups and more. She said the focus on her cultural roots is what aligns her business to Frida Fest.
“A lot of my work is Hispanic culture, so Frida Fest allows us to bring our culture into the mix,” Castañeda said.
The celebration of Kahlo’s Mexican heritage and distinct art is present through all aspects of the festival.
“We’re highlighting that we’re obviously hardworking people, but we also have more to offer,” Vaquera said. “We’re creative, we’re vibrant.”
Though Noelia won’t be vending at this year’s fest, she still plans to be there Sunday.
“To catch the activities, beautiful artesanias of the vendors, and to feel inspired,” she said.
What to expect
Painting classes, a booming marketplace that includes over 60 local vendors, music and dancing, large art exhibitions and a Frida Kahlo lookalike contest mean there’s plenty to explore on the festival grounds.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 19.
Find the full schedule of events on the festival’s website.
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