UWM is sponsoring a festival on Saturday, May 18, where students can discard or donate unwanted items at the end of spring semester.

The Move-Out Festival helps solve the perennial challenge of students leaving unwanted furniture and home goods on the street when they move out of their apartments.

In addition, students can sift through and take the gently used donations while also being able to borrow cleaning supplies. Students can schedule free pickups of their furniture.

The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18 in the parking lot next to the Physics Building, 1900 E. Kenwood Blvd. Media are invited to come anytime; generally, noon to 1 p.m. is the busiest.

The public is welcome to come to the festival to give or take donations.

Beyond keeping the neighborhood clean, the festival aims to promote sustainability and celebrate the end of the semester.

“We tried to make this event more about having fun and being sustainable. So, there is the reuse side of things from thrifting or reusing goods that are in a reasonable condition,” said Laura Stevens, solid waste and recycling coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at UWM.

All donated items not taken by festivalgoers will be given to Goodwill or Jacarrie Kicks4Kids.  Food donations will go to UWM’s Food Center and Pantry.

BelAir Cantina, a community sponsor, will provide free chips and salsa. The event will also include yard games, a DJ and ice pops from Chillwaukee. The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works is donating dumpsters for UWM to use.

The festival is a partnership between the Neighborhood Housing Office and the Office of Sustainability at UWM.