Greenbush Day Celebration To Honor 'Then & Now' | Community Spirit

A festival that started five years ago is now an institution in the Greenbush Neighborhood.

The fifth annual Greenbush Day Celebration, which honors the neighborhood's past, present and future will be held Tuesday, March 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Welcome Center located at 21 North. Park St.

"It’s been a truly amazing experience to watch this grow from an idea in 2007 to the success it has become today," said Margaret Nellis, an organizer of the Greenbush Day Celebration. "This year we are excited to show off our neighborhood’s rich history and hope those in attendance learn a thing or two about us."

The Greenbush Neighborhood is known for its cultural heritage which reaches back to a time when Madison’s Italian and Sicilian immigrants, Jews and African Americans lived side-by-side. 

Today a rich cultural diversity still exists and part of that flavor will shine through as part of this celebration.

In addition to lively conversation and light refreshments, the event features exhibits, storytelling, as well as musical performances including the Italian Folk Dancers of Madison, the Hua MuLan Dance group and Judy Cooper, a rhythm and blues singer.

Greenbush Day was first held in 2007 after unanimous approval by the Madison Common Council. The resolution was drafted by a class of fifth-graders from Randall Elementary School after a two-year project in which the students did extensive research on the neighborhood.

The event is free and open to the public. Parking will be available on the second floor of the parking ramp at the Welcome Center.