Hitch your red wagon on Silver Spring Drive

The red wagon is a classic symbol of childhood. It's a toy and mode of transportation that has been in existence for many generations with little variation. In celebration of the timeless red wagon and as a route to raise money for the Silver Spring Drive arts fund, Whitefish Bay will host Red Wagon Days next week.

Red Wagon Days rolls onto Silver Spring Drive July 16-17, and showcases 12 decorated and filled Radio Flyer wagons throughout the Whitefish Bay business district beginning on Friday, July 9. Hosting businesses include Winkies, Gallery 505, Elements East, Hounds Around Town, Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Aurora Health Care and more.

Silent bidding on the wagons begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 16 and will close at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 17. Proceeds from the event will benefit a newly created Silver Spring Drive arts fund.

"The Silver Spring Drive arts fund is a newly created fund that will help bring more live and visual art to the Silver Spring Drive corridor," says event promoter Lisa Liljegren. "The Whitefish Bay BID hopes to have regular live music to encourage more people to visit the district in the evenings. We are in our infancy, but the BID also hopes to bring public art to the street."

Plus, Red Wagon Days include sidewalk sales, wagonload donations to Goodwill Industries, a children's wagon decorating station and live entertainment sponsored by El Guapo Mexican restaurant, 324 E. Silver Spring Dr. Performance times are TBA.

"Wagons are the perfect symbol of our family-friendly, sidewalk community and become the transportation of choice when shopping on Silver Spring Drive on a summer afternoon," says Tom Dixon, owner of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers and chairman of the Whitefish Bay Business Improvement District.

The Whitefish Bay Business Improvement District was created in 2009 to represent and promote the shops on Silver Spring Drive and the local business owners who serve the community each and every day.

Families are encouraged to load their wagons with gently used clothing on Saturday and donate those items to Goodwill Industries. Once their wagons are empty again, families can deck them out at the wagon decorating station and fill them back up with sale items from the various businesses throughout the street.

Live entertainment and more wagon activities will be featured throughout that day as well. At 3 p.m., all 12 wagons will parade to the Aurora Health Care parking lot on Silver Spring Drive for auction checkout.

Specific shopping hours vary per business, but all shops will be open both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"Our hope is that families from all over load up their wagons and spend an afternoon visiting our Downtown," says Dixon.