Daylight savings time doesn’t end until Nov. 6, but the days are getting shorter. There’s still time, though, to get out and enjoy all that Dane County has to offer if not before the snow starts to fly, then hopefully before it begins to accumulate.
Here are three starting points to get you out and about this fall, plus one indoor option.
Visit the Dane County Farmers’ Market
The country’s largest producers-only farmers’ market continues until Nov. 12. There’s nothing quite like browsing for fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, meats, cheeses, and plants peddled by regional vendors on the Capitol Square on a brisk fall morning. Plus, you’re guaranteed to meet some nice people along the way. The Dane County Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 6:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., but don’t forget about the Wednesday Market in the 200 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard, which is open weekly from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. through Nov. 2.
Take a Fall Hike
Any time is a good time for a hike, but VisitMadison.com spotlights five of the best places to soak in the gorgeous fall colors. They include the 17 miles of trails at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum; Picnic Point in UW-Madison’s Lakeshore Nature Preserve; Blue Mound State Park just west of Madison (which requires a vehicle admission sticker); Pheasant Branch Conservancy, which was named “Best of Madison” for running and biking by Madison Magazine readers; and Governor Nelson State Park (which also requires a state park pass) in the Town of Westport.
Navigate Corn Mazes and Pick Pumpkins
Fall in Wisconsin wouldn’t be the same without corn mazes. Getting lost in one can be fun (if not a little anxiety-inducing), and then there’s the thrill of emerging from a maze and celebrating with a glass of apple cider. Some of the best corn mazes in Dane County can be found at Schuster’s Farm in Deerfield, Enchanted Valley Acres in Cross Plains, Eugster’s Farm Market in Stoughton, and Treinen Farm in Lodi. Many corn maze sites also have pumpkin patches and pumpkins for sale.
Support Live Music
Most live music performances begin migrating indoors around this time of year, but there are plenty of big-name acts and well-worth-your-time regional and local acts playing at venues around the county this fall. From yacht rock captain Christopher Cross and progressive-rock icons Yes at the Orpheum Theater to psychobilly stalwarts Reverend Horton Heat and an album release party for Madison’s post-punk/modern-indie rockers Mission Trip at the High Noon Saloon, and from troubadour Todd Snider at the Barrymore Theatre to folk singer Dar Williams at the Stoughton Opera House and six-time Madison Area Music Awards winner Angela Puerta at the Overture Center Rotunda.
Fall is the favorite time of year for many people, and it’s easy to understand why. Now get out there and enjoy all that Dane County has to offer right now.
