It's Brat Fest!

Get in line for brats. 5/23/2026 dwm

 Forty-three years ago, Metcalfe's Grocery wanted to show appreciation for their customers and decided to fry brats in the store's parking lot with one grill and a few chairs.

 Since 2005 the Brat Fest is on Willow Island next to the Alliant Energy Center. It's a three-day celebration of brats and the unofficial start of summer with brats, beer, and live music.

 The brat is a big deal in Wisconsin. The fact that brats outsell hot dogs at Brewer home games, it's the only stadium in the country where that's true.

 In the late 1990s, before the Brat Fest reached the heights it enjoys today, the owners of Metcalfe's decided to let Madison area not-for-profits be the beneficiaries of the three day party.

Attendees eat 120,000 brats over 3 days. dwm

This year, the Oakwood Foundation joined the list of charities participating. The 100+ charities provide 3,200 volunteers who cover 16,500 hours to grill, serve food, facilitate recycling and composting, and keep the grounds safe and clean for the 100 - 125,000 people who show up Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

By the time I signed up for a job, the only one available was with the Sparkle team. We did our best to keep the recyclable items in the right can, the things to compost in their bin, and the rest in the trash.

My shift started at noon, so I arrived early to check-in and get the bright yellow t-shirt with a smiling bratwurst on the front. I joined more than a dozen others for instructions and what we needed to know for the afternoon.

The Brat Fest logo is in the background. dwm

 We were given gloves and litter pickers then sent to patrol in and around the stages, food stands, and waste receptacles on Willow Island. 

 The compost can was the most difficult because a biodegradable bag is used to catch the corn cobs, wrappers, and plates sent to the compost pile.

 The first one I tied up had a small tear, so I tried to tie it as gently as possible so it wouldn't get break. 

 The grounds were quite clean. That could be because of the sparkle teams but credit also goes to the festival goers who tried disposing items properly. I used the litter picker for stray wrappers and napkins as I noticed them and dropped them in the compost bin.

1 of 3 live music stages. 5/23/26 dwm

It was a beautiful day. 

There wasn't much shade, however, so it did get warm the longer you were in the sun. There was plenty of water available and I did my best to take advantage, drinking at least one bottle each hour.

Volunteers weren't the only ones wearing Brat Fest t-shirts, but it may have been the combination of wearing the shirt and carrying a litter picker, because I was stopped several times by guests asking how to find the VIP section; hole-in-one contest; or where the closest port-a-pottie.

Members of the University of Wisconsin marching band made their own route around the grounds, quickly attracting crowds for the short performances. 

UW Band musicians. 5/23/26 dwm

  I noticed Bucky Badger later, sitting in the crowd listening to a band performing on the Grand Stage. 

  It was a good day for me, but if I volunteer again, I'll try to sign up for a different task. 

  Volunteers earn $12 an hour that's paid to the charity they represent, which is wonderful. 

  The workers get a little something as well, coupons that can be used for a brat and scoop of ice cream. Volunteers receive the vouchers after checking out of their shift.

  The lines in the brat tent were as short as I saw them all day, when I got in line. I ordered a brat, then added brown mustard before finding a place to sit near the water (photo at bottom). After finishing that, I got in line for a generous scoop of cookie dough ice cream. 

If you're reading this Sunday, May 24, it's the final day of Brat Fest. If you can go, you should, there is no charge to park or get in. If you missed the 2026 edition, plan to attend in 2027.