There is a party planned on Saturday, and all are invited. With live music, fun and games, the 3rd Annual West Fest promises to be a fun way to spend the day. West Fest is designed to celebrate diversity and build community. Elver Park offers the perfect venue. The park offers beautiful nature trails, a variety of sports options, an indoor shelter, playgrounds, and, of course, a splash pad, which will be key in keeping things cool.

With community-building in mind, the event planners have created a long list of contests and activities to include all ages. Events include a Father/Son basketball tournament, lots of free carnival games for kids, a bouncy house and live music and entertainment.  Seniors are encouraged to come out for BINGO (with prizes).

Shake the Lake may be over, but there are several fireworks events to be enjoyed this week. The Wisconsin State Journal has a solid list of them here.

But if you're looking for fun that lasts all day, or even all week long, look no further than the Stoughton Fair. The annual fair kicks off Wednesday morning at the Stoughton Fairgrounds (Mandt Park). This five day event celebrates agriculture, community and old-fashioned neighborly fun. At 9 a.m., you can watch the beef show. Then, starting at noon, there are carnival rides for all ages.  Rides are purchased by ticket, or a wristband may be purchased for a full-day's use. Buy your wristband by Tuesday night, and receive discounted rates. Live music continues throughout the afternoon, with Josh

After being cooped up inside with all of the rain, this weekend is shaping up to be a great time to go outdoors and celebrate the start of summer. In Dane County, two free events will offer lots of family fun, music, and even fireworks: Festival Foods' Shake the Lake and Oregon's Summer Fest.

Summer Fest

When: June 21-24
Fireworks: Around 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kiser Firemen's Park, 245 Brook St., Oregon
Info: www.oregonwisummerfest.com
Activities: Carnival rides and games, food vendors, and softball, volleyball, and cornhole tournaments; nightly live music featuring Cherry Pie on Friday and Angels & Outlaws on Saturday; Saturday arts and crafts market, run/walk, pork dinner, and fireworks; Sunday car show, parade, bbq rib or chicken dinner with

Make sure your ears are tuned to the many restaurants, parks and even front porches playing music on Thursday! The 6th Annual Make Music Madison includes more than 300 live music events across the city. What better way to enjoy the longest day of the year?

The event is part of the larger International Summer Solstice Music Celebration, which began in France in 1982, and now stretches to more than 800 cities and 120 countries around the world. The goal of this celebration is to expose as many people as possible to live performances, encourage enjoyment of the day and to do it at no charge. Anyone who wants to play music is invited to perform. In Madison, this means there will be music in front yards, in area parks, and in the many restaurants that

Wallethub ranks Madison as #6 on its list of healthiest cities. It takes into consideration the variety of fitness activities available, the cost to get and stay fit, and the resources found in town. With this in mind, it seems appropriate that Madison will again host the Ironman Wisconsin competition this weekend. Athletes from around the country ranked Madison as the best for both the host city experience and the overall run in 2017. The Ironman Race organization calls Madison endearing, for its Midwestern hospitality, experienced, for Madison's big-city skills for hosting events, and energetic, for the rambunctious crowds and after-race party the city provides. This year, Madison will be up to the challenge, and provide another beautiful, green

Some neighborhoods are just perfectly suited for outdoor fun.  The Marquette/Willy Street area recognizes the benefits of their neighborhood and, each year, invites the greater Madison community to enjoy it, too. This weekend they celebrate their waterfront location with the Marquette Waterfront Festival. The festival highlights the neighborhood's easy access to the shores of Lake Monona and the Yahara River. Expect to enjoy the water, but to spend lots of time on land, jamming to the wide variety of live music scheduled both days.

The celebration begins with the Dandelion Dash, a 100 yard dash for kids. The dash begins at 9:30, and there will be two races, to ensure that kids race with their age group. Then at noon, bands will begin performing on two

It's been 50 years since Mount Horeb hosted its first Summer Frolic. And, even after all this time, some of the original volunteers are returning to make this year's event another big success.

"It is truly a special event that takes a village to put on, and each year it amazes me how dedicated our community is to coming together to handle all the details needed to make it happen," says Amy Mertz, a member of the Frolic Committee.

The annual Summer Frolic kicks off Thursday night at Grundahl Park. The event raises money for a variety of local charities, and it's designed to provide a fun, family atmosphere to connect with neighbors and friends. 

To start the weekend, check out the carnival rides, a beer tent, and refreshment stands, all which open

Summer vacation is still a week away for many kids, but they can start having fun with family-friendly festivals this weekend. There will be local bike rides, jazz music, carnivals, and even classic cars and cows to see near Capitol Square in early June. Our team will be at the Parks & Trails Unite Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, so be sure to stop by next to the “Science is Fun” booth.

Festa Italia
When: June 1-3 (4:30-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday)
Where: McKee Farms Park, 2930 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg
Admission: $3 per day (kids under 12 are free)
Activities: Pasta dinner and spaghetti-eating contests, bocce tournament, Italian dancers and musicians, raffle, face painting, balloon sculptures, magic

The weekend weather forecast looks promising, and no one could be happier than the people behind Brat Fest. Brat Fest kicks off Friday at the Alliant Energy Center, and will continue through Memorial Day. The event is a Madison tradition, dating back to 1983, when brats were cooked and served in the grocery store parking lot at Hilldale Mall. The event has grown to become a huge festival, with four music stages, carnival rides, thousands of brats, and close to 1.75 million dollars raised for charity.

This year, organizers hope to beat their all time record for brats served. That record was made in 2010, with 209,376 brats eaten, and near perfect weather conditions. After a few years with rainy weather, 2018 looks promising.  The brat stations are

As we inch closer to summer, outdoor festivals are starting to pop up on our radar again. These annual family-friendly events offer great opportunities to try new things and explore surrounding Dane County communities. Two cities south of Madison are gearing up for a weekend full of music, food, and fun from May 18-20: Stoughton and Fitchburg.

Syttende Mai Norwegian Heritage Festival

When: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Downtown Stoughton
Info: www.stoughtonfestivals.com

Even if you can't claim any Norwegian ancestry, Stoughton will have you embracing potato lefse, rosemaling painting, and Hardanger fiddle in no time. These are just a few traditions of this city's festival, which celebrates Norway's May 17th