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City Cast Madison

Madison is a city that loves art. From big names like the 

 to the corner coffee shops, there’s art all around us on the isthmus.

This year, there’s a new arts celebration in town. The first annual 

The event is put on by Emerson Eken Arts, a neighborhood arts association whose mission is to support the local arts community. Planning for the event started last year when organizers were looking for a way to better connect artists with their neighbors.

More than 50 artists will showcase their work at dozens of locations throughout the east side neighborhoods.

Most of the artists are local to the area and will display their work in homes and driveways. Several area businesses are also playing the role of galleries for the day, including Eli’s Art Supplies, The Bubbling Teapot, Dexter’s Pub, Megan’s Custom Framing, and more.

Attendees can expect to see all kinds of art — from pottery and sculptures to photo prints and paintings, homemade cards, stained glass, and much more.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Here’s a 

Madison’s Newest Art Walk is Here

Neighborhood Guides

The air is crisp, trees are changing colors, and pumpkin spice lattes are on the menu — it’s officially fall on Saturday. And while there are plenty of things to enjoy about this time of year, the season also brings an unwelcome guest to our lakes and streams: phosphorus.

According to the city, fall accounts for 

As rain soaks the leaves that have drifted from their branches onto yards, sidewalks, and streets, it dissolves the phosphorus in them and carries it into our waterways. You can think of the leaves as tea bags brewing phosphorus as it steeps.

Too much phosphorus can lead to murky waters, toxic algae growth, and depletion of oxygen in water, which results in the death of aquatic animals.

To combat the problem, the city cleans leaves from the streets before storms and offers yard waste collection in the fall. Clearing streets of leaves can reduce harmful phosphorus concentrations in stormwater by 

, according to a joint study from the City of Madison and U.S. Geological Survey. And 

Rake leaves from the street before it rains. Dane County residents can 

 that will remind you when rain is on the way and it’s time to take action.

. Using a mulching lawn mower to grind up leaves that fall on your lawn will return nutrients to the soil, providing a source of organic fertilizer to your lawn. It’s a win-win!

. Yard waste includes items like leaves, weeds, grass and garden trimmings, pumpkins, and pine cones. It’s different from brush, which is typically woody material cut from a tree. The city prefers you use compostable leaf bags to collect yard waste.

Yard waste pickup dates are now available for 2023. You can find yours by 

How Leaf-Free Streets Lead to Cleaner Lakes

Urban Almanac

Madison is full of great biking opportunities. Whether you want to unwind with a short spin, take a long bike trip with friends, or make it an overnight adventure, here are the best bike trips around Madison.

If you have limited time or are just getting comfortable with riding a bike around the city, here are some great options.

Downtown Loop along State Street and around the Capitol: It’s two miles long and great for people watching.

: This three-mile ride is best paired with a picnic in the middle.

 through the UW Arboretum: A beautiful six-mile trip through some of the city’s flora.

If you’ve got an hour or two, these are the rides we recommend.

: One of the most iconic rides in Madison, featuring gorgeous prairies and lots of wildflowers. It clocks in at around 12 miles.

: Lake Farm Park to Seminole Hwy, through the Arboretum and back to Lake Farm via Wingra and Cap City paths. This one’s around 16 miles.

 connects several trails, making it a great rendezvous for a ride out of the city.

 south to Paoli and back: Make a day out of it with this 17-mile loop. Paoli’s home to the new 

 and back: Pack a tent and stay overnight. This ride is about 46 miles round-trip.

 and back: At 10 miles, this one’s for less riding and more camping.

Ready to hop on the saddle? Listen to our conversation with Madison Bikes board member Grant Foster for 

more trips and recommendations on how to prepare

More of Madison’s Best Bike Trips 🚲

Madison's Best Bike Trips

Madison's Best

Nothing pairs better with a beer at a Madison bar than pull-tabs, the small cardboard game pieces ubiquitous across the state. We asked freelance author and journalist Tea Krulos to help us uncover the bizarre backstory of this unofficial — 

Feed a dollar into a machine and out comes a Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcap — that’s the full government name. Pull on the tabs to reveal a collection of slot-machine-like icons that could win you up to $250. Krulos says the most he’s won is $2.

“The story is really convoluted and strange, and kind of a rabbit hole,” says Krulos, who recently wrote about pull-tabs for Milwaukee Magazine and says he’s still unsure if he fully understands it.

The game was invented in 1955 by Walter Bohrer, who was in the business of providing bars with coin-operated machines like jukeboxes and pinball — it was his “retirement hobby business.”

The sale of gambling devices is illegal in Wisconsin, so how are pull-tabs allowed? 

