What to do in Madison this weekend: Magic Pride Festival, Java Jive and more Isthmus Picks

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Eat Local, Give Local, Thursday, Aug. 18, various Dane County restaurants: Supporting local businesses is as simple as eating at one this Thursday. Stop in for a bite at one of more than 40 participating restaurants in Dane County and you'll also support Dane Buy Local; 10 percent of your bill will be donated as part of its annual Eat Local, Give Local day. The nonprofit Dane Buy Local works to raise awareness of how building a vibrant local economy benefits everyone. In other words, think local first for goods and services. Find a complete list of participating restaurants at danebuylocal.com.

Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival, Aug. 18-21, Angell Park: Visitors come from all over Wisconsin and even other states to attend this celebration of Sun Prairie’s agricultural roots, which also has been named one of Wisconsin's best food festivals. The Sweet Corn Festival grounds at Angell Park open Thursday with carnival rides. Activities ramp up on Friday with food vendors, beer and live music, and continues on Saturday and Sunday (which also are the only days that cooked sweet corn will be served, from noon to 6 p.m.). Uncooked corn will be available by the bagful, too. More details at sunprairiecornfest.com.

Madison Black Restaurant Week, through Aug. 21: A chance to support Black-owned businesses like these restaurants isn't a hard sell, especially since what you get is some of the best food in the county. African, African American and Caribbean cuisines are all on the big menu. At the Food Tasting Jamboree (2-5 p.m., Aug. 21, in the parking lot of FEED Kitchens, 1219 N. Sherman Ave.) the spotlight also shines on food purveyors you might not get a chance to eat at regularly because they're caterers or food carts, with $5 tasting plates available. Voting for favorites is new this year, and details on that and participating purveyors can be found at madisonblackchamber.com.

The Sessions at McPike, Aug. 18-19, McPike Park, 5-10 p.m.: Summer in Madison is good, and the music is terrific, and frequently, free. This is true of the Sessions at McPike Park — these volunteer-run events benefit area nonprofit organizations, this week NAMI Dane County and WORT-FM. Thursday's “Biscuits and Gravy Session” features Madtown Mannish Boys (5 p.m.), Vandoliers (6:30 p.m.), and Lilly Hiatt (8:30 p.m. and yes, she’s the daughter of John Hiatt), plus Annie & the Oakies in the tent between main stage sets. Friday's “Kiki's Fourth Righteous Session” has The Low Czars (Isthmus calendar editor Bob Koch is a member) at 5 p.m., Split Single (the solo project of Superchunk touring bassist Jason Narducy) at 6:30 p.m., and Aaron Lee Tasjan at 8:30 p.m., with the Bill Roberts Combo holding court in the tent. The Sessions wrap up Aug. 31-Sept. 1; visit sessionsatmcpike.org for the complete schedule of events.

Sun Prairie Civic Theatre, Aug. 18-21, Sun Prairie East High School: More than 100 young actors are involved in this summer's double feature by and for kids of all ages from Sun Prairie Civic Theatre. Grades 3-8 star in a musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, and grades 9-12 take on another musical, Disney's Newsies. Performances are at 7 p.m., Aug. 18-19; 2 and 7 p.m., Aug. 21; and noon and 4 p.m., Aug. 22. Find advance tickets at sunprairiecivictheatre.com or at the Piano Gal Shop.

Hamilton, Aug. 9-21, Overture Hall: In the seven years since Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking hip-hop musical and history lesson hit Broadway, Hamilton has become a classic of American musical theater. Alexander Hamilton, the ten-dollar founding father without a father, takes his place alongside Jefferson and Madison, and the musical itself its place alongside giants like West Side Story as the perfect blend of street and stage. The final shows are this weekend, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday; check ticket availability at overture.org.

Able Baker + New Primals, Thursday, Aug. 18, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Madison's own dreamy, strummy, indelibly catchy Able Baker is on the bill with Minneapolis's noisier New Primals, Milwaukee indie rockers The Nile Club and Madison's lo-fi Mickey Sunshine. This looks to be a terrific quadruple bill of young upper Midwest bands.

The Guest Book, Aug. 18-27, Broom Street Theater, 8 p.m.: Gina Gómez wrote and directed The Guest Book, a Broom Street Theater comedy about a woman crashing her ex-fiance's wedding. As they say, save the date. Shows at 8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, now starting on Aug. 18 following a postponement of the first weekend due to COVID.

