June 10, 2026 – On Sunday, June 21, the summer solstice, nineteen cities and towns throughout Wisconsin will join forces to present hundreds of free musical events on the summer solstice. It’s all part of Make Music Day, a global music celebration bringing people of all ages and skill levels together to experience the joy and camaraderie of making music. Go to www.makemusicday.org/wi for more info.
Appleton, Ashland, Beloit, Cable, Cross Plains, DeForest, Green Bay, Kenosha, Land O’ Lakes, Madison, Middleton, Milwaukee, Platteville, Spooner/Shell Lake, Stevens Point, Sun Prairie, Superior, Verona, and Waunakee are among the 150+ U.S. cities with chapters hosting thousands of Make Music Day performances nationwide, as part of the world’s largest annual music event.
Make Music Day began in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique, and today it is celebrated in thousands of cities around the world. Distinct from a traditional music festival, Make Music Day is a free and open invitation for everyone to perform, teach, learn, and experience the joy of making music on the longest day of the year. Reimagining their cities and towns as stages, every kind of musician – young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion – pours onto streets, parks, plazas, porches, rooftops, gardens, and other public spaces to create and share music with friends, neighbors, and strangers.
Since Make Music Madison brought Make Music Day to Wisconsin in 2013, over 7,000 free concerts have taken place across the state on June 21, coordinated by the Make Music Alliance and Create Wisconsin.
“Make Music Day is such a great local and worldwide event,” says Anne Katz, Director of Create Wisconsin. “Humans have been expressing themselves musically and artistically since the beginning of time, and Make Music Day gives people the chance to express themselves with their families, friends, and neighbors, right at home. We’re proud of all the people and communities hosting Make Music Day throughout Wisconsin, in our largest cities to our smallest towns. What better way to welcome summer and celebrate our communities!”
Highlights of Make Music Wisconsin 2026 include:
- Appleton: Make Music Appleton features an afternoon of family-friendly activities outside the History Museum at the Castle. Dance along with bubbles during Rondini’s Bombastic Bubbles, release your inner percussionist during Bucket Drumming, and join Singing Resistance Fox Cities to sing for love, unity, peace, equality and humanity. There will also be an instrument petting zoo throughout the event and a guitar and percussion jam for all ages.
- Ashland: The Melody Singers will perform at Otis Park, Nathan Parent will play at Pearson Plaza, and other musicians are invited to play at Ashland’s downtown parks and street corners between 10am – 3pm.
- Beloit: Make Music Beloit returns for its fourth year, with more than 35 performances throughout the Greater Beloit area. A diverse mix of new venues (including Beloit’s municipal golf course!) and new musicians join the celebration this year, bringing music to non-traditional spaces and creating a fun and unique way to celebrate Father’s Day weekend.
- Cable: Make Music Cable is partnering with the Cable Community Farm to celebrate the Summer Solstice with music and dance. There will be circle dances, tai chi, the debut of a new community choir, an open mic for songs and poetry, a harmonica workshop, and an instrumental jam session, along with garden tours and herbal wellness activities. The Cable Community Farm will unveil its new pavilion and showcase the hard work of everyone involved.
- Cross Plains: Join the second Make Music Cross Plains, celebrated in parks, the new Lions Legacy Pavilion, homes, and local businesses. All are welcome to take part in events for Boomwhackers and bells, bucket drumming, Flowerpot Music and so much more!
- Green Bay: Make Music Green Bay includes music exploration activities at the Children’s Museum, Leon Timbo performing at the Levitt AMP Green Bay Music Series, the Chamber Musicians of Green Bay on a porch concert at the historic Kaftan House, and an acoustic performance by Nathan Grajeda in Titletown.
- Kenosha: Make Music Kenosha celebrates its 6th year with a citywide day of music, creativity, and community featuring exciting first-time events at the Kemper Center and Uptown’s Kenosha Emerging Leaders Academy. Festivities will include a parking lot party at the 58th Street lot hosted by Would You Kindly?, a day rave at Anna’s On The Lake, music bingo at 58 Below, a music industry panel / writing circle, a kids open mic with “Boomwhacker Hero,” a late night open jam hosted by Miss B Haven, and bucket drumming with paint!
