Posts Tagged ‘Stoughton’

Madison-area community festivals 2018

Sunday, May 6th, 2018

cherry-pie-hometown-days

Time again for my annual round-up of Madison-area community festivals, which begin next weekend. I can’t wait for the beer tents and live music! Amazingly, Madison County is booked for only one of these festivals (probably due to its large fees).

Events Dates Of note
Syttende Mai (Stoughton) May 18-20 The Norwegian celebration features a 20-mile run from downtown Madison to Stoughton. In addition, check out the strongman competition called the “Viking Games.”
Fitchburg Days May 18-20 Meanwhile, Fitchburg Days allows us to celebrate our Irish heritage in Fitchburg. That means annual performances by Pat McCurdy but not The Kissers this year. No more fireworks, either.
Verona Hometown Days June 1-3 Hometown Days is one day shorter this year, starting on Friday instead of Thursday. Organizers made up for it with two bands on Friday and two on Saturday, including mainstay Cherry Pie. The big parade takes place on Sunday.
Fireman’s Festival (Cottage Grove) June 14-17 This festival has a little bit of everything, from the Smokin’ Hot BBQ contest to a horse pull. Plus, Legion and Home Talent League baseball games take place all weekend.
Oregon Summer Fest June 21-24 See cars from all decades in the annual car show, and enjoy ribs and BBQ chicken at the Oregon-Brooklyn Lions Club “Thrilla on the Grilla.” Also, you have the opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride.
Monona Community Festival July 3-4 I’ve always enjoyed the hole-in-one challenge, which seems to be won with some frequency. And believe it or not, the festival hosts the annual Wisconsin Wife Carry Championship.
DeForest Area 4th of July Celebration July 3-4 Definitely the worst website of all the communities. The parade is the central feature. Assuming no changes from last year, expect a concert and pony rides.
Waunafest July 26-29 Waunakee has such strong community spirit, which is why this event has the largest attendance … and also the largest beer tent. Be warned that parking can be difficult. The Lions Club hosts a huge grass volleyball tournament.
Sweet Corn Festival (Sun Prairie) Aug. 16-19 As the name implies, you can’t attend this event without eating some of the 75 tons of sweet corn. Since the event is at Angell Park, you will see midget car racing and a tractor pull.
Middleton Good Neighbor Festival Aug. 24-26 Here we are at the end of the summer festival schedule. Check out the huge craft fair and the parade on University Avenue. Don’t drink too much, as there are only like five porta-potties, sadly.

Note: I didn’t include the McFarland Family Festival since it takes place in the fall.

The Weekend Ahead April 27-29, 2018

Thursday, April 26th, 2018

the-weekend-ahead

Here’s a rundown of some of the major events happening this weekend in the Madison, Wis., area:

Concerts, Musicals, Other Performances

Parties, Galas, Food-Related Events

Sports, Races

Other

Nauti Norske

Sunday, December 10th, 2017

20171126_114413Looks can be deceiving. The run-down exterior of the Nauti Norske in Stoughton is actually quite pleasant inside, with a surprisingly large outdoor patio space on the river. Think of this place as a destination to hang out with friends over a drink, with standard bar fare on which to nosh.

What I mean is that you’re not coming here for the food. For example, the pretzel braids ($4.95) were bland despite their buttery sheen. The ground mustard helped a little, but it, too, was bland.

Other appetizers include the usual suspects: onion rings ($5.95), cheese curds ($6.95) and chicken wings ($6.50).

For something more substantial, you’re left with sandwiches and pizzas. The former is served with chips or greens, or you can upgrade to steak fries or sweet potato fries for $2.

The patties in both burgers I tried were tiny and buried in a mountain of bread. In Odin’s burger ($10.95), you’ll mostly taste the bleu cheese crumbles, which mask the onion strings and chopped bacon.

20171126_112719The spicy burger ($9.95) did not live up to its name, despite the jalapenos, spicy cheese and Sriracha ranch sauce. That sauce was too heavy on the herbal flavor instead of the Sriracha flavor, and consequently, it detracted from this burger.

Pizzas include meat lovers and vegetarian. I ordered the Kraut pizza ($18 for 16″) and was pleasantly surprised. The thin crust is homemade and topped generously with cheese. I could have done without the onions, which were slightly undercooked, but the Canadian bacon added a nice saltiness, and the sauerkraut provided the crunch.

The patio space that I mentioned has its own bar, a fire pit, tables for two or more and deck chairs. It’s a nice place to listen to live music, and the owner will even give the occasional ride on his pontoon boat that’s parked on the pier.

The Nauti Norske serves dinner Wednesday-Sunday and lunch Friday-Sunday.

Nauti Norske Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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