When is the best time to visit Madison? If you ask us, there’s really no wrong time. But we understand picking one of the 52 weekends to plan your trip can feel like a large task. Fortunately, we have some inspiration to help you choose.

These 10 event weekends include some of the city’s most sought-after fairs, festivals and celebrations covering interests from food to music to golf and even literature. While they’re not the only events to look out for in Madison in 2026, they’re a great starting point for choosing your own adventure in the capital city.

For a full list of upcoming events in Madison, visit our events calendar.

Jump around to learn more about these top events in Madison:

Frozen Festivals Weekend

Winter Carnival and Frozen Assets, Feb. 5–8

In Madison, we take our winter festivals on ice. Mark your calendars for Feb. 5 when we kick off frozen fests season. What’s a frozen fest? Think 5Ks run on ice, kites flying over a frozen lake, family activities, great music and all the ways to beat the winter blues. See the shoreline of Lake Mendota come to life like you’ve never seen it before.

Event details

Winter Carnival

  • Date: Friday, Feb. 5 – Sunday, Feb. 8
  • Time: 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday
  • Location: Memorial Union
  • Cost: Free

Frozen Assets

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 7 and Sunday, Feb. 8
  • Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday
  • Location: The Edgewater
  • Cost: Free

Kickoff to summer weekend

Brat Fest and Vegan Sausage Fest, May 23–25

Summer in Madison starts with a bang. Or should we say it starts with bangers? The World’s Largest Brat Fest, held annually on Memorial Day weekend, has long been considered the kickoff to summer in the capital city. People come from all over to experience three days of music and eating one of Wisconsin’s most beloved culinary delicacies. But what makes this weekend even more Madison? Across town, another festival expands access to this time-honored tradition. Vegan Sausage Fest celebrates Madison’s plant-based food scene with dozens of vegan-friendly eateries from across the Midwest and even more live music.  

Event details

World’s Largest Brat Fest

Vegan Sausage Fest

A weekend with Frank Lloyd Wright

The Unitarian Meeting House’s 75th Anniversary Gala Weekend, June 5–7

One of Madison’s most architecturally significant landmarks has reached a massive milestone, and we’re inviting you to celebrate. This year marks 75 years of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unitarian Meeting House, a space of worship designed and attended by the renowned architect himself. Visit during gala weekend and experience exclusive access to Wright history through special lectures, tours and more.  Gala weekend will be held on Wright’s birthday weekend, making it a great time to plan a full Wright-inspired getaway.

Event details

  • Date: Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7
  • Time: See the full schedule online.
  • Location: Unitarian Meeting House, Taliesin and other locations
  • Cost: Cost varies by event. Free tours of the Meeting House will be offered throughout the weekend.

American Family Insurance Championship 10th anniversary

American Family Insurance Championship, June 5–7

See your favorite PGA Tour Champions in action while supporting great causes. The American Family Insurance Championship returns to TPC Wisconsin for its 10th year. Watch pros like former tournament winners Steve Stricker take to the links, then stick around for an all-star music lineup on the mainstage. The tournament has raised more than $2 million for local charities since its inception in 2016. 

Event details

  • Date: Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7
  • Time: Find updated information on the tournament’s website.
  • Location: TPC Wisconsin
  • Cost: Ticket prices vary on date and event. General admission, senior tickets, youth tickets, first responder tickets, military and veteran tickets and elevated hospitality packages are available.

The ultimate creative getaway

Art Fair on the Square and La Fete de Marquette, July 9–12

Imagination reaches new heights one special weekend each summer in Madison when two mega art festivals bring color and groove to the capital city. Art Fair on the Square, one of the largest art festivals in the Midwest, invites more than 500 visual artists from around the world right to Capitol Square. Just down the road on the same weekend is La Fete de Marquette, one of the city’s largest music festivals celebrating music and performance art from dozens of cultures. This year’s festival marks 20 years of Fete in Madison and is sure to be an event to remember. These free festivals are within walking distance from one another with several hotels in between, meaning you don’t have to miss the magic from either celebration. 

