Today’s Forecast

35º | Cloudy | 15% chance of sleet | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 4:39 p.m.

The annual fundraising event started off as a 1979 student prank. | Photo by Kenton Fowler

Did you know that Madison is home to the world’s largest Brat Fest?

Nah, just kidding. If you know us, you know we’re here for the deep cuts — and there’s plenty of interesting factoids to go around. As connoisseurs of the quirky and unconventional, we put together a list of 608’s history, oddest characteristics, and more. Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life and know some of this, or maybe you’ll learn something new.

Either way, test your local knowledge with these 15 interesting facts.

1. Our official city bird — the plastic pink flamingo — is an homage to an infamous UW-Madison student prank.

2. Made entirely of granite, the state capitol’s dome is the largest in the US.

3. There is a “Madison curse” on movies filmed in the 608. Big-budget projects filmed here often fall short of success. Think: “Public Enemies,” “I Love Trouble” and “The Last Kiss”.

4. At 3618 E. Washington Ave., you’ll find the Elvis Presley Fight Site monument. Legend has it, Elvis was on his way to a local hotel when he had his limo driver pull over so he could stop a fight via his karate skills.

5. Madison is one of only two major US cities on an isthmus, Seattle being the other. Hey SEAtoday.

6. The popular satirical media company, The Onion, was founded in 1988 by UW-Madison students Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson.

7. Bucky Badger’s full name is Buckingham U. Badger. The Mascot Hall of Famer’s birthday is October 2, 1940.

8. You’re never more than a 10-minute walk from one of the 270 parks and beaches within city limits.

9. Since 1951, UW-Madison has made its own ice cream on campus at Babcock Hall Dairy Store. Fun fact: City Editor Ally worked here through college.

6 more facts

Events

Friday, May 26

Annual Spring Break-A-Way 3on3 Basketball Tournament | Friday, May 26 | 5-8 p.m. | Warner Park Community Recreation Center, 1625 Northport Dr., Madison | Free | Local teens are invited to drop by to compete and to enjoying a free meal.
The Bodega | Friday, May 26, Friday, Jun. 30, Friday, Jul. 21 | 5-9 p.m. | Breese Stevens Field, 917 E. Mifflin St., Madison | Free | Shop a phenomenal lineup of local vendors offering anything from unique maple syrup to handmade jewelry, unique antiques, fresh micro-greens, one-of-a-kind artwork, and everything in between.*

Saturday, May 27

Pi-Mile 2023 | Saturday, May 27 | 10-11 a.m. | Warner Park, 2920 N. Sherman Ave., Madison | Free | Run or walk 3.14 miles in support of East High School math students.
Ecological Restoration Work Party | Saturday, May 27 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, 1207 Seminole Hwy., Madison | Free | Volunteer for restoration activities and learn about prairies and savannas.

Sunday, May 28

Coffee with Neighbors: Thurber Open House | Sunday, May 28 | 9-11:30 a.m. | Thurber Park, 3325 Thurber Ave., Madison | Free | Stop by to chat with artist-in-residence Ash Armenta, and sip coffee with neighbors.
SIN on Sunday | Sunday, May 28 | 10 p.m. | The Rigby, 119 E. Main St., Madison | Free | Local service industry workers are invited to jam out with DJ EMC.

Monday, May 29

VFW Memorial Day Concert/Ceremony | Monday, May 29 | 9:15-11 a.m. | Forest Hill Cemetery, 1 Speedway Rd., Madison | Free | Bring a lawn chair and some friends to support the VFW Post 1318 Band.
Children’s African Story Hour | Monday, May 29 | 2-5 p.m. | Goodman South Madison Library, 2222 S. Park St., Madison | Free | Learn about award-winning children’s literature that celebrates the diversity of art, culture, food, and language across the African continent while sampling African cuisine and engaging in hands-on activities.

Events calendar here

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Wellness

👀 Trivia time: Dirty Dozen or Clean Fifteen?

Athletic-Greens-Fruits-Vegetables-Dirty-Dozen-Clean-Fifteen.gif

Can you guess what’s “clean” vs. “dirty?” | Photos via Athletic Greens and public use

Spring + summer = fresh produce seasons — so you need to know which fruits and veggies are pesticide heavy (vs. more on the clean side).

Kale: Dirty Dozen or Clean Fifteen? Find out.
Papaya: Dirty Dozen or Clean Fifteen? Find out.
Tomatoes: Dirty Dozen or Clean Fifteen? Find out.

Know exactly what you’re putting into your body by incorporating AG1 into your diet (bonus: there’s a special offer available now).*

Get the full Dirty Dozen vs. Clean Fifteen list

News Notes

Civic

The City of Madison Streets Division will not collect recycling, trash, brush, or large items on Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. The Streets Division will resume collection at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30.

Traffic

Half of the intersection at Regent Street and Park Street will be closed on Tuesday, May 30 at 6 a.m. while the city’s Traffic Engineering Dept. installs a sanitary sewer. The closures are expected to last until Saturday, June 3. See what lanes will be affected by the closures. (Channel 3000)

Environment

Blue-green algae blooms were spotted in local waterways, prompting various beach closures. Coming in contact with the cyanobacteria-filled algae may cause respiratory irritation, hay fever-like symptoms, and rashes. Here’s where you can find beach updates. (NBC 15)

Community

The annual Bus Lines poetry program is in full swing, which means the Madison Poet Laureate wants you to submit a short poem for the chance to have it featured on a Madison bus. See the contest rules and more details + submit your poem by Friday, June 9 at 12 p.m.

Plan Ahead

Enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere at the We’re Here Festival on Saturday, June 3 from 12-4 p.m. at Northgate Shopping Center. The free event will include a live DJ, free food, a 360-degree photo booth, and face painting. Bonus: The first 50 people get $10 to shop at participating stores.

Try This

If you’re looking for adventure, or whatever comes your way, might we recommend making the trip to Milwaukee to check out the Harley-Davidson Museum? From slinging your leg over some bikes to exploring the 20-acre campus, you can discover if you were born to be (HOG) wild like we did.*

Finance

$200 welcome bonus — check. Unlimited cash back — check. 0% interest into 2024 — check. This card checks all our boxes.*

Outdoors

👀 Watch for the northern lights

The northern lights make an appearance over some trees.

Northern lights are created when electric particles enter Earth’s atmosphere at a high speed. | Photo via Unsplash

The northern lights (aka the aurora borealis) may make its second appearance of the year in Madison soon.

Although the phenomenon is notoriously hard to predict, the sun has recently been emitting solar flares that could result in a geomagnetic storm that expands the reach of the aurora.

The best way to track the aurora? NOAA has an experimental aurora dashboard that includes the likelihood of seeing the lights tonight or the following night as well as a 30-minute forecast tracker that will let you know of the location and intensity of the northern lights.

Looking for more celestial events happening this year? Check out our 2023 celestial calendar and start planning your summer stargazing expeditions.

Shoutout

Your voice is valuable, and so are the special moments in your life. | Graphic by 6AM City

Shoutouts allow us to celebrate job promotions, anniversaries, and exciting experiences right here in Madison.

Become a 608today member today to reserve your shoutout and celebrate with tens of thousands of locals.

Become a member, get benefits

The Wrap

Emily Shea wearing a black shirt next to houseplants

Today’s edition by:
Emily

From the editor

It’s on my bucket list to see the aurora borealis. Have you ever seen it? Share your story with me — bonus points if you include pictures.

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