, a gambling piece is legal if it is attached to an item of value in addition to a potential prize — like the fries you got with McDonald’s Monopoly game. Walter Bohrer remembered that when he was a child, delivered milk bottles had a tab underneath the cap that you could pull and potentially win a free dairy product. This gave him an idea.

Fellow 90s kids will remember Pogs, decorated 

circular cardboard pieces that you could collect

  — and collect, I did. Enter the Wisconsin Souvenir Milkcap, a collectible item that just so happens to come with the opportunity to win some money.

This might be my favorite instance of utilizing nostalgia to exploit a loophole.

You can click (not pull) the button below to hear more about pull-tabs.

Why Madison Bars Have Pull-tab Machines

WTF are Pull-Tabs?

Madison, Explained

This weekend is the 46th iteration of one of Madison’s longest running neighborhood festivals: 

The annual event runs Sept. 16 and 17 on the 800, 900, and 1000 blocks of Willy Street. This year’s festival will feature 

 across five stages and even more local vendors selling their wares. Proceeds from the festival go back into the community by benefiting the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center and Common Wealth Development.

Saturday, Sept. 16 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

800, 900, and 1000 blocks of Willy Street

The fair is free to attend! But of course, food, drinks, and other goodies will come with a price tag. 

If you need an ATM, you can easily find one at Heartland Credit Union at the intersection of Willy and S. Brearly Street. Additionally, many surrounding bars — like I/O Arcade and The Wisco — also have ATMs.

The event is wheelchair accessible. When it comes to parking, stick to the side streets or one of the nearby garages. Just be sure not to park in front of a bus stop or anyone’s driveway!

Nope. Leave your furry friends at home for this one.

The iconic Willy Street Fair parade kicks off at 11 a.m. Sunday.

You can buy tickets at the Common Wealth Development booth during the fair. The drawing will be at 5:00 p.m. Sunday.

There’s a Party on Willy Street This Weekend and You’re Invited

There’s a team at the Madison Parks Department whose sole job is to eat and its members spend long hours on assignment in many Madison parks throughout the summer. But what’s most unique about these park staffers is that 

The city uses goats to clear out brush and invasive species from the city’s parks. And they’re pretty good at it.

Goats are a useful and more sustainable option for this situation because they can 

. Additionally, by making a first pass through a park, goats help cut down the amount of time that their human coworkers need to be out in the field (literally) with heavy equipment. And not to mention, they like to get paid in grass.

The goats munch on plants such as buckthorn, honeysuckle, box elder, mulberry, and will even devour poisonous or toxic plants like poison ivy (but don’t worry, it’s not harmful to them!).

On top of eating unwanted plants, goat pellets naturally fertilize soil and promote growth of native grasses. A win-win scenario since no one has to clean up after them.

The goats get dropped off inside areas of Madison parks that have been set up with electric fences, which keeps them in place for the most part. But every now and then, a

 with daily goat checks to ensure the goats and their area are in good condition, especially after storms.

The Goats in Your Backyard

Madison is home to many Mexican restaurants, grocery stores, and food trucks. But when it comes to burritos, a few spots stand out from the pack. Here are your picks for Madison’s best burritos.

El Rancho proved to be Madison’s fan-favorite spot for burritos. With two locations offering authentic Mexican cuisine, there’s something for just about everyone on the menu.

Habanero’s first opened in 2007 with an emphasis on local and organic produce. The restaurant’s menu takes the Qdoba and Chipotle approach, meaning customers can customize their burritos (or bowls, or salads, etc.) to their heart’s content.

Tapatios Cocina Mexicana in Fitchburg is the brick-and-mortar iteration of the local food cart Cali Fresh. Bonus: you can get containers of their homemade salsa to go.

For those looking to spice things up, here are some less traditional options for burrito goodness. 

 has stellar Salvadoran food (and coffee); If you need more than just one meal, head to 

; And if you’re looking for a breakfast burrito, check out 

Madison’s Best Burritos

Every city has its own set of unwritten rules and insider information that can only be learned through time, trial, and error.

But thankfully, you don’t have to search far and wide or wait years to learn Madison’s secrets because you have us.

tips and tricks for living on the isthmus

 we’ve put together after (many) years spent in this crazy and special place we call home.

 but beer can be sold up until midnight. With that said, counties and municipalities can implement their own laws and restrictions on alcohol sales. In Madison, 

But if you find yourself in need of a six-pack and it’s after 9 p.m., 

 on Sherman Ave. The liquor store is technically part of the Village of Maple Bluff, which doesn’t have any ordinances restricting alcohol sale times beyond Wisconsin state law. This means you can get beer there until the store closes at midnight. You’ll pay a little extra though!

If you’re planning a big getaway, odds are, you’ll be flying out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Rather than taking a flight over the state border, City Cast Madison Producer Dylan Brogan recommends taking the bus.

