City Cast Madison logo

Neighborhood Guides

What To Know About the Northside Festival

Posted on September 5, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Ava Wojnowski

Ava Wojnowski

A colorful structure at a park

Northside Festival will be taking place at the lovely Warner Park. (Hayley Sperling / City Cast Madison)

Kick off September with another great Madison festival. This Saturday is the Northside Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Warner Park, 2930 N. Sherman Ave. The Willy Street Co-op and the Northside Planning Council are presenting this free event alongside the Madison Mallards and the Night Mares.

There will be different food trucks from FEED Kitchens. These vendors include The Walking Jerk, Thailand in a Truck, Paddy’s Patties, Jolly Frog, Bit of Brianna, Sabor Regio, Little Tibet, and The Roost. There will also be drinks sold by the Madison Mallards and Night Mares and local DJ Terrence J providing some tunes.

Wondering what is available for the kids? There will be activities including a bounce house, dunk tank, balloon twisting, face painting, and more. What a great day for the whole family!

Share article

Hey Madison

Sign up for your free daily toolkit to get the most of the city you love.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.
OR BROWSE PAST ISSUES

Neighborhood Guides

See All
Neighborhood GuidesMarch 4

Your Guide To Madison’s Sister City of Camagüey, Cuba

Madison has had a decades-long relationship with its sister city of Camaguey, Cuba. Here's what to know about the country's largest inte...

A cityscape with brown roofs.
Neighborhood GuidesJanuary 28

Uncovering Madison’s Kinky Past

For Valentine's Day, take a deep dive into the kinky history of Madison, from the Hotel Washington to the Cardinal Bar to Madison's now-d...

A room with red lights and a giant "X" scaffold.
Neighborhood GuidesAugust 18, 2025

Your Guide to Madison’s Sister City of Vilnius, Lithuania

But for today’s Sister City feature on Vilnius, Lithuania, I have some expert help.

A man in a hat sitting on a pink bench in a city square.
Neighborhood GuidesJuly 23, 2025

Your Guide To AtwoodFest, Madison’s SASY-est Festival

Since 1982, AtwoodFest has celebrated the spirit of Madison's east side SASY neighborhood and raised money for good causes. This year's f...

A group of people dancing outdoors.
Neighborhood GuidesJuly 9, 2025

Your Guide to Madison’s Sister City in Obihiro, Japan

One of Madison's sister cities is Obihiro, located on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. The city has a lot that will be familiar to visito...

A small train station in a snowy landscape.
Neighborhood GuidesJune 4, 2025

Check Out Madison’s Black Business Hub

The Black Business Hub opened last summer to support and accelerate minority-owned businesses, and new ventures are constantly opening in...

A large space with floor to ceiling windows and orange chairs.
Neighborhood GuidesMay 20, 2025

Jade’s One-Day Getaway: Dr. Evermor’s Forevertron

In our new feature, City Cast Madison producer Jade Isere-Ramos takes us on a road trip to check out a popular attraction near Madison. T...

A series of metal sculptures in a park.
Neighborhood GuidesMay 13, 2025

Hit the Road For These Community Festivals Near Madison

Madison has its share of summer neighborhood festivals, but many nearby communities also come together for their own summer fests that re...

Three people in red costumes and sunglasses smiling and waving red flags.

The latest in Madison

Madison, ExplainedMay 18

How Smart Studios Put Madison on the Musical Map

Why did Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Death Cab for Cutie and other bands want to record songs in Madison? As a new documentary explains, S...

A two-story red brick building on a street.
Food & DrinkMay 14

These Madison Butcher Shops Are a Cut Above

With summer coming up, you might want to stock up for the next cookout. Here are some of Madison's favorite butcher shops, from Meat Peop...

A man in glasses peers at a stack of hamburger patties.
Madison's BestMay 12

Wisconsin Authors Are an Open Book on New Podcast

On the new podcast "Writing Forward," Madison writer Jeff Oloizia interviews Wisconsin authors about their writing process, how to be suc...

A man in a blue shirt stands next to a shelf of books.
Food & DrinkMay 7

Supper Clubs in Madison You Have To Try

You can savor the Wisconsin supper club tradition without traveling far from Madison, hitting historic spots like Tornado Steak House, Ka...

A photo of a plate of food and a nighttime photo of the exterior of a restaurant.
Madison, ExplainedMay 4

Quiz: Are you a True Madisonian?

You may live in Madison, but are you a true Madisonian?

A downtown street scene with a capitol dome at the top of the street.
Madison's BestApril 30

Your Guide to May 2026 in Madison

From Brat Fest to Tulip Fest, from 'Newsies' to Charlie Berens, there's lots going on in Madison this spring.

A man in a gray shirt in front of a blue brick wall.
Madison's BestApril 29

The Madison Mystery Tour Is Coming To Take You Away

Over a half-century after they broke up, the Beatles still have a huge hold on popular culture. For over a decade, the Madison Mystery To...

A man in a bow tie plays an electric guitar behind a man playing a keyboard.
Madison's BestApril 27

Madison’s Circus Scene isn’t Clowning Around

While Circus World in Baraboo is what put Wisconsin's circus scene on the map, there's lots of acrobatics, clowning and more going on in...

A man and a woman in a circus ring juggling hoops.