La Fête de Marquette is Madison’s midsummer celebration of good food, great music, and even better community. And following a two-year hiatus, Fête is back and bigger than ever.

Coming back to the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood, the four-day French-inspired summer festival will take over McPike Park from Thurs., July 14-Sun., July 17. We’re exploring new features + best tips for making the most of your Fête, party on.

🗓 The schedule

La Fête kicks off with its first performance at 4:30 p.m. on Thurs., July 14 and will continue to host artists, food + beverage vendors, and movie screenings all weekend long. For a full list of artists and activities, see the Fête lineup.

✨ New to the festival

During its two off years, the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center — the host of our party — made a few changes to the festivities. Updates include:

Lafayette stage: Located in the Research Products just north of the park, the fourth stage will feature many of Fête’s Cajun and zydeco bands.
Wine garden: The neighborhood spoke, and Wil-Mar listened. The new “sparkling” wine garden will now offer a greater selection of spirits for anyone beer-averse.
2nd line music procession: In traditional New Orleans fashion, the new walking musical parade will tour the area and end at the party. Wanna be in the parade? Contact the Center at 608-257-4576.

🎉 Returning festival favorites

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Returning Fête classics:

Three live music stages: Sun, Moon, and the Family Fete stages featuring classic Louisiana sounds + more.
Two feature films: Stick around after the shows for late-night screenings on Friday + Saturday.
One karaoke sing-off: Local youths aged 7-17 can face off in the Fête’s first ever contest on Sun., July 17.

The only question left: What are you bringing to the party?