Madisonians young and old came together to celebrate the city's 150th birthday in a large-scale bash featuring ethnic dancing, children's events and more than 4,000 pieces of cake Sunday.

The interactive celebration took place at the Monona Terrace and brought together residents of all ages and from all parts of Madison.

Before the ceremonial cutting of the cake and singing of "Happy Birthday," Mayor Dave Cieslewicz thanked attendees and dedicated the celebration to the future of the city.

"This is an opportunity for all of us to come together as one big Madison family and just celebrate what a great city we have to live in," Cieslewicz said. "This is an opportunity to look to our future and plan to make Madison an even better place 150 years from now."

Among those in attendance were not only longtime citizens of Madison, but also children and new residents celebrating their future in the city.

Highlights of the event included cultural dance performances from Puerto Rico, India, Native America and Scotland, exhibits about the history of Madison and artistic displays from local high schools.

Children also had opportunities to create their own birthday hat, have their face painted or watch a puppet show.

Kevin Kraemer, a Madison resident since 1995, attended the birthday bash with his family and said the most enjoyable part of the afternoon was that it was so child-oriented.

The event was important to him, he added, because it gives people something to look forward to.

"It gives [residents] hope for new things to come and lets people give their input for the future," Kraemer said.

Cieslewicz agreed one of his favorite parts of the celebration was the amount of children present to enjoy the historic occasion. He also said the call to peace and the symbolic drumming was very moving for everyone in the audience.

But the mayor added the best part of any party, of course, is the cake.

"I've got to tell you, the best part for me is the sheet cake — you just can't beat the sheet cake," he said. "And the singing of 'Happy Birthday' with all those wonderful voices, well, it just doesn't get any better than that."

On a more serious note, Cieslewicz added he feels honored to be part of such a large and important event and said the event allows residents to not only live in the present, but also examine the past and look to the future of Madison.

"You can't really know where you're going until you know where you have been," he noted. "It's a really great moment for Madison, and there's a lot to talk about, even though we do still have some challenges."

For Connie Wall, a 33-year Madison inhabitant, the celebration was especially moving. She said she attended the event because of her appreciation for the city and for its people.

"I think Madison has made so much progress in the past 150 years," Wall added. "It's just such a positive environment to live in."

According to Dick Wagner, chair of Madison Sesquicentennial Commission, the event was part of an annual affair called "Celebrate Madison." He added the commemorative events will go on throughout the year to enjoy everything the city of Madison has to offer.

"This is your party and your city," Wagner said. "We should keep the celebration and the spirit going beyond just today."