Deidre Rubie
Isthmus SummerTimes 2025
We all got a jump start on summer this year with an early Memorial Day. Don’t squander it! Isthmus wants you to enjoy your summer, because what else is summer for? South central Wisconsin is beckoning. Emilie Heidemann takes a closer look at nearby Norwegian enclave Stoughton. Former longtime Isthmus administrative director Kathy Bailey shares her route through Green County on her annual cheese tour. Rebecca Jamieson stops to smell the lavender at several area lavender farms — the bloom starts in June. More ways to get outside? Lots! We round up options for outdoor theater, share the joys of an e-bike, preview the classical music offerings and more. And if you’re looking to fill a specific morning, afternoon or evening, consult the area’s most complete event calendar, searchable 24/7 at isthmus.com/calendar.
A trip to Stoughton is many things
Take a trip to Norway without leaving the country, start your career as a fine art collector, engage in an eclectic dining experience, take in a concert, hike trails or kayak on the Yahara River — all in one day, if you’re ambitious.
You are in Green County — cheese country. You’ll find a surprising variety of cheese for sale as well as beer, pastries, meat sticks and clever gift-ables in homage to cows, cheese and Wisconsin.
Lavender farms thrive near Madison, and midsummer’s the best time to visit
Visiting a lavender farm means vibrant color, soothing aromas, scenic beauty and maybe even a lavender latte.
Wisconsinites don’t have much time to enjoy their summer, so it makes sense that theater, like dining, moves outdoors. Here’s a roundup of plays presented al fresco throughout the state.
There are some cyclists who consider riding an e-bike somehow cheating. I may have been one of those cyclists at one point in my life, but age and experience have convinced me otherwise.
A new Madison-penned opera. One of the best-selling rock albums of all time. And Beethoven’s Fifth. Who could ask for more?
A dozen biergartens not to miss
A biergarten is not a few tables on the sidewalk with a view of traffic. A biergarten is an atmospheric achievement.
Isthmus' 2025 Madison summer music, theater and dance calendar
Isthmus' 2025 summer festival calendar
Locate those lawn chairs, break out the sunscreen…summer is here again. Here’s our 2025 roundup listing concert series, festival schedules, and dance and theater performances in Madison, Dane County and further afield.
