Also, because it's a state capital and has many natural resources to offer, Madison attracts many large, regional trade shows devoted to fishing, hunting, boating, etc. In the warmer months, hardly a weekend goes by without something lively happening on the Capitol Square. Setting the pace is the bountiful Farmers' Market each Saturday, but that's only the beginning. There are art and book fairs, weekends filled with live music and picnics on the Capitol grounds. They're invited to come down to the State Capitol once a year, too.
Few cities offer as many fun, free choices.
Before listing events in this chapter, we like to know they've stood the test of time. One of the more exciting additions is the five-day Wisconsin Film Festival slated for the spring of '99 in Madison. Kite flyers from all over the world are expected to participate. A Downtown St. Patrick's Day parade is likely to be repeated for the second time in 1999, and a series of free concerts featuring various Madison musicians is expected to be renewed at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in fall and winter. When the weather is nice, the concerts are performed outdoors in the rooftop William T. Evjue Gardens.