City Cast Madison
😎 Is Madison the best summer city?
July 3, 2025 · — Rob Thomas
Good morning, Madison! We’re gearing up for a long holiday weekend (and hope you are as well), so we have something a little ~different~ for your inbox today. Below, we’ve got some expert recs to help you explore Madison this summer, along with a special quiz designed to help you find a summer trip that fits your vibe.
And heads up, we’re off tomorrow so we won’t be back in your inbox until Monday. Try not to miss us too much, and enjoy those fireworks! (Also, if you’re looking for a quick anecdote to sound smart at the BBQ, check out this piece on how the Independence Day fireworks tradition began.)
Your Madison Summer Starter Pack
🚗 Hit the Road for a Community Festival
We love Madison and its many neighborhood festivals, but some weekends you just got to get out of the city limits. We’ve got some recommendations on community festivals to hit this summer, including this weekend’s Monona Community Festival and the Sweet Corn Festival in Mount Horeb 🌽
🍨 The Best Ice Cream in Madison
Man, it’s a hot one, as a wise man once said. What cools you off better than ice cream? The City Cast Madison team did a taste test of some of our favorite local flavors, and I compiled this list of the top ice cream shops in town, from the established favorites to some young indie upstarts.
Is Madison the Country's Best Summer Trip?
All 13 City Cast podcast hosts came together for a high-stakes showdown to answer the question that’s been burning up our company-wide Slack for weeks: Which city is the best for a summer weekend trip? From naked bike rides and ‘the country’s best farmers market,’ to pickle festivals and Elvis impersonators in pink convertibles, our hosts are bringing the best of the best of what their city has to offer. And yes, we do pick a winner.
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Quiz: Where should you plan your next summer weekend trip?
Although our 13 City Cast cities (Austin, Boise, Chicago, D.C., Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Salt Lake) duked it out in our most recent podcast episode to debate which of our cities is the best for a long weekend trip, we wanted to give you the chance to find the summer city that best suits your vibe.
Would you rather eat at a kitschy Mexican restaurant with a 30-foot waterfall and cliff divers, or explore a pickle-themed festival spread across two scenic bridges? Embark on a naked bike ride (which doubles as a protest) or kayak down a historic river? The choice is (literally) yours!
Which summer activity sounds most appealing to you?
- Watching Jaws on a big screen while floating in water
- Driving around in a pink convertible with an Elvis impersonator
- Exploring underrated art museums and a Michelin-rated restaurant inside one of those museums
- Being one of the first to see the new Dolly Parton musical
What To Do
Thursday, July 3
🎵 2025 Catfish River Music Festival at Stoughton Opera House
♀️ 2025 National Women's Music Festival at Madison Marriott West Hotel and Conference Center
🎤 BoDeans at Atwood Music Hall
🎤 Dino Ante - Live Music on the Rooftop at The Lone Girl Brewing Company
🎪 I Think It Could Work at Madison Circus Space
🎆 Monona Community Festival at Winnequah Park
🙏 SnowFlower Sangha Meditation at Goodman Community Center
🎸 Songs from the Road Band at The Bur Oak
🎵 Summer Fun Concert Series at Stone Horse Green
🎤 Wavves at High Noon Saloon
Friday, July 4
- ♀️ 2025 National Women's Music Festival at Madison Marriott West Hotel and Conference Center
- 👙 Above Ground Pool Party at Working Draft Beer Company
- 🎹 Dueling Pianos at Ivory Room Piano Bar
- 🎆 Monona Community Festival at Winnequah Park
Saturday, July 5
- ♀️ 2025 National Women's Music Festival at Madison Marriott West Hotel and Conference Center
- 👙 Above Ground Pool Party at Working Draft Beer Company
- 😆 All Ages Improv Show at Glass Nickel Pizza Co.
- 🎹 All request piano show! at Ivory Room Piano Bar
- 😆 Comedians of the World Telling Jokes at Hotel Indigo
- 🎚️ Electric Connections at Liquid Madison
- 🎪 I Think It Could Work at Madison Circus Space
- 🤝 Interdependence Day at The Bur Oak
- 🪩 Leather + Lace XXVIII: 28-Year Anniversary! at Crucible
- 🎷 SA-X Quartet at Muso Madison
Sunday, July 6
- 🎵 2025 Catfish River Music Festival at Stoughton Opera House
- ♀️ 2025 National Women's Music Festival at Madison Marriott West Hotel and Conference Center
- 👙 Above Ground Pool Party at Working Draft Beer Company
- 🎤 Anthony Caulkins & Friends at The Bur Oak
- 🍺 Bingo + Beer + Bloodies at The Lone Girl Brewing Company
- 🚶 Family Nature Walk at University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
- 🎤 Gaines & Wagoner at The Harmony Bar and Grill
- 🤝 Interdependence Day at The Bur Oak
- 🎸 Six Thirty Sharp at Capital Brewery
- 🍻 Pints & Puzzles at Starkweather Brewing Company
- 🎵 Sunday Afternoon Live: Harpist Johanna Wienholts at Chazen Museum of Art
🌭 An estimated 150 million hot dogs will be eaten on the Fourth of July, according to the esteemed National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. That amount of weiners would stretch lengthwise across the country (from DC to LA) at least five times. Take this as your sign to use hot dogs as your standard unit of measurement this weekend. How far is it to the neighbor’s BBQ? 57 hot dogs. Where’s the nearest ATM? 456 hot dogs.
Anyway, have a great Fourth of July! See you Monday 😎
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