Good Neighbor Festival

×

Expand

Jeff Martin

Middleton's fall festival returns with a 2021-appropriate theme of "All Together Now!" It all kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 27 with a kiddie parade from Lee Street (near the high school) to the festival grounds. There's a carnival, plenty of food, movies for the kids (7 pm Fri.-Sat.), an arts and crafts fair (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.), and many more happenings, including a pun slam (2:30 p.m. Sunday). The fest main stage includes music by The Jimmys (7 p.m. Friday) and Pacific Coast Highway (2 p.m. Sunday). Find all the details at goodneighborfestival.com.

press release: The 2021 Good Neighbor Festival will be held as in-person event on August 27-29, 2021 in Firemen’s Park in Middleton! We will follow all county health guidelines in place at the time of the event.

Our 2021 theme is All Together Now! It’s been a difficult year, and we are excited for our community to come together in person this August. Interested in volunteering? Learn more here and use our sign up form to express your interest in helping out in 2021. Read more about our 2021 plans here.

Scheduled events for the Good Neighbor Festival are listed below.  Food and beverage concessions will be available during all Festival open hours! More information about all Festival activities is available at goodneighborfestival.com.

Friday, August 27: 5PM-11PM

Lineup at 5 PM, Parade begins at 5:30 PM, GNF Kiddie Parade: The traditional kick-off to the Festival!  Parade lineup will be in front of the new Performing Arts Center entrance to Middleton High School on Lee Street - all kids are welcome to join in, on foot, on bikes or in a stroller (feel free to decorate!).  The parade will go east on Lee Street to Bristol Street, to Franklin Ave, Middleton Street, North Ave to Clark Street and will finish on the grounds of the Good Neighbor Festival.  Free balloons and goodie bags for the first 200 participants! Presented by Madison Gas & Electric.

5-11 PM, VFW Auxiliary Carnival, Clark Street Community School Parking Lot: Enjoy carnival rides and games from Wenzel Amusements!  Tickets are $1 each and each ride requires 3-4 tickets.

6-7 PM, Kids Games and Activities, Family Fun Zone: Old fashioned fun for kids!  Free outdoor games, immediately following the Kiddie Parade in the Family Fun Zone. Presented by Achenbach Insurance - State Farm Agent.

7-9 PM Movie Night, Family Fun Zone: Stay after the Kids Games for an exciting martial arts demonstration by Infinity Martial Arts.  Then get your kicks watching Kung Fu Panda on our big screen under the stars.  Check out our many food booths and food carts and make it a picnic!  Presented by Infinity Martial Arts.

6-9 PM Rotary Club Bingo, Bingo Tent: Bingo is back!  Fast-paced Bingo games, 6+ games per hour.  $1 per card, cash prizes.

7-11 PM The Jimmys, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: The Jimmys are an award winning, high energy 7-piece blues band featuring Jimmy Voegeli on keyboard and organ, Perry Weber on guitar, Chris Sandoval on drums, John Wartenweiler on bass and an amazing 3-piece horn section. They're sure to get you dancing!  

Saturday, August 28: 9AM-11PM

9 AM-5 PM, MCPASD Education Foundation Art and Craft Fair, South Side of Firemen’s Park: More than 65 artists will present handcrafted goods for sale at one of Dane County’s favorite art fairs.

9 AM-5 PM, Middleton Arts Commission Community Canvas, Family Fun Zone: Come be part of an interactive canvas creation. This community created art will be available for you to add your own artistic flourish to a final piece to be displayed at the Middleton Public Library.

9 AM-3 PM, Middleton Public Library, Family Fun Zone: Free kids books and games from the Middleton Public Library.

9:30 AM GNF 5K Run/Walk: The Festival gets off on a good foot Saturday morning with the annual 5k Run/Walk.  $30 for runners and $25 for walkers - includes a TECH tee, $5 Willy Street Co-op Gift Card, and free beverage coupon.  Awards are given for the top 3 finishers in their age groups.  The route begins and ends on the Festival grounds.  Register in advance or day of the race.  A Diaper Dash and free Childcare are also available from Harbor Athletic Club (advance registration required for childcare). Presented by Monona Bank

10:30 AM, Dog/Not Dog Show, Family Fun Zone: This is not your Kennel Club show!  Bring your pet friends down to the grounds for a dog show that judges your dog in all the right ways, even if it’s not a dog.  Random prizes from Tabby & Jacks awarded for cutest dog, cutest not dog, best costume, best dog trick, best not dog trick and any other categories the judges might come up with! Pesented by Tabby & Jack’s.

11 AM, Middleton Rec Department Dancers, Small Stage: Middleton youth have been practicing for their special debut on the grounds of GNF!  Come and cheer for the students of the Middleton Rec Department’s dance class

11 AM, State Bank of Cross Plains Coin Dig, Family Fun Zone: Kids can dig for free money at the State Bank of Cross Plains Coin Dig

11 AM-11 PM, VFW Auxiliary Carnival, Clark Street Community School Parking Lot: Enjoy carnival rides and games from Wenzel Amusements!  Tickets are $1 each and each ride requires 3-4 tickets.  Saturday only, unlimited ride wristbands are available for $25.  On sale beginning at 12 PM, and valid for use from 1-5 PM.

