Northside Festival 2026
Saturday, September 12th 11AM - 3PM Mallards | Night Mares Stadium

A Free Community Newspaper Published Bimonthly by the Northside Planning Council

WARNER PARK COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER

by Zach Watson (Facility Manager)

The KNOW Program is offering an exciting lineup of free programs for youth ages 11–18 this spring and summer. In May, we launched our eight-week Hair Braiding and Eyelash Extension classes; and in June, we kicked off a free eight-week Acting Class for middle schoolers, giving youth a space to explore their creativity and build confidence. There’s still time to register for our STEM program focused on app development, starting this July.

We’ve also expanded into Northside schools through partnerships with Madison East High School and Shabazz High School, bringing KNOW programming directly to students. Guest speakers have joined us to cover key life skill development topics, including financial literacy, mental health and careers in the trades industry. Plus, we’re excited to share that we’ve teamed up with NewBridge Madison to host a Health Screening Event on May 30, focused on health prevention and connecting families to local resources.

For any program sign-ups, reach out to Program Coordinator Marquis Sanders at msanders@cityofmadison.com.

Our Family Fun Night series continues to be a community favorite, even as construction on our new gym space moves forward. While some larger activities are temporarily paused, we’re filling each evening with movie screenings, arts and crafts, face painting, balloon twisters, and delicious food options. We do not have Family Fun Night in July or August, but we are planning some other events for those months.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to announce an upcoming Food Cart Festival this August, in partnership with FEED Kitchens. Stay tuned, more details will be coming soon. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.

Lastly, while the WPCRC expansion project takes shape, we continue to be available to host your birthday party, wedding, baby shower and other community event rentals. Our new alcohol services provider, Cafe Coda, will take the reins as we head into the summer season and beyond. Please contact them directly at cafecodabooking@gmail.com to have alcohol services provided at your next WPCRC event.

Check out our programs and stay connected by liking our Facebook page @WarnerParkCRC.

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