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Bratfest: the good, bad and ugly

Thursday, May 21st, 2015

It’s hard to believe that Bratfest used to take place in the parking lot of Hilldale, or that there used to be two of them each year (Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends). Now the annual event is a monstrosity.

The Good

Lots of family fun during the day and adult fun at night. Headliners like Bret Michaels. Many folks volunteer to sell brats to raise money for their charities. Golf carts to take you from the faraway parking lots to the fair grounds. More varieties of brats and mustards, too.

The Bad

Not enough beer stations = long lines (usually at least 20 minutes to get a beer). More seating needed, especially under tents. Not enough security on site. Website usually doesn’t load or is always slow.

The Ugly

No traffic police = horrific gridlock to get in and out at night (expect to add 30+ minutes to/from the Beltline). Friday’s Take Your Brat to Work drive-thru line–while unique in concept–is a madhouse (expect to be late to work).

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Madison-area community festivals 2015

Thursday, May 14th, 2015

Note: this is a repost from last year, with dates updated.

I love how much we pack into our summers here in Madison. In addition to events like the Dane County Farmers’ Market and Concerts on the Square, I always look forward to the community festivals in the area. I’ve rounded them up in a grid and included some notes for each. And yes, I will be watching Cherry Pie perform at least four times this summer, twice during these festivals.

Events Dates Of note
Syttende Mai (Stoughton) May 15-17 Is a marathon just a bit too long for you? Try the annual 20-mile run from downtown Madison to Stoughton. Also check out the strongman competition called the “Viking Games.”
Fitchburg Days May 15-17 On the same weekend we’re celebrating our Norwegian heritage in Stoughton, we can celebrate our Irish heritage in Fitchburg. That means annual performances by both Pat McCurdy and The Kissers.
Verona Hometown Days June 4-7 Hometown Days always books great bands, and this year in no exception with local favorites Charm School Rejects and Cherry Pie. The big parade takes place on Sunday.
Fireman’s Festival (Cottage Grove) June 18-21 This festival has a little bit of everything, from a rodeo to craft beer tasting to the Smokin’ Hot BBQ contest to a rugby tournament. Doesn’t have the music lineup of Hometown Days, though.
Oregon Summer Fest June 25-28 See cars from all decades in the annual car show, and enjoy ribs, ribs and more ribs at the Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club “Thrilla on the Grilla.”
Monona Community Festival July 3-4 I’ve always enjoyed the hole-in-one challenge, which seems to be won with some frequency. And believe it or not, the festival hosts the annual Wisconsin Wife Carry Championship.
DeForest Area 4th of July Celebration July 3-4 Only one parade this year (what happened to the Token Creek parade?). Lots of free events, including a Chameleon concert and pony rides.
Waunafest July 23-26 Waunakee has such strong community spirit, which is why this event has the largest attendance … and also the largest beer tent. Be warned that parking can be difficult.
Sweet Corn Festival (Sun Prairie) Aug. 20-23 As the name implies, you can’t attend this event without eating some of the 75 tons of sweet corn. Since the event is at Angell Park, there will be midget car racing and a tractor pull.
Middleton Good Neighbor Festival Aug. 28-30 Here we are at the end of the summer festival schedule. Check out the huge craft fair and the kiddie parade. Hopefully event organizers add a lot more porta-potties by the beer tent.

Note: I didn’t include the McFarland Family Festival, since it takes place in the fall.

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Lamenting Madison Craft Beer Week

Thursday, May 7th, 2015

The idea of Madison Craft Beer Week is good, but it needs some tweaks. For example, the annual celebration can claim 350 events at 80 venues because the vast majority of the “events” are comprised of a bar/restaurant having a new craft beer on tap–that’s it.

Most disappointing was the lack of knowledge of the servers for what the bar/restaurant was doing for Madison Craft Beer Week (three examples: Roman Candle, Blue Moon and Vintage Brewery). If the patron didn’t know to ask for the special, the server wouldn’t offer it, nor was there any signage at most of the venues.

Hopefully moving forward, the event focuses on quality, not quantity.

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