- Land O’Lakes: Join Make Music Land O’ Lakes for a performance by father/daughter duo “Wingin’ It,” followed by an open jam.
- Madison: Make Music Madison is excited to present its 14th annual event with over 400 performances at more than 150 venues. The city will become a stage with music of all styles, plus participatory performances including circle singing, harmonica and dance lessons, and tons of karaoke and jam sessions. Join a yoga session accompanied by a live handpan performance to celebrate International Yoga Day, and stop by Garner Park for Make Filipino Music Madison, celebrating Filipino music, food and more.
- Milwaukee: The Wisconsin Lutheran College Auditorium will host Make Music Milwaukee’s participation in the national “Sousapalooza” program, conducted by Karen Lippert, where all wind band players are invited to gather and sight-read the quintessentially American music of The March King, John Philip Sousa. Make Music Day at the Washington Park Media Center features free, interactive Street Studio sessions, with events running from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, offering all-ages opportunities for live sampling, field recording, looping, and interactive production alongside local artists
- Platteville: In its eleventh year, Make Music Platteville presents many returning favorites – including Piano in the Park, Flute Choir Mass Appeal, Prairie Lights String Band, Roy Schroedl, and artists in a plethora of styles throughout the community – as well as two returning featured initiatives. “Sousapalooza” at City Park will bring area community band members together to play the music of John Philip Sousa. And “Grown Up Solo & Ensemble – No Judgment” is a takeoff of the Wisconsin School Music Association’s spring festival, but for adult alumni. Participants will learn a piece from a specific list, and accompanists will be on hand to sight-read the music with their soloist!
- Spooner and Shell Lake. These two towns just 5 miles apart will celebrate their third annual Make Music Day with many family-friendly events – a great way to spend time with dad on Father’s Day! The ever-popular Bucket Drumming at the Beach will be led by Aimee Kringle, immediately followed by a steel pan demonstration and chance to try this wonderful instrument from Trinidad and Tobago. Another family event is Boomwhackers and Other Noise Makers at Railroad Park in Spooner, and the Shell Lake Arts Center will feature an evening concert by its Jazz Camps’ renowned faculty in the Aderman Auditorium. Rain or shine, there’s an event for everyone.
- Stevens Point: Make Music Stevens Point will take place on the Mathias Mitchell Public Square from 12-3pm, with buskers, harmonicas and drumsticks available for the public.
- Sun Prairie: Featured events for Make Music Sun Prairie include a body percussion workshop with 100 Steps, a community singing circle with Morgan Gates, “Make a Kazoo” with the GO-CART art team, and singer-songwriters at the Sun Prairie Public Library.
- Superior: MoSoPro is leading the charge for this year’s Make Music Superior, with a vibrant 8-hour music festival at The Lot, a brand-new outdoor stage in Superior’s Business Improvement District. Throughout the city, venues will come alive with music and activities while art, food, and craft vendors will add to the festivities.
- Verona: Make Music Verona invites the community to celebrate with live music at the new multicultural community space ART House 360, headlined by Verona-based phenom Paige Kleber, winner of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Rising Star award.
For more information, visit makemusicday.org/wi or contact Create Wisconsin at 608 255 8316 | [email protected].
About Make Music Day and the Make Music Alliance: Held annually on June 21 to coincide with the Summer Solstice, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique taking place in more than 2,000 cities around the world. The day-long, musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. This year, over 150 U.S. cities are organizing Make Music celebrations, encompassing thousands of music-making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is supported by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visit makemusicday.org.
About Create Wisconsin: Create Wisconsin is the state’s only independent community cultural development, service, and advocacy organization, acting as a convener and catalyst to grow and strengthen growth, tourism, access to the arts for all, and community vibrancy. www.createwisconsin.org