With over 80 local restaurants and caterers serving some 300 menu items for $1-4, there’s something to please every palate! Vote for your favorite restaurant here!
Three stages are positioned around Madison’s famed Capitol Square. It’s two days full of live music absolutely FREE!
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Dane County is the official charity of Taste of Madison. Over 800 volunteers manage the beverage stands to help raise funds for this outstanding organization.
TASTE IS A RAIN-OR-SHINE EVENT – Severe weather like high winds, hail, lightning or tornado would force us to postpone entertainment and temporarily stop serving food and beverages, but the event doesn’t stop one bit for light rain.
Held each year over Labor Day weekend, Taste of Madison showcases more than 80 local restaurants, 20 beverage stands and 3 entertainment stages. The participating restaurants sell a vast variety of unique and traditional dishes to the estimated 250,000 attendees over the two-day period. (And) Every food item is reasonably priced from $1 to $4. Admission to the event – which includes hours and hours of live entertainment – is free and open to the public.
Taste of Madison is the flagship event of Madison Festivals, Inc. and benefits United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Dane County. Madison Festivals is a non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer-based organization that produces and develops events to enhance the quality of life for residents, showcases the area to visitors and provides assistance to local charitable organizations.
Please abide by the “NO CARRY-IN” policy. All tips at beverage stands go directly to UCP of Dane County. Madison Festivals grants over $56,000 to charities that supply the 2011 Taste of Madison volunteers. Income derived from beverage sales and restaurant vendor fees offset expenses for entertainment, government services including police and paramedics, power, permits, volunteers and cleanup in order to provide this event and the free entertainment.
NO PETS! City of Madison Ordinance 23.315 prohibits animals from the Taste of Madison. This carries a $100 fine plus court costs. State of Wisconsin bans animals under state law on the Capitol Square. Street performers, musicians, artists, mascots, vendors, political and nonprofit groups are not permitted on the Capitol Square or surrounding 100 blocks during the Taste of Madison unless contracted with Madison Festivals, Inc. per City of Madison Resolution #21840.
