Last Weekend’s Taste of Madison event, produced by Madison Festivals, Incorporated and sponsored by a host of local organizations, was a veritable smorgasbord. That isn’t a word that should be thrown around lightly, either. Certainly an eating event could be a feast or buffet, but those words fail to capture truly what the Taste of Madison is like.

Many notable restaurants participated in the event, including The Old Fashioned, Bluephies, Lombardino’s and Caf? Costa Rica. Anything from a delicious jambalaya offered by the Bourbon Street Grille or a chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick were available at an event that appealed to a diverse and large number of Madisonians.

The event indeed accomplished a level of unity that Madisonians rarely experience. It gave students a chance to experience the plethora of delicious cuisine that is normally unavailable in the downtown area, while providing families and mature residents of the Madison area with an excuse to head to the capital and frolic in the square.

Entertainment was provided by a smattering of Madison radio stations including Q103 and 93.1 Jamz, with stages placed at the four corners of the capitol loop. The diversity of acts appealed to a large number of people, and showcased a cross section of residents that a sociologist could only dream to recreate. Cowboy hats bobbed near the country stage, while tweens and high schoolers gathered to the hip-hop stage. While all this went down, tattooed twenty-somethings and middle-school aged boys in dark shirts formed an enclave in close proximity to hard rock stage.

The festivities ran all day Saturday and Sunday, with headlining acts performing on their respective stages at the end of each night. On Saturday bands Candelbox and Too White Crew performed, and on Sunday the 106.7 Jamz stage hosted Asher Roth. The collegiate rapper performed to a crowd packed into the intersection of East Washington and Pinckney.

The event also raised thousands of dollars for United Cerebal Palsy, which means that eating a lot (which many did) was a good thing (and it usually is). Though a variety of entertainment was offered, the music did not detract from the main focus of food. Tasty offerings at reasonable prices with a festive spirit is what this event is all about, and one can’t help but get excited as the next year’s Taste of Madison draws closer.