The annual Taste of Madison Food Festival was a success this past Labor Day weekend at the Madison State Capitol Square. With over 80 local vendors, two stages, 10 different music artists and other streets full of vendors, citizens experienced all of the unique flavors Madison has to offer.
The annual festival has been put on by Madison Festivals Inc. since 1983. Madison Festivals Inc. owns and runs The Taste of Madison along with the Madison Marathon. The festival is paid for through beverage sales and sponsors along with the work of several volunteers, and they also serve as a nonprofit organization that aims to raise money to give back to the Dane County community.
The affordable price point allowed Madison foodies to try all of the different Madison restaurants in the same place without running all over the city. With a free entrance fee and items priced from $1 to $6, it was an affordable option to taste all different kinds of Madison food.
The purpose of the event is to “bring together people, businesses and charities through world-class events that positively impact the community,” according to the Taste of Madison website.”
Additionally, the festival works hard every year to give back to the community, with over $2 million in food sales going back directly to restaurants and businesses.
With many unique food vendors, everyone was busy at the two-day-long festival. Lines for vendors would round the square, and popular vendors sold out of their yummy items early into the night.
But food wasn’t the limit for entertainment. People took over the lush greenery around the capital with blankets and chairs as they listened to their favorite artists with full bellies. Country and rock headliners Chayce Beckham and Matt Stell performed on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The festival included other activities such as “Playtopia” for families with children and a recharge zone for those who needed to take a break.
While the festival brought the Madison food community together, there was still competition between the food vendors. The 2024 Best of the Taste of Madison contest highlighted vendors in eight different categories including: Appetizer, American, Asian, Dessert, Latin American, Mediterranean/Caribbean/Jamaican, Southern/Southwestern and Vegetarian/Vegan. All these unique categories brought more business to the winners of the contest. They all showcased the different types of cuisine at the festival.
Although the Taste of Madison is over for 2024, the very popular Dane County Farmers’ Market will continue every Saturday until Nov. 9 as a way to provide the Madison community local produce.
And coming up on Sep. 12 and Oct. 17 from 5 to 9 p.m., the Madison Night Market is another way the city of Madison continues to promote the practice of supporting local restaurants and businesses of different cultures and bring people together with food through distinctive events year-round.
