Venue Information

Brat Fest, which bills itself as "World's Largest Brat Fest", is an annual fundraiser that is held in Madison, Wisconsin.
The event has been held every Memorial Day weekend since 1983, when it was launched by Tom Metcalfe, an area businessman who owned the Hilldale Mall location of Sentry Foods in Madison. The event was initially held in the parking lot in front of the Metcalfe's Sentry store. Bratwurst, hotdogs, soft drinks, and Yves veggie brats are served at the festival. The event was initially intended as a customer appreciation event for people who shopped at Metcalfe's Sentry grocery, but soon evolved into a fundraiser for local charities.Tom Metcalfe's sons, Tim and Kevin, are now coordinators for the event.

Many non-profit groups donate grillers and servers. Local celebrities and politicians volunteer time as servers during the event. Past servers have included Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.208,752 brats were consumed during the ...