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🥡 Get to Know Taste of Madison

Posted on August 31, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Hayley Sperling

Hayley Sperling

Taste of Madison is expected to welcome more than 250,000 to the Capitol Square this weekend. (beautifulcataya/Flickr)

Taste of Madison is expected to welcome more than 250,000 to the Capitol Square this weekend. (beautifulcataya/Flickr)

This weekend is the city’s biggest annual summer picnic: Taste of Madison.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people converge on the Capitol Square downtown to feast on some of the city’s finest food and watch live entertainment. This year, Taste of Madison will host more than 70 restaurants featuring over 200 menu items, 26 beverage stands, and three live music stages.

The two-day food festival has been around since the 1980s. Aside from being a showcase for many local and regional eateries, the event is a fundraiser for non-profit and charitable organizations. Last year, Taste of Madison donated more than $96,000 to local charities.

You can expect to find food and flavors from across the globe at Taste of Madison. From deep fried cheese curd filled donuts at Bonnie’s Balls to brown sugar ice cream from Jakarta Cafe and vegan Chicago hot dogs from JustVeggiez, everyone is sure to find something that suits their taste.

You can check out the full list of food vendors here.

Know Before You Go

Taste of Madison will run Sept. 2 from 2:00 to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 3 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Dane County Farmers’ Market will still operate as usual on Saturday.

The event itself is free to attend but the food, of course, will cost ya. Some vendors are cash only so planning a trip to the ATM before hitting the Capitol Square isn’t a bad idea.

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