CANCELED: Dane Dances, Fridays, Aug. 5-26, Monona Terrace rooftop, 5:30-9:30 p.m.: Monona Terrace is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and Dane Dances has been throwing its community dance party for nearly as long. This year's lineup has featured straight fire as usual, and still to come are international salsa star Luisito Rosario y Orquesta Estrella Madison and Orquesta SalSoul del Mad, on Aug. 19; and Sounds of Slave and Sisters of Element & the Storm Chaser Orchestra, on Aug. 26. Food and drink will be available at 5 p.m. from Kipp's Kitchen, Lake Vista Cafe, La Taguara and Lemongrass, and music starts at 5:30 p.m. AUG. 19 UPDATE: For the second week in a row, Dane Dances is called off due to a rainy forecast.

Mad With Power Fest, Aug. 19-20, High Noon Saloon, 4:30 p.m.: For one weekend every year, Madison is the center of the North American metal universe. The fifth incarnation of the Mad With Power Fest — the brainchild of one of the hardest-working music men in Madison, Ty Christian — will rattle the walls with a dozen power metal and traditional heavy metal bands from the United States and Canada. They include headliners Aether Realm (melodic power death metal from North Carolina) and Psychostick (comedy death metal from Chicago). Christian’s band, Lords of the Trident — the self-proclaimed “most metal band on earth” — will play, too. As of this week, only a few Friday only tickets remained available, but never fear: Both nights will be livestreamed at twitch.tv/LordsOfTheTrident.

Taylor Scott Band, Friday, Aug. 19, Edgewater Hotel, 6 p.m.: The just-released album by the Taylor Scott Band, The Hang, was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. (For many music listeners that fact alone may be enough to know this is a band to hear.) As with Los Lobos, it is a fool's errand to try to place Taylor Scott's music in one genre box; his songwriting cooks up blues, rock, country and soul into a very tasty stew, with heartfelt vocals and some guitar shredding to boot. It's a no-brainer to catch this show as part of the Edgewater's free Brewgrass Fridays concert series on the plaza.

Ten Days in a Madhouse, Aug. 19-27, UW Memorial Union-Play Circle: Ten Days in a Madhouse is an original musical from Madison composers and playwrights Jennifer Hedstrom and Karen Saari, the result of a four-year collaboration between Music Theatre of Madison and the duo. The premise is promising. The story is adapted from a gutsy expose written by pioneering woman journalist Nellie Bly. In 1887, Bly went undercover, feigning mental illness, at New York's “ Women's Lunatic Asylum ” and ultimately reported on the stark conditions in what became a book called Ten Days in a Mad-House. Shows are at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 19-20 and 26-27; and at 2 p.m., Aug. 21. More info: mtmadison.com.

Joe iaquinto, Linwood Riley, Kurt Quickel, Kevin iaquinto, Friday, Aug. 19, Brink Lounge, 7:30 p.m.: Bassist/guitarist Joe iaquinto has to be the only Madison-based musician with gigs backing Little Anthony & the Imperials on his professional CV. iaquinto has put together an intriguing program for this concert, which includes a set accompanied by drummer Linwood “Woody” Riley exploring the music of bassist Stanley Clarke, followed by some classic power trio rock when joined by guitarist Kurt Quickel. Kevin iaquinto opens with solo guitar interpretations of selections drawn from the world of hard rock.

John Mulaney, Friday, Aug. 19, Alliant Energy Center-Coliseum, 8 p.m.: Celebrated comedian John Mulaney, a former Saturday Night Live writer, has since returned to host the show five times, a benchmark of his success as a performer. The two-time Emmy Award winner is also a writer on Netflix’s Big Mouth (and voice of character Andrew), and with Nick Kroll co-created the long-running characters Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland (of Oh, Hello, which started in the clubs before moving to television, Broadway and a podcast).

Butter Brick + Motherhive album releases, Friday, Aug. 19, Dark Horse ArtBar, 9 p.m.: A pair of veteran Madison rock bands team up for a release party for recent albums. The trio Butter Brick includes members of bands such as El Donk and The Pinch, and they combine jammy and heavy while always keeping one ear on the melody and one on a danceable groove. Purslane emerged on streaming platforms in April. Motherhive plays hard rock with a similarly groove-friendly approach. Their most recent album, the excellent Songs of Salvation, came out in 2020, and the quartet finally gets a chance to celebrate with a release party.

Java Jive, Saturday, Aug. 20, Breese Stevens Field, 9 a.m.-noon: This popular fundraiser for Madison's Rape Crisis Center has evolved beyond getting its attendees amped on caffeine. Along with breakfast bakery items and coffee, the brilliant Melly Mel of Melly Mel's Soul Food will be cooking breakfast. Sabrina Madison will host the silent auction and raffle, and there will be music from the Betsy Ezell, Nick Moran & Richard Hildner Trio (acoustic bossa nova and jazz) and DJ Pearl Marshall. More info at thercc.org/java-jive-2022.

