Shake the Lake Event Information

As you likely know, Festival Foods Shake the Lake, produced by the Madison Mallards, will take place downtown again on Saturday, June 29. As in previous years, this major event will bring several thousand attendees downtown. John Nolen Drive will be closed between South Broom Street and South Blair Street for the festival that starts at 5:00 p.m., and for viewing the fireworks to be staged over Lake Monona starting at 10:00 p.m. Live music stages will be located at the east and west sides of the Monona Terrace tunnel on John Nolen Drive. Stage performances will occur from 5:00 p.m. until the 10:00 p.m. fireworks show. The fireworks show is expected to last up to 30 minutes, and a choreographed soundtrack will be available on Madison iHeart Media radio stations. A full Shake the Lake schedule and additional information is available at shakethelake.org. Admission is free. Tickets are available for purchase to a viewing area on the Monona Terrace Rooftop.

John Nolen Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic between South Broom and South Blair Streets from 6:00 a.m. Saturday until 6:00 a.m. Sunday. South Broom Street will remain open to and from John Nolen Drive. Wilson Street and Williamson Street will also remain open. Additionally, starting at 9:45 p.m., John Nolen Drive will be closed between Olin Avenue and South Broom Street. This section of John Nolen Drive will only be closed during the fireworks show to keep drivers from parking on John Nolen Drive—until approximately 11:15 p.m. In the event of the fireworks being postponed due to rain or other conditions, the event would take place on Sunday, the 30th, and road closures would be similar to the above. The music and entertainment portions are rain or shine and would not be re-scheduled to Sunday. In addition, the Capital City Trail (bike path) between Broom Street and Blair Street will be closed from 4:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. for safety reasons. Bicycles will be allowed in the event zone, but need to be walked in the event zone. Bicycle parking will be available under both ends of Monona Terrace.

Event organizers will have staff direct pedestrians and traffic in and around the event area. Event access will only be permitted from Broom Street, Blair Street and via the Monona Terrace parking helixes. A security fence has been erected the length of the railroad corridor and will be secured during the event. “No event access” barricades and signage will be posted along the Wilson Street corridor to direct people from entering the dead-end streets unless they have final destinations on those streets. The intersection of South Hamilton, South Henry and West Wilson Streets will be staffed by the Mallards to properly direct motorists and pedestrians at that busy location.

The Madison Streets Division will be providing additional services to the neighborhoods surrounding the event area on Monday, July 1. All residences and businesses in the Bassett and First Settlement Neighborhoods (the area between East and West Washington Avenues and John Nolen Drive) will receive refuse and recycling pick-up on Monday morning. This is in addition to the regular service to be provided on Friday, July 5. Downtown residents are welcome to leave their refuse and recycling carts out on the street terrace Saturday to be used by pedestrians. Downtown streets will be swept as needed on Monday. The Madison Parks Division will provide additional cleaning of Brittingham Park and Crowley Station, and supply extra refuse/recycling containers in those areas. Event organizers are responsible for clean-up effort in the event area on Saturday night and Sunday.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Enjoy the weekend!