, which can save you money and lighten your carbon footprint.

When buying concert tickets to shows at The Sylvee, High Noon Saloon, Majestic Theatre, or Orpheum Theater you can avoid the added online service fees by buying directly from the in-person box office. The one drawback is that 

Listener Dan F. also noted for concerts and other events at The Sylvee, parking is free and open to the public after 6 p.m. in the Madison Gas & Electric lot.

If you’re looking for peace and quiet at the grocery store, the best time to go is during sporting events. Whether the Badgers are playing at Camp Randall or the Packers have a game in Green Bay, you can expect empty aisles and short checkout lines.

City Cast Madison podcast host Bianca Martin also recommends taking advantage of Woodman’s 24-hour schedule. Who says you can’t make a grocery run at 10 p.m.?

 on things we wish someone told us about living in Madison.

More hacks here 🎧 

✨ How to Live Your Best Madison Life

Madison Life Hacks

When you say “Madison,” are you talking about the 

There are in fact two Madisons in Dane County — but there won’t be for much longer.

Soon, the town will be formally "attached" to the city. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced she 

would allocate more than $1 million of the city’s 2022 operating budget

 to ensure a smooth transition. But the question lingers — what the hell is the difference between the Town of Madison and the City of Madison? And how did it get this way?

This story dates back to the early nineteenth century when approximately 36 square miles was organized into the Town of Madison on Feb. 2, 1846. At the time, 

, “the town spanned across six miles north and south between County Trunk Highway K and just south of what is now the West Beltline Highway, and six miles east and west between Sherman Avenue and west of Whitney Way.”

the Wisconsin State Legislature chartered the City of Madison

, absorbing most of the eponymous town but leaving a fraction of unincorporated land to exist as a separate entity — the Town of Madison. Throughout the next century, more and more of the town’s land was annexed or incorporated into the City of Madison, Village of Shorewood Hills, and Village of Maple Bluff.

Town of Madison covers less than four square miles

. It’s not a geographically contiguous place, either: It exists in 

 dotting the south and east sides of the city. It has its share of bragging rights — technically the Alliant Energy Center is in the Town of Madison. It’s also obscure enough that some Town of Madison residents don’t always realize they are not City of Madison residents, including, awkwardly, 

people who’ve tried to run for City of Madison elected offices

. The town operates its own police, fire, and paramedic services, as well as sewer, public works department and municipal court. But by Oct. 31, 2022, it will be gone.

Cities of Madison and Fitchburg signed an agreement with the town

 to gradually absorb its remaining land and services. On Nov. 1, 2020, the City of Madison began providing fire, emergency medical, and building inspection services to the town under the terms of the intergovernmental agreement. Officially, dissolving the town and wrapping up its business is called the “Final Attachment” (a bit ominous, but sure).

When the town is officially dissolved, all current town government employees have been assured a job with either the City of Madison or Fitchburg. In addition to new employees, the City of Madison stands to 

gain 5,000 new residents from the attachment.

 This group of incoming City of Madisonians is much 

 than the city’s current population. According to census data, more than 27% of the town of Madison’s population is Hispanic compared to 7% in the city; And the town’s Black population is 13% compared to 7.3% in Madison.

A public hearing on the attachment process was held Sept. 15 and 

several more informational sessions are planned

 before the Final Attachment occurs and the Town of Madison ceases to exist.

When you say “Madison,” are you talking about the Town of Madison or the City of Madison? Because there’s a difference. 

The Difference Between the Town and the City of Madison

A great first step to staying up to date is to get connected online. The City of Madison and its many departments maintain a number of email lists and social media accounts. From what side of the street to park on during a snow emergency to reminders to vote, the city’s social media accounts will keep you informed.

 during election season for helpful reminders and on point GIFs. The 

 Twitter account will keep you parking on the right side of the street during snow emergencies, and the 

 will let you know where all the construction street closures are.

The full collection of accounts can be found here.

To learn more about your neighborhood, subscribe to updates from your alder. Find out who represents you 

For a weekly overview of what happens in Madison’s local government, check out the 

. This system keeps track of agendas, meeting minutes, and legislation.

 while others meet in person. Virtual meetings can be viewed online or listened to over the phone. Details are posted on the meeting agenda as well as on the 

list of meetings that can be viewed live online.

Meetings that are broadcasted can also be livestreamed on the 

list of meetings that City Channel regularly covers

If you would like to voice your opinion on an issue raised during a city meeting, you can submit written comments or register to speak. Public comments for virtual meetings open when the meeting’s agenda is posted.

