Five Great Bars of Madison

For velvet ropes and silicone swimsuit models and guys who wax, you go to Vegas/Miami/LA. For sports bars and great beer and a vibe that’s actually fun, people in Middle America prefer to stick with Chicago, or Milwaukee, or Madison. Acknowledged as one of the best college party towns in the country, this place also has a thriving GLBT scene, an established performance art scene, fantastic microbrews, and some good live music joints.

Sports Bar—State Street Brats
Expect frat boys and hometown hotties, awesome drink specials and greasy waffle fries. Badger team spirit kicks the excitement level up to ten in this classic sports bar.

Gay Club—Plan B
New, hip, and centrally located on Williamson Street, this is the spot for the same-sex “it crowd” (to quote a phrase off their website). If you find that intimidating, just think: Wednesday night karaoke, drag queens, $3 Bacardi drink specials, and lots of house music all night long.

Brewpub—Great Dane
This is a Madison staple, with four locations serving its signature micro-brewed ales, lagers, and a seasonal stout. College students and tourists, couples and singles can all co-exist peacefully, bonded by their shared love of great beer and fried cheese curds.

Madison Hot Dates

What is there to do in Madison? Depends what month you’re coming! This little city has a calendar chock-full of events, ranging from cultural to alcohol-cent ered, literary to winter-sporty. A few of our favorites include:

Madison Winter Festival
When you’re talking about one of the snowiest places in the continental U.S., a list of top annual events must start with this annual snow sports showcase. A cross-country ski-race series, a snowshoe rela,y and a snow-carving contest are among the competitive events. Then there’s just-for-fun stuff like the Trek Store Snow Bike obstacle course and the snowshoe terrain park. Held annually in mid-February.

Willy Street Fair
Madison’s biggest block party features somewhere between three to five stages (depending on the day and the year) and has a traditional Sunday morning parade that allows total audience participation. Food stalls, vendors, and artists line a three-block stretch of Williamson Street. This community fundraiser takes place annually in early autumn.