Folks brave heat for Milan Dawg Daze Street Festival

MILAN, Tenn. — Although it was “doggone” hot this weekend, that didn’t stop families from enjoying the seventh annual Milan Dawg Daze Street Festival.

“Really fellowship,” Rusty Ing of Hog Wild BBQ said. “It’s great, it’s wonderful. It gets bigger every year.”

Four blocks of downtown Milan was closed to traffic for the annual festival.

“The chamber of commerce tries to host events that will bring people out,” Milan Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Burke said. “This event just brings everybody downtown and congregate, and we have live music and it’s a festive atmosphere and we just have a really good time.”

Main Street was lined with vendors, games for kids and of course food, making for a fun-filled day.

“You can walk up and see new things that you probably haven’t seen before,” Milan student Atiya Burns said.

“I just enjoy being out with people and seeing everybody, and the festival today has been really fun,” EJ Cole Pottery owner Emily Cole said.

“For Milan Bulldogs, it’s an experience,” Milan student Keeshunna Bailey said. “Like, if you’re a Bulldog, you love it. You come every year they have it. It’s fun.”

Vendors say this event gets bigger every year, strengthening the community’s bond.

“It’s hometown people — it’s not just big-city people coming in,” Cole said. “It’s grassroots people coming in and actually getting this together.”

“Every year, it gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and it’s great to see the community come out and support it,” Ing said.

Typically, 2,000 to 3,000 people are in downtown Milan for Dawg Daze sponsored by the Milan Chamber of Commerce. Nearly 200 people participated in the 5K race Saturday morning.