12-4 PM, Red Hot Horn Dawgs, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: Called Madison’s party band and a  perennial GNF favorite, the Red Hot Horn Dawgs bring big brass from several UW marching band alumni and friends.  Can you high step?  Here’s your chance to try against the folks who do.

1-5 PM, Family Fun Zone Festivities, Family Fun Zone: Get a caricature portrait from local artist Lindsey Salzwedel of Expressively You, a balloon sculpture from Pop Art Entertainment, a Henna Tattoo by artist Gauri Bansal or a temporary tattoo from the artists at Starkweather tattoo.  All festivities are free!

1 PM, Infinity Martial Arts Demonstration, Small Stage: See Middleton’s premier martial arts school demonstrate their skill and learn more about how martial arts can benefit you.

1-4 PM, 6-9 pm, Rotary Club Bingo, Bingo Tent: Bingo is back!  Fast-paced Bingo games, 6+ games per hour.  $1 per card, cash prizes.

3 PM, Willy Street Kids Cooking with Lily Kilfoy, Small Stage: Come get fun kids cooking lessons with Willy Street Co-op’s very own chef, Lily Kilfoy

4:45 PM, James the Magician, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: A favorite performer on the festival grounds, James the Magician is performing his amazing, funny and fun magic show on the Main Stage for the first time.  

6-7 PM, Monkey Business Improv, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: It’s Madison’s Favorite Improv Comedy Group performing a family friendly improv show!  For each improv game we play we’ll ask for kid volunteers (ages 8+) to learn and play the game with us on stage. For fun and laughter for all ages, come see this hilarious show!

7 PM, Movie Night, Family Fun Zone

Enjoy a martial arts demonstration before Saturday night’s movie, a family friendly show with a martial arts theme.  Movie to be determined but guaranteed to be great! Presented by Infinity Martial Arts.

7:30-11:30 PM, LoveMonkeys, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: Celebrating 30 years as a top drawing band in Wisconsin, it’s obvious they never take for granted the importance of putting on a great show. Their high-energy, jam-packed performances are filled with pop hits, reggae rhythms and one-of-a-kind medleys. Though no two LoveMonkey shows are alike, the band always welcomes their devoted fans who often travel miles to dance on stage or shake a tambourine with the guys. As enthusiastic and musically strong as ever, don’t miss the opportunity to catch the LoveMonkeys at GNF!

Sunday, August 29: 9AM-6PM

9 AM-5 PM, MCPASD Education Foundation Art and Craft Fair, South Side of Firemen’s Park: More than 65 artists will present handcrafted goods for sale at one of Dane County’s favorite art fairs.

11 AM-5PM, VFW Auxiliary Carnival, Clark Street Community School Parking Lot: Enjoy carnival rides and games from Wenzel Amusements!  Tickets are $1 each and each ride requires 3-4 tickets.

12 PM, Good Neighbor Festival Parade, University Avenue and Parmenter Streets: The Parade begins at noon and follows a 1.5 mile route, starting from University and Maple Street, and ending near the festival grounds at Parmenter and Lee Streets.  Enjoy marching bands, local judged entries as well as amazing entertainers. 

1-4 PM, Rotary Club Bingo, Rotary Club Tent: Bingo is back!  Fast-paced Bingo games, 6+ games per hour.  $1 per card, cash prizes.Rotary Club 

1:30 PM, Infinity Martial Arts Demonstration, Small Stage: See Middleton’s premier martial arts school demonstrate their skill and learn more about how martial arts can benefit you.

2-6 PM, Pacific Coast Highway, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) consists of five veterans of the Madison, Wisconsin music scene who invite the audience on a road trip back to when music was free and easy. Influenced by music from the early 70’s that wafted out of Laurel Canyon in the hills of Los Angeles in Southern California, PCH plays songs that explore that “wind in your hair” spirit embodied by the legendary Pacific Coast Highway that runs along the West Coast.

2:30 PM, Pun Slam Throw Down, Small Stage

Are you punnier than everyone you know?  Are you punstoppable?  Then you are perfect for The “Word Wide” Championship Pun Slam!  This will be an open competition that will quickly get winnowed down to the Championship round all within the hour.  Register early on the GNF website to guarantee your spot.  Sign-ups will be available at the event and spots are limited, entrants must be 16 or older.  Prizes available along with lifetime bragging rights! Hosted by the Monkey Business Institute.

3:30 PM, Good Neighbor Award and Parade Award Presentation, Willy Street Co-op Main Stage: Join us to celebrate the 2020 and 2021 Good Neighbor Award recipients, as well as winning entries in various categories from the Good Neighbor Festival Parade.

4 PM, Grape Water Wine Bar Wine Tasting, Small Stage: Come sample a white wine, rose wine and red wine specially curated for you by Grape Water Wine Bar and Frank Distributors.  Tasting notes and suggestions for excellent fall wines, and tips for your Labor Day barbecue.