World's Largest Brat Fest

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A Memorial Day weekend tradition, Brat Fest raises money for local charities while also slinging enough Johnsonville brats to feed an army (vegan and gluten-free options are available, FYI). That army will be entertained by a wide range of music over three days, with headliners including Smash Mouth (responsible for the ubiquitous 1999 hit “All Star,” 8 pm Friday) and Steven Adler (ex-Guns N’ Roses, 7 pm Saturday). A slew of local rock and Americana bands play through the weekend, and Sunday also features stages dedicated to both Latinx and Christian performers. The fest closes with fireworks on Sunday night. Full schedule: bratfest.com.

Hours: Friday: 6-9 am (Take Your Brat to Work Day) and 10am to 10 pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10 am to 10 pm

Stage schedule:

Friday: Grand Stage: Autumn Reverie 1 pm, Sanctus 2 pm, Gabe Burdulis Band 3 pm, Chris Kroeze 4 pm, Shallow Side 5 pm, Michael Alexander & Big Whiskey 6 pm, Sunspot 7 pm, Smash Mouth 8 pm; Main Stage: Wurk 11 am, Jamie Suttle noon, Kerosene Kites 1 pm, Shawn Schell 2 pm, Sobieski Boys 3 pm, Billy Joe & the Affordables 4 pm, Kelsey Miles Band 5 pm, Pat Watters Band 6 pm, Madison County 7 pm; Island Stage: Racing Pulses 11 am, RetroBus noon, Little Miss Whiskey 1 pm, Austin Stirling 2 pm, TJ Stone 3 pm, Metal Gonz 4 pm, Elizabeth Mary 5 pm, Pilot 6 pm, SuperTuesday 7 pm.

Saturday: Grand Stage: Royal Bliss noon, Mascot Theory 1 pm, Virginia Liquor Company 2 pm, Morgan Whitney 3 pm, Angels & Outlaws 4 pm, Kirstie Kraus 5 pm, WheelHouse 6 pm, Rick Monroe 7 pm, Randy Houser 8 pm; Main Stage: Country Wide 11 am, Mars Hall Band noon, Sam Ness 1 pm, Torn Between 2 pm, MadCity Funk 3 pm, Beth Kille Band 4 pm, Kings of Radio 5 pm, Last Crack 6 pm, Steven Adler 7 pm; Island Stage: Left of Reason 11 am, Lords of the Trident noon, Ultrea 1 pm, Breech 2 pm, Go Play God 3 pm, Reloaded 4 pm, 7 Seasons Deep 5 pm, Revolution X 6 pm, Foo Foo Dolls 7 pm.

Sunday: Grand Stage: Katie Scullin 1 pm, Jamie Fontaine & the Level 2 pm, Rip 3 pm, Endless Line 4 pm, Jessi Lynn 5 pm, Bucky Covington 6 pm, Fastball 7 pm, Wayland 8 pm; Main Stage: Harley Rev Band 11 am, AJ the Animated Illusionist noon & 4 pm, 6'10 1 pm, Jamie Kimmett 2 pm, Adelaide 3 pm, Ayiesha Woods 5 pm, Ryan Stevenson 6 pm, Sidewalk Prophets 7 pm; Island Stage: 608 Union Ent 11:30 am, Ely "El Sonador" 12:30 pm, Ballet Folklorico de Carlos y Sonia Avila 1 pm, Mariachi Monarcas 2 pm, Enamorados de la Cumbia 4 pm, Rey Cruz 5 pm, Maury Martin Bachata y Mas 6 pm, Orquesta MAS 7 pm.

press release: Looking ahead to the music line-up at the World’s Largest Brat Festival will help you shake the winter blues. Smash Mouth will headline the Ho-Chunk Grand Stage on Friday night, followed by Randy Houser and Wayland on Saturday and Sunday. Madison County and Bucky Covington will both be returning to Brat Fest and headlining on the Baker Tilly Main Stage. The Free Live Music doesn’t stop there. Supporting acts include: Rick Monroe, Royal Bliss, the Foo Foo Dolls and many more. As always, there will be plenty of family friendly events including the human foosball tournament, fireworks, mascot races, plus all of our other events and tributes (listed below).

Kids Sport Zone: For kids who love to move around! There's something for every kid, all day, every day! Soccer, sack races, bounce house inflatables, flag football, pony rides, a petting zoo, Laser Tag, mascot races and Brat Toss.

Kids Art Zone: Stop by to take a picture with the Golden Bucky, or just cool down in one of our shaded tents with tables and chairs. Try our art activities, books and games. You can even stop by for a daily painting activity brought to you by Expressively You!

Take Your Brat to Work Day: Friday (May 24) from 6am to 9am, Brat Fest will be cooking for local businesses to pick up lunch for their employees while helping local charities. Eat Street is back again this year, offering delivery for orders over 60-count from 9am to 12pm on Friday. 

