City Cast Madison

Water bottle? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Hiking shoes and thick socks?? Check and check. Summer is the best time to get outside and explore Madison’s hiking trails. From the Lakeshore Nature Preserve to the UW-Madison Arboretum, there’s no shortage of places to explore around the isthmus. To get the scoop on the best trails for every ability and occasion, we turned to local author and the new Madiso...

What do Motown, Mozart, and “Dark Side of the Moon” all have in common? The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra will be paying tribute to all of them in their annual six-week free outdoor concert series. Concerts on the Square is a Madison summer favorite that will attract thousands to the capitol each Wednesday through the end of July. Will you be one of them? To learn more, executive producer Hayley Spe...

As it stands, abortion access in Wisconsin is extremely limited. Of the 72 counties in the state, only three have abortion providers. That limited access hinges on the next few weeks. Any day now, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to rule on the validity of an 1849 law which some interpret as an abortion ban. Meanwhile, national lawmakers are working on a budget reconciliation bill – One Big...

City Cast hosts are on the pulse of what's happening in our communities. So Bianca Martin and all 12 other hosts sat down with City Cast CEO David Plotz to talk about creative local problem solving that might work in your hometown too and to commiserate about stressors affecting most of our cities, from unaffordable housing to bike lanes. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 20th episode: Ha...

An estimated 15,000 people flooded the streets of Madison in the “No Kings” protest last  weekend, pushing back against the Trump administration. But as tensions between law enforcement and demonstrators continue to escalate across the country, it’s more important than ever to know your rights — and how to stay safe while making your voice heard. City Cast Madison executive producer Hayley Sperlin...

Have you ever looked at the tag on your shirt and stopped to wonder who grew your clothes? In a world where roughly 30% of the microplastics in our oceans come from synthetic clothing material, it’s more critical than ever to build a connection to the fibers we wear every day. As the founder of the Midwest Linen Revival, Leslie Schroeder is leading a movement in Madison to make the fashion industr...

Wisconsin is failing to protect Black women and girls from violence and murder, according to state Rep. Shelia Stubbs. And she has the numbers to back that claim up. In 2020, Black women in Wisconsin were 20 times more likely to be murdered than white women, according to a study from Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. So what’s going wrong and h...

It’s Friday the 13th and you’re in luck! The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news of the week. Did you know there’s a special election on Tuesday? Host Bianca Martin has the details for Dane County Supervisor District 1 residents. Speaking of politics, expect floods of people to hit the streets this Saturday as part of the worldwide “No Kings” protest. But wait, there’s more! This w...

It’s patio season y’all! Are you ready for rooftops, lake fronts, and hidden gems? Cap Times food and culture editor Lindsay Christians joins the show to dish on what’s new around town and give her recommendations for every patio occasion. Plus, she’s got the latest on what new cocktails and spirits you can expect to see at bars around town. Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food cult...

Warm weather is here and thankfully, the Madison area is full of beaches and pools that are perfect for cooling off on those hot summer days. To round up the best spots around town, we caught up with Alisa Sleep, co-founder of the Madison Family parenting site, formerly known as Madison Mom. Alisa shared her favorite spots and what she keeps in mind before getting in the water. Ready to dive in?...

The Madison Jazz Festival is live! The decades-long running fest brings music from one end of town to the other all this week– most of it free. Host Bianca Martin talked to the two organizers of the event, Wisconsin Union Theater artist services manager Kate Schwartz and Arts + Literature Laboratory co-director Jolynne Roorda, about their vision for the festival. Then, as a special treat, Bianca t...

It’s been just over a week since UnityPoint Health-Meriter nurses ended their strike and got back to work with a new contract in hand. Roughly 1,000 unionized nurses walked off the job May 27 to demand better safety measures, pay increases, and adequate staffing levels. To get a better picture of what conditions are like inside the hospitals and what the nurses were fighting for, executive produce...

