Madison (Wisconsin) activities: What to do in Madison (Wisconsin)
Madison (Wisconsin) activities: What to do in Madison (Wisconsin)
Overture Center, 501 State St, +1 608 258-4177 . This venue is home to Madison's most prominent performing arts organizations, including the Madison Ballet, Opera, Symphony, Repertory Theater, and Children's Theater. The facilities also include the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, and galleries housing work by local visual artists. The building itself is gorgeous - the rooftop garden is particularly impressive - and well worth a stop as one meanders down State street. Private tours are available.
Token Creek Chamber Music Festival, . An annual festival held every August featuring great classical music in an intimate, rural setting.
Great Taste of the Midwest, 1156 Olin-Turville Court, . This beer festival, put on by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild, is one of the biggest in the nation, with over one hundred brewpubs and microbreweries in attendance, and over 5,000 guests. The number of tickets is limited, and the popularity of this event means that they typically sell out within days. �
Concerts on the Square, . This very popular weekly summer concert series by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra is held on the grounds of the State Capitol. Attendees sit on the lawn around the building, and most people bring a blanket to spread on the ground and picnic foods to eat.Free. �
Rhythm and Booms, Warner Park, . July 4th Weekend. This Independence Day celebration includes food, music, children's events, carnival rides, and other activities, culminating at dusk with the Midwest's largest fireworks display, timed to music broadcast by a local radio station. �
Mifflin Street Block Party. A massive student-run block party held on the first Saturday of every May. Several blocks of West Mifflin Street are cordoned off for drinking, music, and food in what is one of the largest public gatherings in the country. Keep an eye out for overzealous policemen - read the stay safe section for more information.Free. �
Taste of Madison, Capitol Square, . Held Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Showcases many local restaurants, in addition to beverage stands and 3 entertainment stages. Participating restaurants sell a vast variety of unique and traditional dishes in small portions - one of their advertising taglines is that nothing costs over $4. No admission fee. �
Dane County Farmer's Market, . Runs year-round, outdoors from April to November, indoors from November to April. Outdoor market located on Capitol Square on Saturdays, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. on Wednesdays. Indoor market located at Monona Terrace before Christmas/New Year's Day, at Madison Senior Center after the holidays. The largest producer-only farmers’ market in the country. All items are produced locally by the vendor running the stand. No admission fee. �
Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon, . Held the Sunday following Labor Day Weekend. Start/finish area located downtown at Monona Terrace and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Swimming in Lake Monona (with excellent views from Monona Terrace rooftop). Cycling and marathon held on streets of Madison and roads of Dane County. No admission fee. �
Wisconsin Badgers, Multiple Venues on the UW Campus, ☎ 608.262.1866 for general info; 1.800.GO.BADGERS for ticket info, . University of Wisconsin intercollegiate athletic program fields teams in 23 NCAA Division I men's and women's sports. Fields highly competitive teams in football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey and women's volleyball. Football and men's basketball sellout and tickets can be very difficult to obtain, but tickets for other sports can be readily available, often at low prices. �
Art Fair On The Square, Captiol Square, . Held second weekend of July. Features works for sale by more than 400 exhibiting artists. Mixed media, ceramics, drawings, graphics, prints, fiber, leather, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, paintings, photographs, sculpture, 3D mixed media, and wood. Artists from all over the United States apply to exhibit and sell their works. Organized by Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. No admission fee. �
Art Fair Off The Square, Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., . Held concurrent and adjacent to Art Fair On The Square on second weekend of July, but features only Wisconsin artists. More than 100 exhibitors each year. No admission fee. �
Madison Mallards, The Duck Pond at Warner Park; 2920 N. Sherman Ave., ☎ 608.246.4277, . Collegiate summer baseball team that is part of the Northwoods League. A number of Mallards have gone on to play in the Major Leagues. Tip: If you catch a foul ball, return it and get a free hot dog. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Madison (Wisconsin)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Madison (Wisconsin) - updated May 2024
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Madison (Wisconsin) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
