Firefly Art Fair Celebrates 40 Years of Art, Community, and Preservation
by Peggy Rooney
Historic Wauwatosa, Issue 279, Summer 2026
Forty years ago, a group of dedicated Wauwatosa Historical Society volunteers believed an art fair could help save a historic landmark. Their inspiration became the Firefly Art Fair—a community tradition that has helped preserve the Kneeland-Walker House for decades.
The Society launched the first Firefly Art Fair in August 1987 as a fundraiser to support the restoration and preservation of the Kneeland-Walker House. What began as a modest gathering of artists and supporters has grown into one of southeastern Wisconsin’s most beloved outdoor art fairs and a cherished community tradition.
The inaugural fair featured 45 artists, along with a special exhibition inside the Kneeland-Walker House presented by Katie Gingrass Fine Art Gallery. Both the Historical Society and Gingrass shared a commitment to introducing emerging artists to the public, creating opportunities for visitors to meet artists outside a traditional gallery setting and learn about their creative process firsthand.
More than 100 volunteers and their families helped make that first Firefly Art Fair possible. Community organizations and local businesses generously shared resources the Historical Society simply didn’t have. Tables and chairs were borrowed from local churches and the Lakefront Festival of Arts. TosaFest loaned its familiar red-and-white striped tents—some of which are still in use today at Firefly. Local businesses donated food and beverages, the Lions Club supplied grills, and Scout Troop 21, whose members continue to volunteer each year, pitched in wherever help was needed. Every penny saved went toward restoring the Kneeland-Walker House.
Today, visitors stroll the very grounds that Firefly helped preserve, enjoying a weekend filled with art, music, food, history, and creativity. As the Firefly Art Fair celebrates its 40th anniversary this August, it also celebrates four decades of community support for local artists and historic preservation.
From the beginning, Firefly distinguished itself through its remarkable setting. Nestled among historic buildings, mature trees, and carefully tended gardens, the fair offered artists and visitors an experience unlike any other. Milwaukee Journal art critic Jim Auer once observed, “There is no other art fair location in southeastern Wisconsin held on such a beautiful site for artists to display their works.”
That unique setting remains one of Firefly’s greatest attractions. The gardens, lovingly maintained by Historical Society volunteers and master gardeners, continue to provide the picturesque backdrop that draws artists and visitors back year after year.
Few people understand that enduring appeal better than artist Deb Radke, one of Firefly’s longest-participating exhibitors.
“Firefly Art Fair has been part of my journey for nearly four decades. I first arrived as a young ceramic artist just out of college, and over the years I’ve grown into my work in copper sculptures, especially garden pieces, which feel perfectly at home here. The historic grounds, with their winding gardens, old buildings, and quiet beauty, create a setting unlike any other. It’s more than an art fair—it’s a place that has nurtured both my work and my love for nature year after year.Deb Radki, one of Firefly Art Fair’s longest-participating exhibitors
“Firefly Art Fair has been part of my journey for nearly four decades. I first arrived as a young ceramic artist just out of college, and over the years I’ve grown into my work in copper sculptures, especially garden pieces, which feel perfectly at home here. The historic grounds, with their winding gardens, old buildings, and quiet beauty, create a setting unlike any other. It’s more than an art fair—it’s a place that has nurtured both my work and my love for nature year after year.Deb Radki, one of Firefly Art Fair’s longest-participating exhibitors
Deb Radki, one of Firefly Art Fair’s longest-participating exhibitors
A Weekend of Art, Food, and Entertainment
This year’s Firefly Art Fair, August 1 and 2, will feature 70 juried artists from throughout the Midwest, including 25 artists exhibiting at Firefly for the first time. Visitors can meet the artists, learn about their creative process, and purchase one-of-a-kind works directly from the people who created them.
Music will fill the grounds throughout the weekend with returning live favorites Finger Pickin’ Good (11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. both days) and the Cold Front Trombone Quartet (Sunday, 2–4 p.m.).
Food options include gourmet burgers, gyros, and sides from the Fatty Patty Food Truck, baked goods and lunch specialties from Miss Molly’s Café and Pastry Shop, and the ever-popular homemade pies from Bunzel’s and Historical Society bakers.
Returning favorites also include the Firefly Silent Auction, the Aromatic Acres floral workshop on Saturday afternoon 2:30-4 p.m. (advance registration recommended), and a new Cloud 9 Workshop, where children ages 4–11 can create a cereal-box journal to take home during a free walk-up activity on Saturday from 1–3 p.m.
While enjoying the fair, visitors are also invited inside the beautifully restored Kneeland-Walker House. Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, this year’s exhibit Midcentury Moments explores Wauwatosa in the 1950s—a decade of tremendous growth marked by the opening of Mayfair Mall, construction of the Civic Center and library, and the annexations that nearly tripled the city’s size.
The Story Behind the Firefly
An enduring local legend connects the name Wauwatosa with the Native American word for “firefly.” While the story has long captured the community’s imagination, historical research suggests otherwise. The name selected by early settlers was taken from a Sauk personal name recorded in an 1837 treaty, rather than a word meaning “firefly.”
Even so, the legend has inspired generations of Firefly Art Fair artists and organizers. The romantic image of the firefly has appeared prominently in the fair’s promotional artwork and has become inseparable from the event’s identity.
In 2002, artist Lee Spolar designed the current Firefly logo, which was resurrected in 2023 and continues to represent the event today. Like the fair itself, the Firefly logo has become a familiar symbol of creativity, community, and place.
Forty Years Later, the Mission Continues
Firefly was founded on the belief that art and community could work together to preserve an important piece of Wauwatosa’s history. Forty years later, that vision has become reality. The Kneeland-Walker House stands today not only as a beautifully restored historic landmark, but as a testament to what can happen when a community engages around a common purpose.
Generations of artists have shared their talents, while generations of volunteers, sponsors, and visitors have helped sustain the event and the historic site it was created to protect. Our thanks to everyone who has supported the event through the years.
Proceeds from the Firefly Art Fair continue to support the preservation of the Kneeland-Walker House and the Wauwatosa Historical Society’s mission to preserve, interpret, and share Wauwatosa’s history through exhibits, educational programs, tours, research services, and community engagement.
We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate forty years of art, preservation, and community—and help write the next chapter.
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