Happy Friday! The end of the work week means it’s time for the Friday news roundup.  Striking Meriter nurses return to work after ratifying a new two-year contract. And controversy grows over the Wisconsin Historical Society’s decision to break tradition and not fly the pride flag. Host Bianca Martin is joined by Madison Minutes newsletter editor Rob Thomas to discuss it all. Plus, if you’ve ever...

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland, so you can bet Madison knows a thing or two about ice cream. But with such an abundance of flavors to choose from, whose cream reigns supreme? The whole City Cast Madison crew is on a mission to find out. Listen in as we eat our way through Madison’s best ice cream. You’ll never guess who our favorite is. 🍦 You k...

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is expected to issue a host of decisions on some major legal cases this month. What’s the rush? Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring and the justices must issue decisions on all of the cases they’ve heard arguments for before the term ends on June 30. The clock is  ticking. To get the details on the court’s inner workings and the cases before it, we spoke with Erin McG...

Been to any good shows lately? Madison is getting a brand new music venue in a historic east side building later this month. Atwood Music Hall opens June 13 with a star-studded show and continues the month with a nod to all the talent Madison has to offer. Ahead of the opening, host Bianca Martin sat down with venue owner Toffer Christensen to learn about the new space and get his takes on where M...

It’s officially June, which means it’s Pride Month, y’all! On paper, Madison is a pretty queer-friendly city. Many of our government officials, from City Council to the U.S. Senate, identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The city and county are both self-proclaimed trangender sanctuaries. We also have tons of queer-owned businesses, several LGBTQ+ non-profits, and drag shows galore. But even wi...

It may have been a shortened week but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a newsy one! The City Cast Madison team is here for the Friday news roundup to fill you in on the stories you need to know. Host Bianca Martin has the latest on the historic UnityPoint Health - Meriter nurses strike. Producer Jade Iseri-Ramos gives a sobering update on the search for a missing boater on Lake Monona. And executive pr...

Summer is here! The city is buzzing with life and the City Cast Madison team is here with tips for how to make the most out of June in Madison. From festivals and flotillas to pinball and heavy metal, there’s truly something for everyone. Are you ready for it? Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram!  You can get...

It’s mushroom season y’all! And more importantly, it’s morel mushroom season. These coveted fungi can fetch $50 per pound at your local farmers’ market. But they’re free to pick in state parks and forests — if you can find them. So where do you look? We turned to expert Melissa Klotka to find out. This show originally aired on May 25, 2023. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail a...

None of us are perfect. Everyone’s got that thing they do as a Madisonian that could be considered toxic, whether it's actually hurting somebody else or not. It’s time to spill the tea on Madison’s most toxic traits, from bad manners on the bike trail to the sorry state of our lakes. The City Cast Madison team dishes on our hot takes, plus we hear from you! What’s Madison’s most toxic trait? Tune...

Buckle up because it’s time for another Friday news roundup! The City Cast Madison podcast team is here to break down the biggest local stories of the week. Producer Jade Iseri-Ramos has news on some exciting new construction around town, including a new 911 operations center and the Imagination Center. Executive producer Hayley Sperling has the latest on the impending nurses’ strike. And host Bia...

Madison’s restaurant scene is growing, and fast. Blink and you just might miss your next favorite place to eat. To catch us up on what’s new and notable in town, we chat with Lindsay Christians, food and culture editor at the Cap Times. Her latest article highlights 24 newly opened restaurants in Madison, as well as some recent closures. Hungry? Let’s dig in.  Join us every Thursday as we explore...

The Madison Mallards are celebrating their 25th season this year! This is a pretty big deal, considering Madison historically has never had a taste for baseball. Today, we’re taking a look back at the team’s origin story, how they helped shape the world of collegiate summer baseball, and how they changed the city’s attitude toward the sport. To get the details, we spoke with Tom Alesia, longtime l...

It’s Tuesday, and we’re taking Must See Madison on the road! Producer Jade Iseri-Ramos is on a mission to experience some of the best day trips Wisconsin has to offer. Her first stop? Dr. Evermor's Sculpture Park in Sauk County. Host Bianca Martin caught up with Jade after her trip to get the details. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast...