There’s a lot to love about Madison. We’re the Midwest’s less-and-less kept secret, a rapidly growing tech hub with appetites as diverse as cheese curds and James Beard-award-winning charcuterie. Every day, you’ll hear from the team highlighting what makes this beautiful, complex city we call home just a little bit better (curds included).
Molly Stentz
Lead Producer
@mollystentz
A Madison hidden gem:
Warner Park. This is a 200+ acre park on the city’s north side. I’m constantly running in to people who aren’t sure where this park is, unless they’re Madison Mallards fans. It has one of the city’s best dog parks, lake access, a beach, natural walking paths, a great snow sledding hill, a reservable shelter for picnics, a community rec center that holds events and has a gym.
Something we do better in Madison than anywhere else:
This is a toss up between curb-surfing and music festivals. “Hippie Christmas” comes every August, when the majority of apartment leases turn over and you can find just about anything on the curb. I found a kayak last week. It also feels like there’s an outdoor festival somewhere in the city almost every weekend in the summer.
Someone from Madison you should know about:
Lilada Gee. She is a powerhouse artist and advocate.
Bianca Martin
Podcast Host
@wBiancaMartin
Something Madison does best:
Farmers’ Markets. If you’re skeptical, check out the Dane County Farmers Market on the capitol square on any Saturday AM between mid-April to mid-November. Then we’ll talk.
Someone from Madison you should know about:
Mixed media artist PEELD (Terrence Adeyanju) because their art is some of the most inspired, rad visual works I’ve seen. Period.
Best movie about Madison:
It’s not filmed in Madison per se, but it’s a Wisconsin cult-classic. American Movie, a Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee production, will make you laugh, cry, cry from laughing. It’s a glorious documentary, that at times feels like a mockumentary, about a determined, aspiring filmmaker.
Dylan Brogan
Audio Producer
@telldylan
Where I’d take you to eat in Madison:
Snails at the Tornado Room at 1 am.
Someone from Madison you should know about:
Deputy mayor Katie Crawley — who quietly gets more done for the people of Madison than just about anyone else.
The tourist trap in town that’s actually great:
Dane County Farmers’ Market but get there before 8 am.