Plan Ahead for Farmers' Market Saturdays; City to Close Capitol Square to Traffic

posted June 30, 2023 – 10:46am

Anyone planning to visit downtown Madison on a Saturday this summer should plan to park and walk a bit further to get to the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Square; the eight blocks immediately surrounding the square will be closed to motor vehicles.

The Capitol Square and surrounding streets will be closed off to motor vehicle traffic from 8 am to 1:30 pm each Saturday this summer during Dane County Farmers' Market Events to keep the large and increasingly growing crowds safe while enjoying the market.

The blocks of the following streets directly adjacent to the Capitol will be closed:

East and West Mifflin Street
North and South Carroll Street
East and West Main Street
North and South Pinckney Street

City of Madison will close these blocks to traffic during the market and additional permitted events downtown to prioritize safety for pedestrians that often overflow into the streets when sidewalks are crowded.

Metro Transit buses will continue on the Outer Loop detour as usual for the Farmers’ Market.

A traffic lane will be maintained on S Carroll Street from West Washington Ave to S Hamilton Street for access to and from the Best Western Premier Park hotel.

City licensed vendors, event organizers, restaurant operators and farmers will have access to their sites during the closure.

The square will be open to traffic before 8 am. As the Farmers' Market opens at 6:30 am, anyone who has ordered wholesale, in bulk or has accessibility needs, should plan ahead to pick up before the streets close at 8 am. Accessible parking spaces in the downtown off of the square will still be available all day.