05.13.2024

Today’s Forecast

73º | 56% chance of rain | Sunrise 5:35 a.m. | Sunset 8:12 p.m.

🔎 What Madison has to offer

Take advantage of Madison’s community programs

Learn more about what the City of Madison offers residents. | Photo by 608today

Whether you’re looking to volunteer, or want to learn more about the interworkings of some civic departments, here are some City of Madison programs that individuals and organizations can take advantage of.

Adopt a...

Block | For a year, you’ll help the city beautify and maintain Madison blocks through monthly litter cleanups.

Ice rink | Volunteers work to maintain ice rinks by assisting park staff with flooding the rink, snow removal, and general upkeep.

Median | Opt to plant and maintain greenery on a traffic circle or median to give your neighborhood a bit of pizzazz.

Park | Get a group together to help keep our parks clean during a year-long volunteering commitment.

Community education

Two women and some children looking at a fire truck at a fire station garage — Get an up-close look at some Madison Fire apparatuses. | Photo via City of Madison

Fire station tours | Book a tour of a Madison Fire Station for groups of up to 30 people of all ages. Tours include apparatus demos and fire safety info.

Officer attendance | A police officer will come speak to your group about relevant topics of your choosing. Complete the request form at least 10 business days before your event.

Editor’s picks

Madison Senior Center | The senior center is always seeking volunteers. Current openings include class leaders, front desk duty, and computer lab helpers.

Colorful vegetables on a farmers market table — Stock up on farmers’ market produce with the Double Dollars program | Photo by 608today

Double Dollars Program | At participating farmers’ markets, those who use FoodShare can bring their card to the information booth and get matched up to $20/day to spend on fruits and veggies. The 2024 Double Dollars season runs Saturday, June 1-Thursday, Oct. 31.

Edible Landscapes Plantings | Apply to plant edible landscapes on city-owned land. Note: The city only provides the land, not financial support for the plants or maintenance.

Events

Monday, May 13

Motown Monday | Monday, May 13 | 6-9 p.m. | Lola’s, 617 N. Sherman Ave., Madison | Cost of purchase | Dine, drink, and groove along to some Motown classics.

Tuesday, May 14

Queer Cribbage Club | Tuesday, May 14 | 6-8 p.m. | Delta Beer Lab, 167 E. Badger Rd., Madison | Cost of purchase | Typically, opponents rotate and play three games a night, with bragging rights to the high scorer of the evening.
Buttermilk 3 | Tuesday, May 14 | 7-9 p.m. | Red Rooster Madison, 2513 Seiferth Rd., Madison | $7 | The musical duo will take suggestions from the audience to play hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

Wednesday, May 15

Tots in Motion | Wednesday, May 15 | 9:15-10 a.m. | Pinney Library, 516 Cottage Grove Rd., Madison | Free | Tots in motion will stay in motion at this dance session for toddlers, complete with bubbles and shakers.
Singles Mixer | Wednesday, May 15 | 6-8 p.m. | The Rigby, 119 E. Main St., Madison | Cost of purchase | RSVP to guarantee a spot at this mixer open to all sexualities.

Thursday, May 16

Cocktail Class 101 | Thursday, May 16 | 6-8 p.m. | Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green, Madison | $170 (for two) | Enjoy snacks while learning cocktail basics from the Garver Lounge bartenders, and take home a recipe book.
Words with Nerds | Thursday, May 16 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Crucible, 3116 Commercial Ave., Madison | $5-$15 | Celebrate two years of Word with Nerds with topics covering binaural beats and terrible user interfaces.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Traffic

Portions of East Doty and West Wilson streets downtown are limited to one lane until Friday, Aug. 16. From then until Friday, Nov. 8, the 100 block of West Wilson Street will be closed entirely. (Channel 3000)

Announced

Henry Vilas Zoo announced the return of Drag Me to the Zoo, a 21+ drag show hosted on zoo grounds. Last year’s inaugural event sold out fast, so those interested should secure tickets for this year ASAP.

Sports

Breese Stevens Field may soon have new seats, locker rooms, and a playing surface if the City of Madison’s $4 million state grant request is approved. An additional $4 million for the improvements would come from local matching funds. (Isthmus)

Development

Madison’s Housing Authority received $2.5 million in federal funding. The city will use the funds for maintenance on its 742 units of public housing and 115 units of multifamily housing. (WKOW)

History

UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Folksong Collection has gained national recognition with its induction into the prestigious National Recording Registry. The collection spotlights Wisconsin’s diverse folk music heritage. (Wisconsin State Journal)

Coming Soon

Stoughton Trailers, one of our area’s largest businesses, broke ground on a new 53,000-sqft national headquarters on the corner of Highway 51 and County Road B. It is scheduled to open in fall of 2025 and be home to about 200 employees. (WKOW)

Biz

Your ambition is infinite, but your time is not. Athena can help you scale yourself + your company by pairing you with an elite assistant and world-class delegation coaching. Bonus: 608today readers can score a $1,500 credit — see how.*

Arts

🎭 See MAC grants in action

How to see the Madison Arts Commission grants in action

CHildrens museum employees standing around a white van with colorful polka dots

MCM’s Summer Roadshow brings fun activities to community events. | Photo via Madison Children’s Museum

The Madison Arts Commission recently awarded over $100,000 to local organizations and individuals to fund various projects.

See the money in action by getting involved in these upcoming artistic endeavors:

Drum Power Inc.
Summer Arts Camp | Sign up for the two-week youth program ($550) or the all-ages West African and Brazilian music day ($18).

Isthmus Dance Collective
Shifting Gears Bike Path Dance Festival | Choreographers are encouraged to submit a performance proposal for this year’s Labor Day festival by Saturday, June 1.

Madison Children’s Museum
MCM Roadshow | Keep an eye out for the museum’s polka dot roadshow van at community events this summer. Kids can stop by to craft and play with the help of MCM staff.

Madison Jazz Society
Jazz jams and workshops | Check out the events calendar to find an upcoming event where you can learn how to improvise and play jazz music.

These don’t pique your interest? Check out the other 53 projects being supported by this year’s Madison Arts Commission grants.

The Buy

Apple pie made easy. We’re celebrating National Apple Pie Day by warming up some of this Apple Pie Jam from Adams Apple Co. with a little bit of ice cream.

Answered

On Wednesday, we asked how our readers usually get around town. Here’s what you said:

Noted. We’ll keep an eye out for news on road closures and major construction projects that may impede on your commutes.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Ally

From the editor

Congrats to all 7,868 recent UW-Madison graduates, and welcome to the Badger alum club. The fun doesn’t end post-grad, I use my alumni Union membership card at the terrace quite frequently, and there’s a special deal available for recent grads.

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