Celebrate what parks make possible
Join us for Picnic in The Park • Saturday, October 10, 2026
Picnic in the Park, presented by Event Essentials, is Madison Parks Foundation’s signature fundraiser—an immersive, one-night-only experience that celebrates how free and low-cost programs bring parks to life, creating spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can connect.
Totally Tubular Sponsors
Westmorland Park, 2025
Photos by Matt Debnar
Rennebohm Park, 2024
Your support turns good parks into great ones.
City funding maintains our parks, but it’s donor support that brings them to life.
Your donations to Madison Parks Foundation make possible the programs and amenities that tax dollars can’t provide. Our work bridges the gap between basic maintenance and best-in-class parks, ensuring that every resident, in every neighborhood, has access to spaces that inspire, connect, and strengthen our community.
More than
1,200
Hours of free programming in parks each year
297+
Parks and open spaces
5,779+
acres of parkland
MORE THAN
5.5 Million
park visIts each year
Thousands of Acres, Millions of Moments
Why your support matters
Madison’s 5,779 acres of parks and open spaces welcome more than 5.5 million visits a year. Yet taxpayer funding contributes less than one dollar per park from each household—barely enough to maintain the basics. That’s where the Madison Parks Foundation steps in, funding the experiences and amenities that make Madison’s parks the best in the nation.
