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 25th.  Like last year, this is a major event that will bring several thousand attendees downtown.  John Nolen Drive will be closed between South Broom and South Blair Streets for the festival that starts at 4:00 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 4:00 p.m. until the 10:00 p.m. fireworks show.  The fireworks show is expected to last for 35 minutes and a choreographed soundtrack will be available on Madison iHeart Media radio stations.  A “Human Cannonball” launch in Lake Monona is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.  A full Shake the Lake schedule and additional information is available at http://shakethelake.org.  Admission is free.

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 10:45 p.m.  Bicycle parking will be available under both ends of Monona Terrace. 

The Madison Police Department and numerous other public agencies have been planning for this event for many months.  Downtown neighborhoods will benefit from an increased police presence to keep people and property safe.  In addition, event organizers will have staff direct pedestrians and traffic in and around the event area.  Event access will only be permitted from Broom and Blair Streets and via the Monona Terrace parking helixes.  A security fence is being 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, June 27th .  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 Thursday, June 30th .  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!

Thanks,

Mike Verveer

Madison Common Council

(608) 576-4355