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 16-18 | Is a marathon just a bit too long for you? Try the annual 20-mile run from downtown Madison to Stoughton. New this year is a strongman competition called the “Viking Games.” |
| Fitchburg Days | May 16-18 | 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 12-15 | Hometown Days always books great bands, and this year in no exception with local favorites Charm School Rejects, Madison County and Cherry Pie. The big parade takes place on Sunday. |
| Fireman’s Festival (Cottage Grove) | June 12-15 | 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 26-29 | 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 | Not one, but two, parades to watch (the second is in Token Creek). Lots of free events, including a Super Tuesday concert and pony rides. |
| Waunafest | July 24-27 | 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. 14-17 | 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. 22-24 | 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.
I was sort of surprised that Tutto Pasta in Middleton didn’t survive, but I’m more hopeful for its successor, 
I didn’t feel the same about the veal parmigiano ($23). The veal itself was seasoned well, and I did like the cheese on top, but the meat was rubbery, making it difficult to chew. Meanwhile, the accompanying pasta was a bit too al dente, as in, I think it should have been cooked about one more minute, and some of the vegetables were undercooked.
I was so pleasantly surprised by my first meal at 
If you want to go carb free, you can order any sub as a salad with iceberg lettuce or spinach. In retrospect, I should have ordered a chicken dish, such as Chicken Pesto, but instead I ordered the Grinder (salami, pepperoni and capicola). It was okay, but the entire time I was eating it I kept thinking, this would be better as an Italian sub.
