Life In Madison

Life in Madison: neighborhoods, opportunities and events in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area

Found 190 blog entries about Life In Madison.

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.

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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

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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,

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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They're known for their Swiss roots, and Spotted Cow beer. And this weekend, New Glarus will be celebrating both at the annual Oktoberfest. The community is located just 30 minutes southwest of Madison, and is a must see for anyone looking for a unique variety of shops, restaurants and festivals. 

Oktoberfest events kick off Friday night with live music by Pink Houses and the ceremonial Tap of the Wooden Keg at 9 p.m. At that time, award winning beer Staghorn Octoberfest, created by New Glarus Brewing Co., will be available at the Oktoberfest tent. Admission to the tent is free, and commemorative Oktoberfest Bier Steins will be available for purchase.

The next morning, the day starts with the Glenda K. Scott 5K/10K run  or 2 mile walk through New

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Maybe it's the long winters that make Madison a huge city for summer swimming. Or perhaps it's the many lakes that create a love for all things water. But for years, the city has made it onto Speedo's top 10 list for swim cities. This year, Madison is ranked number 6 on Speedo's list. Speedo includes Madison because it has at least 24 pools available for water recreation- that's more than double the number found in other similar size places. In addition, the city boasts one of the largest outdoor swim meets in the nation: All City Swim and Dive. Thirteen area pools participate in this meet, while providing a sense of community, family recreation and competition for budding swimmers.

All City Swim and Dive takes place again this year, July 27-August 1.

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