It’s my favorite time of year: Memorial Day weekend! I consider it the de facto start of summer. If you’re like me, you can’t wait for warmer temperatures, (hopefully) less rain and hanging out poolside.
For those who aren’t sticking around town for backyard BBQs, Brat Fest or other local Memorial Day celebrations, here is a curated list of events, restaurants and activities within a two-hour drive of Madison, Wis. (updated for 2026).
Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton
- The Kalahari Resort has been busy. The newly opened Kalahari Treehouse Adventures features treehouses and cabins on Lake Delton, and Daylene’s Supper Club offers a beautiful view of the water as you dine. Meanwhile, the addition to the indoor waterpark will open later this year.
- The former Wintergreen Hotel is now The Wisconsin Hotel, complete with Chris Farley-themed rooms [see photo] and a restaurant called Farmer in the Dells (with a bar at the top of a silo).
- The medieval-themed Dellshire Resort opened this month and has onsite dining (including the Blade & Barrel), a swim-up pool bar, an arcade and a medieval VR adventure.
- The inflatable waterpark at Land of Natura is a ton of fun for the whole family. The inflatable obstacle course sits on a man-made lake, and you can also use a stand-up paddleboard or lounge on the surrounding beach with a drink.
- The Wisconsin Dells Mountain Coaster will take you through the hills of the eastern part of the area on a 3,800-foot-long track.
Lake Geneva area
- Outside of lake activities, you can take a tour of the Yerkes Observatory (including the very popular night tour) and ride a nine-line zip line across 100 acres at Lake Geneva Ziplines & Adventures.
- The Abbey Resort will have a weekend filled with family-friendly activities, including a comedy and magic show, outdoor movies and live music.
- Grand Geneva Resort & Spa will begin its weekly fireworks display on Sunday. It also opened a new 11-hole short course called Wee Nip.
- Enjoy a water ski show on Saturday by Southern Wakes United, with a good vantage point at Turtle Lake Tap & Grill.
- The annual Memorial Day parade starts at 10 a.m. Monday at Horticultural Hall and winds its way down Broad Street to Flat Iron Park.
Elsewhere
- The IKEA Family Kite Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at Veterans Park in Milwaukee.
- If you want to go tubing, you can’t go wrong with Wisconsin Riverside Resort in Spring Green, S&B Tubing in Albany or Sandy Shores in Mauston.
- For distilleries, visit Tattersall Distilling in River Falls or Blaum Bros. Distilling in Galena, Ill.
- For breweries, I like Hillsboro Brewing. Co in Hillsboro, Tyranena in Lake Mills and Potosi Brewery in Potosi, which also houses the ABA National Brewery Museum (definitely worth checking out).
- Baileys Run Vineyard in New Glarus is a trendy place, and it will have live music on Memorial Day weekend.
Have a great weekend!
Photo by Grand Geneva Resort & Spa
Tags: Lake Delton, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Dells
