City Cast Madison

If you’re new around here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Madison community.  September is a lively month in Madison. It’s the start of UW-Madison’s fall semester. And for this college town, that means that the campus returns to life and Badger football season is here! So expect more bright sounds from marching bands a...

It’s Friday! With the long weekend upon us, the City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Host Bianca Martin and interim newsletter editor Ava Wojnowski will tell you how to do Labor Day weekend right, including staying safe on the water and navigating street closures. Madison schools reopen next week, and district officials are cautiously optimistic that last year’s school bus trou...

Taste of Madison is right around the corner. The annual two-day festival brings dozens of food vendors to the Capitol Square Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and this year, the festival has 90 (!!) vendors and some exciting new additions. (Like manicures, shade tents, and free water to name a few.) To get the scoop on the event and what to expect, host Bianca Martin spoke with Sara Klemme, the president of Mad...

It’s no secret Madison has had a wet, hot, and itchy summer. Several early deluges of rainfall have created the perfect environment for mosquitoes to multiply and wreak havoc on ankles everywhere. And as the seasons change, so do the bloodsuckers in our environment. Host Bianca Martin spoke with Lyric Bartholomay, director of the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease, to get the de...

In this week’s edition of Must See Madison, the City Cast Madison team gives you suggestions for your next date adventure. Whether it’s with a partner, friend, or just by yourself, host Bianca Martin and executive producer Hayley Sperling have ideas that span across the city and budgets. From rooftop movies and outdoor art shows to pottery and luxury pedicures, here are some of our favorite date s...

When Mahanth Joishy became Madison’s Fleet Service Superintendent, the city had zero electric vehicles in its fleet. Now it has nearly a 100 and counting. Joishy is helping Madison reach its goal of running city operations on 100% renewable energy and with net zero carbon emissions, all by 2030. City Cast Madison host Bianca Martin finds out how.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voic...

City Council made its decision and now it's up to voters to decide how Madison solves its operating budget problems. A $22 million property tax referendum will go on the November ballot. What happens next? Host Bianca Martin and executive producer Hayley Sperling talk about how the city got here and what the future — potentially — holds. Also, mark your calendars because Bus Rapid Transit is offic...

Is your garden overflowing? As we start the transition from summer to fall you might find yourself wondering what exactly you can do with your garden and farmers’ market hauls. To help answer this seasonal conundrum, host Bianca Martin spoke with certified nutrition coach Crystal Ann Hanson to get tips on canning, fermenting, and freezing so you can enjoy your summer bounty all year long. Join us...

The popular Minneapolis singer, rapper, and poet Dessa will headline this year’s Orton Park Festival this Sunday, Aug. 25. Host Bianca Martin sits down with the musician ahead of her performance to ask about her roots in the Midwest, her past experiences performing in Madison, and her latest projects.   Mentioned in the show Who Am I Without My Voice [New York Times]  Dessa’s Minnesota primer [Ins...

Madison is a city full of creatives and bustling with ideas. But sometimes it can be hard to find spaces that truly let words flow and bring ideas to life. To get some input on where to find Madison’s best places for reading, writing, and thinking, host Bianca Martin caught up with Diya Dwahal, a Middleton high schooler and the winner of Madison Public Library’s 2023 We Read youth writing contest....

From providing affordable housing for women and families in need to helping folks land jobs in tech, the YWCA Madison truly does it all. The organization is hosting its annual nationally-recognized Racial Justice Summit in September and registration closes Aug. 26. To get the inside scoop on what to expect from this three-day community coalition building gathering, host Bianca Martin spoke with th...

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin and Hayley Sperling recap the August primary results and Wisconsin’s killer voter turnout numbers. Plus, this weekend is packed full of festivals including the Ju-Ju Annual Block Party, Eken Park Festival, OutReach Magic Pride Festival, and the Madison Black Restaurant Week Taste Jamboree. Also, do you have a thing for plan...

