Friday is Independence Day, and there’s plenty going on in and around Madison to ooh and aah about – from fireworks displays to family activities to festivals celebrating community. Here’s some help to plan your long weekend.
🎆 Here Comes the Boom
The Monona Community Festival at Winnequah Park on July 4 is the granddaddy of fireworks shows in the area. And pre-show traffic can get pretty snarled, so our advice is to go to the festival early and enjoy the rides and the food before the rush starts.
Another option is to set up your blanket at a nearby location, such as Yahara Place Park or Olbrich Park. Or, if you know somebody with a nice boat, you can even head out onto Lake Monona for a nice view. Just make sure to be safe, on land or at sea.
The fireworks actually start on Wednesday, July 2 in Verona with Festival Foods’ pyrotechnics show at Hometown Festival USA Park. On Thursday, the Festival Foods in Madison is sponsoring its own fireworks show following the Madison Mallards game at Warner Park.
On Friday, it’s the Madison Night Mares’ turn to host a fireworks show at Warner Park. Fans can just come out onto the field after the game to enjoy the show.
🎻 A Patriotic Celebration
But we don’t need fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. On Wednesday, July 2, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s Concerts on the Square program is called “A Celebration of Liberty,” featuring patriotic bangers like “Stars and Stripes Forever” and the “1812 Overture” (complete with real cannon fire, so bring your earplugs!).
The concert on July 9 is called “American Song,” and will focus on 20th century composers like George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, along with Black composers like Omar Thomas and James Lee III. That show will feature special guest vocalist Angela Brown, a soprano and Met Opera star.
For families, The Edgewater Hotel will be hosting its Fourth Fest at the Edgewater from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring music by Natty Nation and the People Brothers Band, two performances by the Mad City Water Ski Team on Lake Mendota, and face painting and other activities for the kiddos.
🤝 Interdependence Over Independence
In these challenging times, the Bur Oak is sponsoring a new event on July 5 described as a “community celebration of the spirit of resilience we find in our shared experience.”
Interdependence Day will be a free outdoor event from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring live music, a potluck BBQ, artists and environmental groups coming together. At 8 p.m., the celebration moves indoors for a ticketed concert.
