This weekend, fire up your grill, enjoy brats and live music at the World's Largest Brat Fest, and then on Monday, take some time to visit downtown Monona. The city is hosting it's 61st annual Memorial Day Parade, the largest parade in Wisconsin. The event begins at 10 a.m. at the 4400 block of Monona Drive.

The parade is an annual tradition, and includes floats, bands, and entertainment, along with the opportunity to honor our military, both past and present. "It's important to honor veterans for many reasons," says parade organizer, Kelly Slack. "Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedom. It is also important to recognize those individuals who have made the choice to serve our country and protect what America stands

Walk into Cracovia Olympic Foil Fencing School, and you'll notice a large purple crest right away. A display stand holding foils is to the right. Keep walking, and you'll enter a large, open practice area. High ceilings, wood floors and sound panels that double as practice targets make for a beautiful studio. "En Garde!"  A fencing match is beginning. The new fencing facility opened this month, and is a dream come true for owner Krystyna Kostecka.  A world class fencer from Poland, Kostecka has decades of experience as a competitive fencer, and her love of the sport is contagious. Her students dress head to toe in protective fencing gear, and maneuver back and forth, challenging their opponents and protecting themselves at the same time.  "Safety First!"

Looking for a way to kick start your summer fitness plan? Grab those running shoes, and join more than 20,000 runners and walkers this weekend in downtown Madison. The 35th Annual Crazylegs Classic is this Saturday, April 30. Named for the late football player and UW Athletics Director, Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, the 8K run or 2 mile walk begins downtown, and ends near the 50 yard line at Camp Randall Stadium.  The race was named one of America's 100 Top Events by Runner's World magazine, and has also been recognized by The Road Runners Club of America with a "Great Races, Great Places" designation. The race is a longtime local favorite, as it boosts the UW Athletic Department, and includes a race route through downtown Madison and the UW Madison Campus.

Madison is an eclectic place. The variety of restaurants, shopping and activities make it possible to experience so much variety for the size of our city. Take a look at the activities happening around town, and you get an idea of the possibilities:

Synchronized Swimming

More than just splashing and smiling, Mad City Aqua Stars offers a club sport that requires athletes to learn a number of complicated and graceful underwater moves. Swimmers age 8-18 are included in both recreational and competitive teams. Over the weekend, the team hosted the Wisconsin Association Synchronized Swimming Championship at the Middleton Area Indoor Pool. The top three teams in each division are moving on to regional competitions. From there, the top regional finishers

Snow is melting, air is warming, and buds are showing up on some of the trees. Forecasts for the next week or so show warmer temps, and spring fever is hitting. But at the end of February, is it really safe to assume winter is over? Plenty of gardeners are hoping so. More than 18,000 people showed up at Wisconsin Public Television's 24th Annual Garden Expo earlier this month. Seminars for all things garden related started the planning.  And now- there are opportunities to apply this knowledge beyond your own backyard.

This weekend, the University of Wisconsin Arboretum is hosting a free "end of winter" walking tour. Trained naturalists will join guests to explore the arboretum and identify the signs of spring. The hour long tour is a gentle walk,

You won't be "shushed" at Dane County libraries. Programs like beer-making, coloring for adults, and poetry writing are engaging patrons and creating new conversations. And while the library continues to be a key location for books and literacy, programs are expanding to include so much more. Tana Elias, Digital Services and Marketing Director for the Madison Public Library, says the library is growing as a place for hands on learning, with programs aimed at getting the community together, starting meaningful conversations and building new bridges.

An example of this is "The Bubbler," a hands on initiative launched with the construction of the new Madison Central Library. Current events on the Bubbler's page include an art car derby, an up-cycled tee

With temperatures dropping again early next week, finding places to warm up and enjoy delicious food just might make the winter doldrums more bearable. Whether you're craving steak, home-style meals, ethnic foods or fine dining, Madison restaurants are featuring some of their best offerings for Winter Restaurant Week, starting Sunday.

Madison Magazine is the force behind Restaurant Week. The local publication already features regular coverage of area restaurants, but wanted to do more to feature local talent. Now in its 9th year, Restaurant Week will include fifty-one local establishments. Participating venues have signed on to offer 3 course meals, starting at $25 for dinner. "We want to encourage people to get out and try something different, at

When the Thanksgiving meal is over, and the dishes are done, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy all that Madison offers.  And for an alternative to Black Friday madness, you may want to make a few stops in Downtown Madison. The Edgewater Hotel has a weekend full of free activities for the whole family. On Friday, the recently renovated hotel will open its Ice Skating Rink, and fill the day with events, performances and activities for the whole family.  Beginning at 10 a.m., Bucky Badger, Peppy the Purgolder and Bruce the Spartan will be on hand to celebrate the ice skating season. There is no cost to skate the entire weekend, and skates can be rented for $3. 100% of the skate rental fee will be donated to the Keep Madison Warm/Cool Fund and the

It's known as the home of "Freakfest," a wild annual festival with music, outrageous costumes, and sometimes outrageous behavior. But downtown Madison is reclaiming its place as a family friendly locale. This week, that includes appealing to a younger audience for Halloween. The Madison Central BID is hosting Family Halloween this Wednesday, October 28, from 3-6 p.m. Families are encouraged to come out, wear costumes, and enjoy everything State Street and the Capitol Square has to offer. Participants can trick-or-treat at downtown establishments, stop in to a number of museums and entertainment venues for special programming, and enjoy all kinds of arts and crafts. The Madison Parks Department is offering Hay Rides downtown for $2/person. Aside from the

Last weekend, my family took our annual trip to a corn maze, and had a great time wandering a local field, learning map skills and supporting a local farm. The popularity of these mazes have increased, nationwide, over the last ten years. They provide great entertainment, exercise and help support local agriculture. Locally, there are a significant number of mazes to choose from. The Madison area offers countless farms within close proximity to most neighborhoods. In addition to the maze, your outdoor fall experience can include apple-picking, a visit to a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, hayrides, and a number of other specialty activities. If you haven't already found a place for fall fun, here's a list of options near Madison:

Fitchburg Farms, located