Concerts on the Square
| Concerts on the Square | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Pops & Classical Orchestra |
| Begins | 7 pm Wednesday nights starting the last week of June |
| Frequency | Weekly late June to late July |
| Locations | King Street corner of the Capitol Square, Madison, Wisconsin |
| Years active | 40[1] |
| Inaugurated | 1983[1] |
| Attendance | 35,000 per concert in 2019[2] |
| Budget | $183,350 per concert |
| Organised by | Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra |
| Website | wcoconcerts |
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's Concerts on the Square is a free outdoor concert series held each summer in Madison on the lawn of the Wisconsin State Capitol. The series consists of six concerts on Wednesday evenings with a rain date of Thursday in the case of inclement weather.[3] It has been called "The Biggest Picnic of Summer" and "Quintessential Madison".[4] 2023 marked the 40th season.[1]
Each Wednesday, the street opens at 5 PM and features food, drink, and merchandise vendors.
The series costs approximately $1.1 MM to produce and according to an economic impact study performed in 2023, provides over $15 MM in economic value to downtown Madison over the course of six weeks in the summer.
Concerts on the Square is funded through Corporate and Business sponsorships, Individual donations, and table reservations. Table reservations can be made by the general public and are tax-deductible contributions.
In 2023 Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra founded the Volunteer Affiliate program, allowing small local businesses to support the event series through the value of volunteer time. In exchanges, the six selected businesses receive brand recognition leading up to and at the events.
References
- 1 2 3 Hildebr, Charlie (6 March 2023). "Concerts on the Square returns for 40th season". WMTV. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ↑ Christians, Lindsay (9 April 2020). "Updated: Concerts on the Square moves five weeks, to start July 28". The Cap Times. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ↑ Christians, Lindsay (6 March 2023). "Concerts on the Square returns this summer with big screens and ballet". The Cap Times. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ↑ "History - Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra". Archived from the original on 2013-06-01. Retrieved 2013-04-11.