Event details

Art Fair on the Square

  • Date: Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12
  • Time: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday
  • Location: Capitol Square
  • Cost: Free

La Fete de Marquette

  • Date: Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12
  • Time: See the full schedule online once announced.
  • Location: McPike Park
  • Cost: Free

Madison’s Pride Celebration

OutReach Magic Pride Festival, August TBA

Do you find yourself wishing you could capture the LGBTQ+ Pride Month vibes after the glitz and the glam of June is over? We have good news for you. Madison’s official Pride celebration, OutReach Magic Pride Festival, happens annually in August. That means you can feel the love and creativity captured at your favorite Pride events one more time in 2026 (and get another use of that shake-n-go wig you just bought). 

Event details

  • Date: August, 2026 date to be announced
  • Time: See the full schedule online once announced.
  • Location: Warner Park
  • Cost: Free

End of summer and welcome back students weekend

Tase of Madison and Badger gameday, Sept. 5–7

The end of summer in Madison means welcoming students and their friends and families back to the capital city with a massive food festival, live music and BADGERS. Taste of Madison returns to Capitol Square with dozens of local eateries selling food samples for the benefit of local nonprofits. Also this weekend, Badger Football will be back and taking on Notre Dame at Lambeau Field for the Shamrock Series. Watch the game with your fellow Badger fans in Madison at a local watch party and don’t forget to snap a picture with your crew at Camp Randall, which celebrates its 165th birthday in 2026! Stay tuned for the 2026 Badger Volleyball schedule release for even more Badger gameday action.

This is a great weekend to invite friends and family, whether you’re a student or a full-time resident, to see Madison when it's buzzing with great end-of-summer energy. 

Event details

Taste of Madison

  • Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6
  • Time: 2 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday
  • Location: Capitol Square
  • Cost: Free, food samples available for purchase

Badger Football

  • Date: Sunday, Sept. 7
  • Time: TBA
  • Location: Watch at Union South, Memorial Union or various bars and restaurants in the greater Madison area

Badger Volleyball

  • Schedule TBA

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A weekend of food and music with True North

True North Festival, September 26

It’s so hard to eat all the best food a city has to offer in one weekend. In a city with the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the country and more than 40 James Beard honors, you could spend weeks exploring culinary masterpieces in Madison. The True North Food and Music Festival makes it easier to taste some of the best bites in the city during one trip. Join local eateries and bands in Warner Park for the second annual celebration of food, tunes and fun. 

Event details

  • Date: Saturday, September 26
  • Time: TBA
  • Location: Warner Park
  • Cost: 2026 ticket details TBA

Wisconsin Book Festival readaway

Wisconsin Book Festival Annual Fall Celebration, October 15–18

This is the year that BookTok jumps from the screen to IRL getaways with a trend VRBO is calling Readaways. Trust us when we say Madison was built for this trend. The city’s connection to academic powerhouse UW–Madison combined with our eclectic creative culture has cultivated a literary community that is rich and diverse. Wisconsin Book Festival brings in acclaimed authors from around the world to host discussions, readings, panels and other events book lovers will swoon over.  

While the Annual Fall Celebration is the core event, the Wisconsin Book Festival also hosts free, public events year-round.

Event details

  • Date: Thursday, October 15 to Sunday, October 18
  • Time: Varies depending on event
  • Location: Various locations in Madison
  • Cost: Free

Celebrate the holidays at Christkindlmarkets

New Glarus Christkindli Market and Christkindlmarket at Seven Acre Dairy Co., December various dates

Be immersed in holiday magic and European traditions in not one, but two, Christkindlmarkets in the Greater Madison Area. Local makers, artisans and boutique shops will set up their wares in traditional market huts surrounded by holiday lights, music and the scent of delicious treats. You are sure to feel transported as you walk through these markets with cocoa in hand and joy in your heart.  

Event details

New Glarus Christkindli Market

  • Date: December, TBA
  • Time: 2026 schedule TBA
  • Location: Downtown New Glarus
  • Cost: Free

Christkindlmarket at Seven Acre Dairy Co.

  • Date: Friday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 6
  • Time: 2026 schedule TBA
  • Cost: 2026 ticket information TBA