BROWN DEER, Wis. — A Milwaukee community festival created to bring people together is facing criticism after volunteers say they spent hours cleaning trash and debris from Brown Deer Park the following day.
Now, one of the people behind Family & Friends Fest is acknowledging organizers could have done better — while also saying they did not simply pack up and leave the mess behind.
The event took place over the weekend in Brown Deer Park and was peaceful and successful according to Family & Friends Fest organizers. Organizers stress they spent months planning with Milwaukee County parks and attained all the proper permits to conduct the event.
Watch: Family & Friends Fest founder takes responsibility for Brown Deer Park cleanup
Friends of Brown Deer Park, a volunteer group that regularly gives its time to clean and care for the park, posted photos showing trash, food, balloons and other debris scattered throughout portions of the park after the third annual Family & Friends Fest.
The group says four Friends of Brown Deer Park volunteers spent a combined 11 hours cleaning. Its social media post also raised concerns about debris and hot coals left behind after the gathering.
The volunteers regularly help care for Brown Deer Park, supplementing the work of county crews and giving their own time to protect a Milwaukee green space they value. I spoke with members of the group about their concerns, but they declined an on-camera interview.
Luis Vasquez, one of six organizers behind Family & Friends Fest, says he understands why they were upset.
"You gotta, you gotta respect and kind of admire somebody who volunteers time to go clean the park and stuff like that. That just means you want to take care of your community, and we're trying to do the same thing," Vasquez said.
A festival built around community
Vasquez says Family & Friends Fest began three years ago as a much smaller idea — essentially a barbecue meant to give people an opportunity to gather outside, meet each other and have fun away from the traditional bar and club environment.
"Family and Friends Fest was just built or made to build community for us. So what we wanted to do is just bring people together, have a good time," Vasquez said.
The gathering has since grown into an annual event featuring barbecue, music, dancing, games, tug-of-war and elaborate tents. Vasquez says some people who first met at the festival have returned each year because of relationships they formed there.
Organizers also move the festival to a different Milwaukee County park each year. Vasquez says previous events were held at Dretzka Park and Lake Park before this year's gathering at Brown Deer Park.
Planning for this year's event began around March, he said.
For the six organizers, Vasquez says safety was their top priority.
"Safety is the first thing, um, so we want to make sure we show everybody we can get together and do this," Vasquez said.
He says security was brought in for the event and also helped shuttle people to their vehicles, set up and break down tents and assist with cleanup.
What happened when the event ended?
Vasquez says organizers knew darkness would make cleanup difficult and began wrapping up around 8 p.m.
He says they stayed after the gathering ended and continued working after it became dark, using available lighting to try to find and collect trash.
"We, we definitely stayed for a while to try to make sure we, we got it at least as close enough together as we could," Vasquez said.
Vasquez says organizers also asked for additional trash cans. When more receptacles could not be provided, he says they were given garbage bags instead.
Organizers filled bags and placed them around existing trash receptacles, he said. Vasquez acknowledges that despite those efforts, some trash was missed — particularly after darkness set in.
"We're responsible for it. Our name is on it, so that's why, you know, we can still do better at that, and we will do better at it," Vasquez said. "So I didn't wanna duck any accountability."
Criticism turns into plans for change
Rather than getting into a fight with the volunteers who criticized the cleanup, Vasquez says he wants organizers to learn from what happened.
"I think for us there's absolutely room for improvement," Vasquez said. "I, speak for all of us, we're more, I think, more concerned with making sure that family and friends gets better than it is than trying to, you know, win like an internet argument or something."
He says the response from people connected to Family & Friends Fest has already begun shaping plans for 2027.
Some attendees have offered to create dedicated cleanup committees. Others have offered donations or sponsorships, while business owners connected to the event have volunteered professional cleanup services for future gatherings.
Vasquez says that reaction reflects what organizers wanted Family & Friends Fest to become in the first place — a community where people feel personally invested.
He says some attendees even asked whether they should return to Brown Deer Park and help after seeing the criticism online.
"We're responsible for maybe picking the park and organizing, everybody kind of feels like they have a part in it, which I, you know, I, I love that," Vasquez said.
Respect for Brown Deer Park
Vasquez says organizers do not want the cleanup controversy to overshadow the work Friends of Brown Deer Park does throughout the year.
"We definitely respect the, the park, we respect their community," Vasquez said.
At the same time, he wants the volunteers to know their criticism was heard.
"We want to take accountability. I'm not putting it on anybody else," Vasquez said. "My name and the guy's name were attached to this and we want to take accountability for that."
His goal now, he says, is to prove that through what organizers do next rather than what they say online. And when Family & Friends Fest returns for its fourth year, Vasquez says organizers intend to make sure cleanup is handled differently.
"It won't be this type of issue again," he said.
TMJ4 News reached out to Milwaukee County Parks seeking additional information about the event permit, the county's cleanup response and whether organizers could be responsible for additional cleanup costs or other consequences. The county had not responded as of publication. After our story aired, The Milwaukee County Parks sent an update you can find below.
Despite the criticism, the two groups appear to share something more fundamental than the disagreement that followed the festival: both say they care about community and Milwaukee's public green spaces.
And both sides appear to agree that keeping those spaces clean will take people working together.
UPDATE: Milwaukee County Parks Says Multiple Rules Were Violated
Milwaukee County Parks says its review of the permits associated with Family & Friends Fest found the gathering was permitted differently than the event that ultimately took place.
According to Parks, the picnic permit covered Areas 2 and 3, which each have a maximum capacity of 100 people. The renter described that portion of the event as a “Family Gathering.”
Separate permits were issued for Softball Fields 1 and 2. Parks says the organizer listed “Vasquez Printing Company”as the event description and characterized the use as “Softball Practice.”
Milwaukee County Parks says events of the size ultimately held at Brown Deer Park require a Special Event permit, allowing the department to plan for crowd size, parking, waste management and other safety needs.
Parks says staff spent a significant amount of time and resources cleaning after the gathering and addressing turf damage caused by vehicles illegally parked on the grass.
Staff also documented excessive garbage, improperly disposed hot coals and turf damage, while Park Rangers responded to noise complaints and illegal parking.
Parks says multiple park and permit rules were violated, and Rangers issued 42 citations to vehicles parked on the grass.
The county is now reviewing next steps with the organizer, including documented cleanup and restoration costs and what requirements would have to be met for any future events.
“Permit holders are responsible for following park rules and leaving rental areas clean and safe for all park visitors,” Milwaukee County Parks said in a statement.
Parks also thanked its employees, Park Rangers, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and Friends of Brown Deer Park volunteers who assisted during and after the event.
The response came from Elizabeth Golko, Public Relations and Communications Assistant for Milwaukee County Parks.
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