Madison may be a growing urban city, but farming is still a way of life for many locals. You don’t have to go far in this town to find a neighbor tending chickens, planting a produce garden, or even building a greenhouse. To get the scoop on what it takes to successfully grow at home, host Bianca Martin caught up with urban farmer and owner of Voss Organics, Mark Voss. Join us every Thursday as we...

Get up, get down, get together. That’s the motto behind Dane Dances, the annual summertime party that happens every Friday in August on the Monona Terrace rooftop. This year’s season is extra special because Dane Dances is celebrating 25 years of music, dance, and community. Host Bianca Martin caught up with the president of the organization Al Cooper to get the scoop on this year’s lineup and wha...

In this week’s installment of Must See Madison, we take a step back and look at the city’s past while preparing for the future. Madison’s building boom continues. Construction cranes dot the skyline. Huge new apartment buildings are in progress on many of Madison’s largest thoroughfares. But downtown, making way for the new means out with the old, and that means demolition of old buildings.  It le...

The August primary is nearly here! We’ve covered everything from how to vote on Election Day to the state legislative races and referendums on the ballot. Today, we’re diving into one of the most contested primaries, the race for Dane County Executive. To get the scoop on the four candidates vying for the seat, host Bianca Martin spoke with local government reporter at the Cap Times Allison Garfie...

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week, and it’s another big one. Executive producer Hayley Sperling digs into potential budget cuts that are becoming clearer for the city should it (or voters) decide not to move forward with a property tax referendum. That could mean fewer street repairs, shorter library hours, and the end of Goodman Pool?! Meanwhile, host Bianca Martin remin...

Wondering where you might grab your next bite to eat or drink? Why not try one of Madison’s newest bars, restaurants and cafes? Host Bianca Martin sits down with Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians who’s out with a new piece on our growing, dynamic food scene. Mentioned in the show: El Rancho Mexican Grill Molten Monkey Pizza Northside Lounge Public Parking Bar Mint Mark Ancora cafe  Atico Ca...

After years of planning and community input, the future of the $18.6 million, 16,000-square-foot “Imagination Center” at Reindahl Park is in limbo. With the city facing a potential multimillion-dollar budget deficit, the project has received little attention — District 17 Ald. Sabrina Madison is trying to change that. Host Bianca Martin spoke with Madison about why the center is so desperately nee...

The tables are turned in this week’s installment of Must See Madison. Producer and Madison (not-so) newbie Phil Surkis shares his experiences showing off our fair city to some out of town visitors and how he celebrated a special birthday the Madison way. Host Bianca Martin and executive producer Hayley Sperling join the conversation to talk boating, self care, fancy dinners, and impressing teenage...

Madison Comedy Week is in full swing and we’ve got the inside scoop on the shows you can’t miss. Host Bianca Martin caught up with Madison Comedy Week’s executive director and Madison-bred comedian Jake Snell to get the details on what to expect from this week of laughs and play a fun game of Madison-themed Would You Rather.  Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367...

The City Cast team is here to round up the news of the week. Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling, and Ava Wojnowski recap how a community is trying to heal after multiple deadly shootings at an east side apartment complex, why child care is only getting more expensive, and some good news for cranes but bad news for loons. Mentioned on the show: The shooting of Kyesha Miller [Channel 3000] The shooting...

Have you ever eaten four burgers in three minutes? What about lifted more than 600 pounds? Madison personal trainer Mike Onsrud has done both and he has the trophies to prove it. As the reigning burger-eating champ of the annual Strip Mall Carnival at the Muskellounge, host Bianca Martin caught up with Mike to get a look at what folks can expect from the Aug. 4 festival and how he personally balan...

If you’re new around here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Madison community.  August is moving season in Madison, which means boxes, trucks, and Hippie Christmas! This month will also bring some major community events like Ride the Drive, Sessions at McPike Park, Africa Fest, and Orton Park Festival. So buckle up becau...

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, protestors in Madison gathered day after day at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Amid calls for more diverse representation at the Capitol, a statue of Hans Christian Heg was torn down and tossed in the lake. And then, an idea was born: Wisconsin should create a statue memorializing civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips. She was the first woman judge in the st...