Events
January
Mid January: Annual Madfest Juggling Festival. For nearly 50
years, audiences have watched juggling talents toss knives, chainsaws and
flaming batons. Also workshops, vendors, parties and other events. Tickets for
this popular event sell out quickly. For information, call 608-240-0606 or
608-833-8944. For tickets, call 608-262-2201.
Mid January: Madison Auto Show. Showcase of new models and the
latest technology in trucks, cars and sport-utility vehicles. Also appearances
by top NASCAR drivers. Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall, 1919 Alliant
Energy Center Way.
February
Mid February: Wisconsin Public Television Garden Expo. More than 200
exhibitors display the latest garden products and give nearly 130 seminars,
demonstrations and workshops on landscape design, gardening, lawn care and more.
Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. For information, call
608-262-5256.
Mid February: International Festival. This free annual festival
reflects the diverse cultures of Madison with more than 25 theatrical
performances and cultural demonstrations. Also a craft bazaar offering ethnic
clothing, crafts, jewelry and cuisine. Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State
St. For information, call 608-258-4177.
March
End of March: Wisconsin Film Festival. Four day Festival. Screenings of
independent and experimental features, documentaries and shorts by Wisconsin,
national and international filmmakers. Various cinemas. For information, call
608-262-9099, or toll-free 877-963-3456.
April
Early April: Annual Children's Art Festival. This annual festival
presents theater, dance, music, artistic performances and workshops by and for
children. Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St. For information, call
608-258-4177.
Mid April: Midwest Horse Fair. More than 50,000 attend this showcase of
1,500 horses of nearly 50 breeds. Also 550 vendors and seminars with leading
industry experts from throughout the U.S. Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant
Energy Center Way. For information, call 920-623-5515.
Late April – late November: Dane County Farmers Market. This
extraordinarily popular year-round market comes outdoors to Capitol Square every
Wednesday and Saturday during the summer and fall. More than 300 vendors sell
fresh homegrown Wisconsin produce, meat, fish and cheese in one of the U.S.'
largest producers-only farmers market. For information, call 608-455-1999
May
Mid May: Syttende Mai. An offbeat pairing of a road race and Norwegian
culture, Syttende Mai means "17 May" in Norwegian, the date in 1814 when Norway
achieved independence. A 20-mile run begins on Capitol Square and ends in the
Norwegian enclave of Stoughton, where there are traditional Norwegian arts, food
and dancing. For information, call 608-873-7912, or toll-free 800-873-7912.
Mid-Late May through early September: Mad City Ski Team Water Ski Shows.
The Mad City Ski Team performs acrobatic waterskiing tricks on Lake Monona in
Law Park on Sunday evenings. Free admission. For information, call 608-663-8326.
Memorial Day weekend: Mad City Marathon. Full, half, relay and
wheelchair marathons, and 5K and 10K races with runners from more than 40 states
and five countries start at Capitol Square and end at Olin-Turville Park.
Followed by food, drinks, music and award ceremonies at the Capital Brewery
Finish Line Festival. For information, call 608-850-4900.
Early May: Celebrate Madison. Music, dance, cultural demonstrations,
crafts, workshops and other activities showcase the cultures of Madison's
Italian, Hispanic, Native American, German, Asian-American and African-American
communities. Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, 1 John Nolen Drive.
For information, call 608-261-4000.
July
Early-Mid July: Art Fair Off the Square.
Approximately 135 artists working in a variety of styles showcase ceramics,
paintings, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, engravings and other works. Also live
music, refreshments and children's entertainment. Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard, between Dotty and Wilson streets, between Capitol Square and Monona
Terrace Convention Center. For information, call 608-798-4814.
4 July: Fireworks. This Independence Day festival begins at 10:30 am
with aerial displays by the Wisconsin Air Guard, parachute jumps, music,
children's activities and carnival rides. But the highlight is the fireworks
display: the largest in the Midwest with more than 15,000 fireworks set to a
35-minute musical score. Warner Park, Northport Drive and Sherman Avenue. For
information, call 608-833-6717.
August
Mid August: Great Taste of the Midwest. Beer enthusiasts flock to the
second-longest-running beer festival in the U.S. Around 100 breweries and pubs
give samples of more than 400 brews. Also food and entertainment. Ticket sales
start in May, and they usually go quickly. Olin-Turville Park, John Nolen
Drive. 608-255-8041.
Late August – Early November: University of Wisconsin Football. The
popular University of Wisconsin Badgers play home games at Camp Randall Stadium,
1440 Monroe St. Tickets can be difficult to come by. For information and
tickets, call 608-262-1440, or toll-free 800-462-2343.
September
Labor Day Weekend: Taste of Madison. Madison chefs from more than 60
restaurants serve dishes reflecting the city's global culture. The state's
largest free music festival features acts on four entertainment stages. For
information, call 608-850-4900.
Late September – early October: World Dairy Expo. This massive
international trade show features the latest in dairy technology and
innovations. Nearly 70,000 visitors from almost 80 countries participate in
cattle judging, shows, exhibits, contests and educational seminars. Alliant
Energy Center of Dane County, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way. For information,
call 608-224-6455.