The top of meeting agendas will include directions for how to participate, whether that’s for a virtual or hybrid meeting. Written comments will be sent to a specified email address (it’s different for different groups). By registering, you can choose to speak, answer questions, or register in support or opposition to an agenda item without speaking. Meeting participants can 

During City Council meetings, for example, pay close attention at the very beginning when alders will vote on the consent agenda. This is when a number of items are acted on in one fell time-saving swoop rather than separate motions.

, will outline exceptions to the consent agenda, which include items that have registrants wishing to speak and items that alders have separated for discussion purposes, agenda items with recommendations different from the agenda, and items introduced from the floor.

There are plenty of ways to keep tabs on and get involved with local government. 

How to Find Out What’s Going On With Madison’s Local Government

Local Civics

 for babies. But when it comes to supplying breast milk while out and about, new parents may not always have access to the facilities they need to properly care for their babies.

 in any public or private location where the parent and child are otherwise authorized to be. Wisconsin is also one of 31 states that exempts breastfeeding from public indecency laws.

Madison has made strides to support breastfeeding parents

 by providing spaces for breastfeeding in city buildings. The University of Wisconsin-Madison also has 

These spaces are not always clearly marked or advertised. However, Public Health Madison and Dane County has created a detailed map of places to pump across the isthmus.

Below you'll find the location of these lactation spaces and descriptions of what to expect from each space.

Click here to open the map in another window.

This article has been updated to include facts about Wisconsin's breastfeeding laws.

Here's a map of places to pump across the isthmus.

Where to Find Public Lactation Spaces in Madison

Dane County has its own local government that is different from the City of Madison. Dane County is governed by a county executive and a 

 with 37 members representing an individual district in the county. Supervisors elect their peers to serve leadership roles, including chair, two vice-chairs and two sergeants-at-arms.

Supervisor districts are drawn every 10 years following the federal census. For the first time in 2021, Dane County used a 

Dane County-elected leaders oversee the jail, Henry Vilas Zoo, Dane County Regional Airport, Alliant Energy Center, and landfill and lake management, for example.

Similar to Madison’s local government, the full-time executive serves for a four-year term while part-time supervisors serve for two. The county executive currently earns $138,271 per year, which will increase to $142,420 on April 18. Board supervisors currently earn an annual salary of $11,227, which will increase to $11,423.47 on April 18.

Supervisors also earn $30 for attending certain meetings. Supervisors who serve as standing committee (with the exception of Executive Committee) chairs or on the Extension Committee and Land Conservation Committee may receive an additional $100 per month. The chair of the county board earns an annual salary of $53,045 in lieu of additional compensation, which will increase to $53,973.29 on April 18.

. Residents interested in getting involved by serving on a committee 

 includes calendars, agendas and meeting minutes. 

provides directions for how to use the system to access the platform’s functions while 

this one details how to attend hybrid meetings.

For more information on the legislative process, check out this 

Dane County has its own local government that is different from the City of Madison. 

Understanding Dane County Government

When the ice of winter thaws and flowers start to bloom, Madisonians know the best season is just around the corner — farmers' market season.

While most folks are well aware of the Dane County Farmers' Market held on the Capitol Square, there are plenty of markets for those who prefer to stay out of downtown.

Here's a map of some of Madison's many spring and summer markets. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, if you have a market to add, send us an email at 

Here's where you can shop local across the isthmus

Where to Find Madison Farmers' Markets

Madison and its local government can feel like it has its own language, especially if you are new to the city.

This dictionary of key terms, local projects, and phrases like “hairball intersection” will get you familiarized with Madison’s lexicon.

📚Rather than writing a giant alphabetical list, we've separated terms into categories.

 of Madison’s City Council are called alders. These individuals are elected every two years and represent a different district in the city. Find your alder 

: The City Council, also known as the Common Council, is Madison’s elected legislative body. It’s 

 who each represent a different district in the city and serve two-year terms.

: Madison’s mayor is the chief executive officer of the city and serves a four-year term. The mayor supervises and appoints city officers and heads of departments.

Listen To Our Podcast

Madison’s Newest Art Walk is Here

How Leaf-Free Streets Lead to Cleaner Lakes

Madison's Best Bike Trips

WTF are Pull-Tabs?

There’s a Party on Willy Street This Weekend and You’re Invited

The Goats in Your Backyard

Madison’s Best Burritos

✨ How to Live Your Best Madison Life

The Difference Between the Town and the City of Madison

How to Find Out What’s Going On With Madison’s Local Government

More from City Cast Madison

Where to Find Public Lactation Spaces in Madison

Understanding Dane County Government

Where to Find Madison Farmers' Markets

The Ultimate Madison Dictionary

The Groups That Help Form City Policies

Who Calls the Shots in Madison?

🏡 Get to Know Dudgeon-Monroe

Retire Early: A Guide for Average Income Levels

🌱 UW’s Urban Canid Project