Dane County's Henry Vilas Zoo Shuttle: In partnership with Badger Bus and the Dane County Henry Vilas Zoo, Brat Fest will provide a free shuttle between the Zoo and the festival Saturday and Sunday every 30 minutes (at the top and bottom of each hour). Zoo admission is free between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sports Zone: Stop by the Brat Fest Sports Zone and dive into a game of Soccer Tennis, Volleyball, Human Foosball, and more! There will be a bean bag toss and events to keep the entire family busy all weekend.

Bratteyball: A grass volleyball tournament at Willow Island will return to Brat Fest this year at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 25 - rain or shine. The teams are coed 6s. The tournament offers prizes in both power and intermediate and rec divisions. All registered players get a Bratteyball t-shirt, brat and a choice of beer or soda. .New this year is a 3 person Sunday tournament as well. Details on the Bratfest.com web site.  

The 7th Annual Brat Fest Run (with the Hot Dog Jog): The Tom Metcalfe Memorial Run on Saturday morning (May 25) features a 5K and 10K run, in addition to a Saturday 5K Hot Dog Jog. Online registration for all run events is open through May 23th (walk-up registration also available).

Military Salute to Veterans: Sunday (May 26), Brat Fest will display equipment, have exhibits, and provide a free brat to all current and former military personnel. Vouchers can be redeemed at the merchandise tent.

Hometown Heroes: On Saturday and Sunday (May 25-26), Brat Fest salutes local police and fire departments for their efforts in the community. Stop and see the engines and squad cars, SWAT vehicles and many more! An Honor Guard will present the colors and will join us together to sing the National Anthem on Sunday at 2pm.

Take Your Brat to Senior Day: Sunday (May 26) from 10am to 1pm, Brat Fest will deliver sponsored brats to local senior communities.

Custom Car Show: On Sunday (May 26), enjoy our amazing Custom Car Show from 10am to 4pm, near the south exit to Willow Island. Cars Curing Cancer will have over 100 cars on display!

Brat Fest Boot Camp: Join us Sunday (May 26) with Peter Kraus Fitness for an hour-long workout before all the brats and funnel cakes. Open to all ages and fitness levels. Tickets must be purchased before May 26. Check Bratfest.com for more details.

Sunday Night Fireworks: Join us Sunday evening at the World's Largest Brat Fest to witness a dazzling firework show light up the evening sky! Brat Fest offers one of Madison's most spectacular fireworks displays of the year, all free of charge. Bring family and friends, blankets and chairs, and your appetite for entertainment, and we will provide all the amazing fireworks you can handle.

Destination Zero Waste: The World's Largest Brat Fest has added composting in addition to recycling in disposing of event waste. Our goal is to divert 60 percent of trash that would go to the landfill to compost, which will then be reused. Brat Fest is also working with their food vendors to use compostable supplies.

See Resource Links to the right for a comprehensive list of all family fun activities at Bratfest.com.

About the World's Largest Brat Fest: Brat Fest has been held every Memorial Day weekend since 1983 as a fundraiser for local charities that help staff the event and has grown to support over 100 non-profits today. Tom and Margaret Metcalfe held the very first Brat Fest in front of their Madison family-owned grocery store, Metcalfe's Market, with a 22-foot Weber Grill, a table and three chairs. It was a way for them to say "thank you" to their customers. In 2001, Johnsonville came on-board as the "official brat" for the Festival. In 2005, Brat Fest outgrew Metcalfe's parking lot and moved to Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center. Over 35 years after its small parking lot start, the still-family-friendly Brat Fest features 100 free musical acts, free parking, free admission, fireworks, a carnival and of course, brats - with more than $1.9 million donated to local charities since 1983. For a complete list of Brat Fest programming, events, and highlights, visit www.bratfest.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@bratfest/@bratfestoffical).

Produced by Metcalfe's Market: Metcalfe's Market is a fourth-generation, family-owned market with two locations in Madison (Hilldale and West Towne), and one in the Village in Wauwatosa. Celebrating 100 years this year, Metcalfe's has led the way in environmental practices. From creating a local food miles program featuring over 3,500 local foods to 100 percent green power and composting, Metcalfe's Market is committed to a more sustainable Wisconsin. For more information on Metcalfe's Market, visit www.shopmetcalfes.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@MetcalfesMarket).

Presented by Johnsonville Sausage: Wisconsin-based Johnsonville Sausage is the No. 1 national brand of bratwurst, Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links. Johnsonville employs approximately 1,600 members. Each member takes ownership of product quality to ensure the excellence and "Big Flavor" of Johnsonville Sausage. Founded in 1945 by Ralph F. and Alice Stayer, the company remains privately owned today. www.johnsonville.com