The beautiful capitol city of Madison, Wisconsin has endless opportunities for adventure, food, and relaxation. Home to a chain of 5 large lakes, scenic views, seasonal events, excellent restaurants, Madison has numerous accessible opportunities for biking, hiking, and paddling. A main attraction of Madison is the Dane County Farmer’s Market, the largest producer-only farmer’s market in the nation. This farmer’s market is more than just a market – it’s an experience, a weekend getaway, and a wonderful way to connect to this beautiful, friendly, active community.
Home to the Division I University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers, squeaky cheese, the Monona Lake bike Loop, and a professional women’s indoor volleyball team (LOVB), Madison is one of my favorite cities to visit in the Great Lakes region.
Dane County Farmer’s Market
Dane County hosts several year-round and seasonal markets throughout the year. The most well known and well attended is the Saturday Market on the Square. Conveniently located on the capitol square surrounding the picturesque Madison capitol building, the Saturday Market on the Square is held on Saturday mornings from 6:15am-1:45pm from mid-April through mid-November each year.
On any given Saturday, there are between 150-170 vendors present. From fresh seasonal produce, baked goods, cut flowers and hanging baskets to artisan cheese, honey, and maple syrup, you are sure to find what you’re looking for. If you’re a cheese lover, you’ll be in heaven here with seven different cheese vendors! A staple of the Dane County Farmer’s Market (and all of Wisconsin) is squeaky cheese, fresh, irregularly shaped curds of young cheddar cheese. Affectionately named for the “squeak” on your teeth when eaten, cheese curds are popular as a snack, melted on poutine, or breaded and deep-friend. Salty, squeaky, and delicious!
Enjoy samples of squeaky cheese, (aka cheese curds) before you buy. My favorite are the plain or the dill curds. Wisconsin is the dairy state, after all! Explore the Cheese Vendors here.
Wednesday Market
In addition to the traditional Saturday Market on the Square, a Wednesday Market is held each week at the 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. from 8:30am-1:15pm from April 22 – November 4, 2026. Although more limited than the Saturday Market, you’ll still find a wide variety of fresh produce, cut flowers, and baked goods.
A wonderful initiative at the Wednesday Market is the Food Scrap Collection. Visitors can bring up to one gallon of residential food waste to be composted by Green Box Compost. Personally, I love this idea – this kind of thing is true to the spirit of Madison, Wisconsin.
Have you ever encountered a fruit or vegetable you didn’t know existed? The Wednesday Market is also home to the Taste it Tent, where visitors can taste samples of fruits and vegetables that may be unfamiliar. Sample an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable and learn more about how to prepare it – and where to purchase it! The tent is open from 10am-12pm each Wednesday.
Winter Market
During the off season, market goers can still find local options at the Winter Market. The 2027 Winter Market will be held at the Garver Feed Mill at 3241 Garver Green from January 2-April 3, 2027. The Garver Feed Mill is a unique event space that hosts free and paid events such as Food Truck Fridays, Paws on the Patio, and of course the Winter Market. Garver Feed Mill can also be booked for weddings or other events.
Dane County Farmer’s Market Parking
There are multiple parking options for the farmer’s market. Metered street parking is available in the area surrounding the capitol square for $2/hour; however, most street parking is limited to 2 hours. Additionally, it can be challenging to find a spot on market days. Additionally, there are several municipal paid parking lots surrounding capitol square. These lots range from $1.00-1.60/hour, and some offer a $5/day flat rate on Saturdays. The Saturday Market on the Square can be packed during the Fall season, especially on Badger football game days. On game days, the market is a sea of red Badgers gear!
A few good parking options are as follows:
- State Street Capitol garage (200 N. Carroll St.)
- Overture Center garage (318 W. Mifflin St.)
- Capitol Square South Ramp (113 S. Henry St.)
- Monona Terrace Parking (1 John Nolen Dr.)
If you’re staying in town for the weekend, another option is to walk or bike to the market. Bike racks are available in capitol square, and there are multiple bike paths that lead to capitol square from every direction. Madison is a very bike-friendly city. Explore Dane County Bike Maps.
Wisconsin State Capitol Building
If you have time, be sure to walk through the historic and impressive Wisconsin State Capitol building. There are entrances on all sides of the capitol, and several wheelchair accessible bathrooms throughout. Grab a brochure at the information desk inside, explore the rotunda, and enjoy the beauty of this unique building. Free guided tours are offered, and the observation deck is open during the warmer months, offering views of the surrounding lakes and residential areas. The capitol’s granite dome rises 265 above the surrounding landscape and isthmus between Lakes Monona and Mendota – it is a landmark easy to spot from anywhere in the city.
Madison’s Unique Geography
The first map below from Topozone.com shows the unique location of downtown Madison, WI centered within an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona.
The map below from Topographic-map.com highlights the elevation and topography of Madison and the surrounding area. Note the elevation legend at right; elevations to the west of Madison rise significantly moving into the Driftless Region, a unique area of rugged topography in the Midwest that glaciers of the Pleistocene Epoch did not touch. The Driftless Region includes the northwest part of Illinois, southwest part of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the northeastern part of Iowa.
Monona Terrace
If you choose to park at Monona Terrace, be sure to visit the terrace itself. Located at 1 John Nolen Dr., the terrace rooftop offers beautiful views of Lake Monona. A long ramp leads up to the terrace from street level, and elevators are available as well. Wheelchairs are free to use on a first come, first served basis, available from the information booth on Level 4 of the Monona Terrace.
If you’re looking for a refreshing drink, snack, or meal, be sure to visit Lake Vista Cafe on the terrace rooftop. The fish tacos are excellent! Check out the Lake Vista Cafe MENU. The images and video below highlight the atmosphere (and views!) from Monona Terrace.
Nearby Madison Adventures
While you’re in town, consider a visit to Olbrich Botanical Gardens on the northeast shore of Lake Monona. This beautiful garden is home to 16 acres of outdoor gardens, a conservatory brimming with unique orchids, beautiful reflecting pool, and gift shop with unique botanical gifts. It is worth a visit! Read more in my recent article: Experience the Beautiful Blooms of Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
Nearby Biking Trails
To further explore Lake Monona, you can circle the lake by bike on an established 13-mile loop trail, traveling through residential areas, past pocket parks, natural areas, ice cream shops, and more. Read more about biking the scenic Lake Monona Loop in my recent article: Explore Madison Wisconsin’s Beautiful, Bustling Lake Monona Loop.
New Glarus, Wisconsin | America’s Little Switzerland
For a unique nearby adventure, consider a visit to New Glarus, located just 26 miles southwest of Madison. In my recent article, I highlight America’s Little Switzerland | Top Restaurants in New Glarus, WI. New Glarus is home to the famous New Glarus Brewery and authentic Swiss food.
Enjoy your visit to Madison’s amazing farmer’s market and the surrounding city – you won’t regret it!
-Erin