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NewCultureChurch

(Sunday, September 13 · 12 to 4 PM)

The Good Neighbor
Gathering.

A free afternoon in Brittingham Park for the whole near west side. Live music, dancing, food carts, a climbing wall, and a few hundred neighbors in one place. No tickets, no registration, nothing to sign up for. Just come.
A taiko drumming ensemble performing on the lawn in front of the Brittingham Park shelter at the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering, with the festival banner behind them and neighbors watching from picnic tables

Please read this bit

There is no 11 AM service that Sunday.

We are not meeting at 301 S Bedford Street, Suite 219 on September 13. The whole church is at Brittingham Park instead, from noon to 4, setting up, serving, and staying to enjoy it. If you are new and were planning your first Sunday with us, come to the park. It is genuinely a better introduction than a row of chairs.

Sign up to help →Directions to the park

When

Sunday, September 13

12 to 4 PM

Where

Brittingham Park

829 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53715

How much

Free

No tickets, no registration

Bring

A blanket

Sunscreen, water, and cash or card for the food carts

The Madison Good Neighbor Gathering seen from above: a stage beside the Brittingham Park shelter, families spread across the lawn, an inflatable slide under the trees, and Monona Bay behind

Organized by neighbors, for neighbors

This is our Sunday.

Brittingham Park, with Neighborhood House and the District 13 neighborhood associations. Photos are from previous years.

Three ways to be part of it

There is room for everyone.

Most needed

Volunteer

Setup, running an activity, welcoming people, tearing down. No experience needed and no long commitment. An hour genuinely helps.

Sign up →

Bring something

Table or perform

Vendors, community resource tables, and performers all go through Neighborhood House. Submitting the form is not a confirmed spot; they review every one and come back to you.

Apply →

Or give

Sponsor it

The whole day is free because neighbors and local businesses pay for it. Donations go to Neighborhood House, who hold the budget.

Donate →Sponsor

On the stage

Music and dancing.

  • Around noon

    Red Rose with Raquel Aleman

    Live music

  • Around 1 PM

    Black Power Dance

    Dance

  • Around 2 PM

    Ballet Folklórico

    Traditional Mexican folk dance

Times are approximate and more performers are still being added. The festival's own site has the final schedule closer to the day.

Around the park

For the kids, mostly.

  • *Bouncy structures and inflatables
  • *A rock climbing wall
  • *Science and discovery with the Wisconsin Science Festival
  • *Madison Children's Museum interactive play
  • *Live animal ambassadors from Vilas Zoo
  • *Free family portraits
  • *Community resource tables

Based on previous years. The 2026 lineup is still coming together, so treat this as the shape of the day rather than a promise.

Previous years

What the day looks like.

A Ballet Folklórico dancer in a bright blue ruffled dress and a feathered headdress, performing at the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering with a Mexican flag behind herA child in a harness partway up the portable rock climbing wall at the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering, with another climber starting up beside themChildren climbing on the inflatable obstacle course at the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering, with Monona Bay and the trees behind themA dad helping a small boy at a bubble and water play table on the grass at the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering, with other children waiting their turnFood carts at the Madison Good Neighbor Gathering, including a taqueria and a Jamaican kitchen, with a vendor at a red gingham table under a canopyA New Culture Church volunteer in a New Culture sweatshirt giving two thumbs up in front of the colorful streamer backdrop and GNG balloons at the free family portrait booth

Good to know

Getting there
Free street parking nearby, though it fills on a nice day. Several Metro routes stop close, and there are BCycle docks by the park.
Accessibility
Paved paths throughout. Strollers, wheelchairs and mobility devices are all fine.
Food
Food carts on site taking cash and card. Bringing a picnic is welcome too. It is an alcohol-free day.
Dogs
Yes, on a leash, and please clean up after them.
Weather
It only cancels for severe weather. The festival's Instagram is where any change gets posted first.
Kids
The whole thing is built for families. Nothing to book, just bring them.

Come and find us there.

Sign up to help →The festival's own siteEverything else coming up