Photos by Elhadi Mohamed
Known for its rich cultural festivals, Milwaukee added a new event to its summer lineup this year: Celebrating Palestine. Held June 15, 2025, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, the inaugural event drew more than 1,200 attendees to celebrate Palestinian culture, food, music and heritage.
Organized by the Muslim Women’s Coalition (MWC), the festival was the first of its kind in the city and exceeded organizers’ expectations. Dozens of excited volunteers helped on the day of the event.
“For our first year, we would’ve been thrilled with 500 attendees and 20 vendors,” said Janan Najeeb, founder and executive director of MWC. “We had to stop accepting vendors after reaching 40, and the crowd kept growing. We were overwhelmed in the best way.”
Deep Roots in the City
Milwaukee is home to a vibrant Palestinian community, both Christian and Muslim. Many of the local ethnic restaurants, markets, and coffee shops are Palestinian owned, and the festival aimed to spotlight those deep cultural ties.
The event was planned by a 20-member steering committee, all either Palestinian or married to Palestinians, and all long-time Milwaukee residents.
“Our goal was to showcase our music, high-energy dabke dances, artwork, handmade clothing, language and food that define our heritage,” Najeeb said.
A Space Transformed
The festival filled the Marcus Center’s third floor, transformed into a bustling traditional souk, or market. Vendors offered Palestinian embroidery, handcrafted goods, keffiyehs, home décor, oils, and more. Guests sampled a wide array of Palestinian foods, from falafel and hummus to baba ganoush, grape leaves, and desserts like baklava.
The venue also hosted an art and speech competition, featuring entries from more than a dozen local schools. Winning students received certificates and gift bags, and their artwork was displayed outside under sunny skies.
“The Marcus Center was the perfect venue,” Najeeb said, noting her longtime affiliation with the center, including nine years on its board and co-chairing and emceeing the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration for twenty years. “They’re committed to making their space welcoming to all Milwaukeeans.”
Celebrating Culture Through Immersion
Inside the Bradley Pavilion, a cultural exhibition gave attendees the chance to learn about Palestinian crafts and industries. Visitors collected passport stamps at each booth, exploring topics from olive oil production and historic soap-making to brass work, Arabic calligraphy and embroidery known as tatreez.
A large map of historic Palestine invited guests to place pins representing their family origins—offering a powerful visual of connection and identity.
The atmosphere was festive throughout, especially during live performances. Palestinian singer Hamoudah Alsalman and his band, flown in from Florida, had the audience dancing in the aisles.
Dabke Takes the Stage
The festival marked the debut of Milwaukee’s first all-female dabke dance troupe, Banat Al-Huriyah, dressed in traditional red-embroidered outfits. The women’s carefully choreographed routine drew loud cheers from the crowd.
Also performing was the city’s well-known Al Watan Dabke Group, a men’s troupe that tours nationally. Their energetic line dances and acrobatic choreography lit up the room, with some audience members spontaneously dancing their own dabke in the back of the venue.
Pride in Every Stitch
One of the festival’s highlights was a traditional Palestinian fashion runway, featuring nearly 40 hand-embroidered thobes, or dresses. Each piece represented a city or village in historic Palestine. Some garments were family heirlooms passed down over generations—one dress dated back 100 years.
The runway finale, where all the models appeared together, was a powerful display of artistry and pride. Audience members cheered when their family’s village was called.
Looking Ahead
“Palestinian culture and identity run deep,” Najeeb said. “It’s in the stories, the food, the embroidery, and the resilience. And it’s not just Palestinians; our guests left in awe.”
With the first Celebrating Palestine festival now behind them, organizers are already planning for next year.
“A culture this rich must be shared,” Najeeb said. “And judging by the response, Milwaukee is ready.”
Photos by Yaseen Najeeb
The Runway