Agora Art Fair, Saturday, Aug. 20, 5500 E. Cheryl Pkwy., Fitchburg, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: This big (100+ vendors) fair goes heavy on the art, with just about every medium represented — and some forms you'd never imagined. There is related fun with two music stages, a Wisconsin craft beer garden, kids' art tent featuring yarn art, kite flying, and more. Find more info at agoraartfair.com.

Africa Fest, Saturday, Aug, 20, McPike Park, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Madison's Africa Fest celebrates everything African; this year’s theme is “African Beauty.” The fest focuses on cultural heritage from across Africa and the diaspora with musicians, artists, performers, cooks, craftspeople and scholars. The Strides for Africa run/walk kicks things off; it's a fundraiser for potable wells in rural Africa; register online or starting at 9 a.m. at the park. The festival begins at noon, with entertainment by Tani Diakite & the Afrofunkstars, Atimevu, Limanya, The Masquerade, and many other groups, African and African American food, and African arts and crafts for sale. Find a complete schedule at facebook.com/africanassociationofmadison.

Eken Park Festival, Saturday, Aug. 20, 700 block Mayer Avenue, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.: Madison's east side is the capital of neighborhood festivals, but some have outgrown the “neighborhood” feel. Eken Park, the up-and-coming area originally built as World War II-era worker housing, is undergoing a renaissance and the fest has the true DIY vibe of the residents. There will be food and beer, kids activities, and music, sweet music. The November Criminals play “unironic polka hip-hop for the downtrodden and party-starved,” which is, well, relatable. Also on hand for the downtrodden will be Sexy Ester, Sean Michael Dargan Band, Supa! Friends and the Trapper Schoepp Band. Full schedule at facebook.com/ekenparkfest. The fest also could still use some more volunteers; sign up here.

The Community Reading, Saturday, Aug. 20, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Arts + Literature Laboratory is collaborating with the Driftless Writing Center to publish an online Community Anthology of writing that grew out of online workshops both groups conducted during the pandemic. This IRL reading features participants from ALL’s Write-Ins and Driftless Writing Center’s Connect & Write sessions, and should be an interesting meetup of city and country.

Magic Pride Festival, Sunday, Aug. 21, Warner Park, 1-6 p.m.: Celebrate Pride with OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center at the fourth annual Magic Pride Festival, hosted by Cass Marie Domino, Madison drag queen and Femme’s National Entertainer of the Year in 2017, and Iconika Strange, Milwaukee drag queen. Performers include Pride King Draco Knight and Pride Queen Bambii Banx$, Pony Boy, Venus in Furs, K.I.L.O aka SkitL'z, Dee Dee Purr and many others, along with DJs Femme Noir and Sarah Akawa. OutReach is a Madison nonprofit that promotes equity and aims to improve quality of life for the LGBTQ+ community. Watch for schedule updates at outreachmagicfestival.org.

Little Red Wolf album release, Sunday, Aug. 21, The Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: When Laura Detert, Kelly Maxwell, Emily Mills and Meghan Rose combined forces in 2008 as Little Red Wolf they were immediately one of Madison's most winning ensembles. You can be sure the vocal harmonies and instrumental magic will be in full force as they reunite to release The Tops of the Trees, the first new Little Red Wolf album since 2014. As may be expected when a band contains perceptive, empathetic songwriters who have weathered a pandemic, the album's nine tracks contain some somber songs. But this is Little Red Wolf, so the somber is balanced with moments of beauty...and a song about a home invasion by wildlife. Opening are singer-songwriters Annelies Howell (German Art Students) and Mackenzie Moore (joined by Jenna Joanis on drums).

Lee Bains & the Glory Fires, Sunday, Aug. 21, Dark Horse ArtBar, 8 p.m.: If you're worried about finding a reserve of energy to head out on the Sunday night of another weekend packed with festivals, Lee Bains & the Glory Fires will most certainly help you fire it up. (But maybe build some sleeping-in time in your Monday morning schedule.) For the new album Old-Time Folks the trio started with the goal of making an album for the ages, enlisting producer/engineer David Barbe to help them craft a carefully arranged and more sonically diverse sound on record. While the guitars may be less roaring than on past albums, their rock has always been about more than volume thanks to Bains' heartfelt and to the bone lyrics. Also on the bill: Loamlands, a North Carolina group focusing on telling the stories of historical and modern-day queer life in the South; and Madison's own Rocket Bureau, whose Middle Angst cleverly conceals the travails of moving through life into a hook-laden rock song cycle that was one of 2021's best albums.

We hope it’s handy for you to find Picks grouped together in a single post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

Note: Many venues and businesses may continue to maintain individual requirements for masking, as well as proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or a negative test for entry. Before heading out for any in-person event, confirm it is still taking place and check for any attendance guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.