October
Early October: Wisconsin Book Festival. Approximately 100 free events
feature more than 200 leading writers, editors and illustrators in fiction,
poetry, nonfiction, journalism, illustration and publishing. Activities include
readings, lectures, panel discussions, storytelling, open-mike poetry slams,
writing workshops and autograph sessions. Various venues. For information, call
608-265-5595.
November
Mid November: Winter Art Festival. More than 140 artists working
in a variety of styles showcase their works in pottery, watercolors, fiber,
wood, glass, graphics and other media. Monona Terrace Convention Center, 1 John
Nolen Drive. For information, call 608-798-4814.
Sports
Recreation
Madison and surrounding Dane County are known for exceptionally beautiful parks
and numerous lakes. Regattas are popular on the bigger lakes, and you'll see
plenty of people sailing and sailboarding. The city also maintains 13 free
public beaches on area lakes.
Fishing goes on year-round.
In summer, you can cast from the railroad trestle as well as from public and
private docks and the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. In winter,
the lakes are dotted with ice-fishing shanties. License required in order to
fish.
Spectator Sports
608-262-1440.
The University of Wisconsin's men's and women's basketball and hockey teams draw
large crowds, but the football team brings out the entire city as well as many
out-of-town visitors, The ticket office is at the Kohl Center, on campus.
Skiing
Parks Department
608-266-4711
The city grooms about 18
miles of cross-country ski trails at seven parks and two municipal golf courses.
Many skiers also use Madison's lakes, which are usually frozen over by mid
December. Call the parks department for maps
Golf
Courses usually open around
1 April, and the season continues until mid October or even November.
Beaches
For directions, hours and
updated information 608-266-4711.
Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, Monona Bay and Lake Wingra (by the zoo) all have free
public beaches with lifeguards posted in the summer. Most of Madison's beaches
are open daily early June-late August.
Bicycling
Madison, known as the bike capital of the Midwest, has spent more than a decade
making itself more bicycle-friendly: New trails are being added all the time
(most are shared by joggers and hikers). Even in the dead of winter, residents
refuse to give up their bicycles. The best-known path is a 12-mile scenic loop
that skirts the edge of Lake Monona, beginning at the convention center.
Golf
University Ridge Golf Course
9002 County Road
Verona.
608-845-7700.
This par-72 course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., has rolling greens for
the front nine, while the back nine runs through a forest. Club rentals, lessons
and golf supplies are available. Call at least six days in advance for tee
times. Open daily, with twilight golf available. Fees vary by day of the week
and time of year
Yahara Hills Golf Course
6701 E. Broadway (off
Highway 12/18, east of Interstate 90), Madison
608-838-3126.
Two 18-hole courses with
fairways suitable for championship play. A course for serious golfers. Call for
information about fees, discounts and tee times.
Hiking and Walking
Indian Lake Park
One of Dane County's largest parks with miles of nature trails, including an
elevated boardwalk that circles the lake. Another trail leads to a gorgeous
hilltop view and a historic chapel.
Elver Park
1240 McKenna Blvd.,West
Side, Madison
The best hill in the city
for sledding and snowboarding, but it tends to get crowded, especially now that
skiers are joining those on sleds.
DayTrips
Frank Lloyd Wright self-tour.
Fans of architect Frank
Lloyd Wright often make pilgrimages to Wisconsin to see the many buildings
designed by the legendary architect who founded the Prairie School and designed
some of the world's most innovative buildings.
Wright designed 32
structures for Dane County, but only 11 were built and just eight survive. The
homes are not open to the public, but the Unitarian Church has tours.
The other Wright buildings
include The Robert Lamp Residence, a simple cube brick home at 22 Butler St.
(downtown), one of his early design was built in 1903.
E.A. Gilmore Residence, also known as "The Airplane
House" because its wings look like those of a biplane, was built in 1908 in
University Heights. It's the only local example of the architect's fully evolved
Prairie style.
Jacobs Residence
is an unassuming L-shaped house built in 1937 was the first authentic Usonian
house, which was meant to be affordable to the average American. It has a flat
roof and a carport, both of which have been tested by Wisconsin's harsh climate.
Pew Residence is situated on
a ravine overlooking Lake Mendota at 3650 Lake Mendota Drive. This limestone and
cypress dwelling is small but full of interesting detail.
Spring Green.
608-588-7900.
One of the loveliest spots
in Wisconsin, best known for Frank Lloyd Wright's hilly 600-acre estate,
Taliesin. (He lived and worked there during most of his life.) Tours begin at
the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center at the intersection of Highway 23 and
Highway C. Daily May-October, with limited group tours in November, weather
permitting.
Arts
and Entertainment
Madison Opera
Overture Hall, Overture
Center for the Arts, 201 State St.
For information, call
608-238-8085. For tickets, call 608-258-4141
One of the finest regional
opera companies in the country, it typically stages three productions each
season. Continues through late April
Overture Center for the Arts
201 State St.
For information, call
608-258-4177
The Madison Symphony
Orchestra performs regularly in the recently built Overture Hall. For
information, call 608-257-3734. For tickets, call 608-258-4141.
