Fifth annual free Harvest Festival celebrates Urban Triage’s growing agriculture work and brings nearly 3,000 people together for food, family, music and a day on the farm
MADISON, Wis. (August 28, 2026) — Urban Triage is expanding access to fresh, organic produce across Madison, bringing food grown through its agriculture program into neighborhoods, community spaces and a new garden where residents can harvest produce for themselves.
The growth comes as Urban Triage prepares for its fifth Annual Harvest Festival, a free community celebration expected to bring nearly 3,000 people to the farm on Saturday, September 19, from 3–8pm at the Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability, 2299 Spring Rose Road in Verona.
This year’s theme, “More Than a Harvest: Black Soil, Bold Futures,” reflects what has grown around Urban Triage’s agriculture work over the past five years. The organization now grows and distributes fresh produce, provides agricultural education, creates places where people can harvest food themselves and brings thousands of people together each year to celebrate on the land.
This year, free organic produce is available through several locations across Madison:
- The Community Fridge at Madison Public Library’s Goodman South Madison Branch, 2222 S. Park St., stocked six days a week during regular library hours.
- Weekly Friday produce pickup at Little Tibet Market & Cafe, 1113 N. Sherman Ave.
- Weekly Thursday produce pickup from 1–4pm at Urban Triage, 2312 S. Park St.
- A free community garden at Heifetz Park, 924 Burr Oak Lane, created with the City of Madison and open seven days a week for people to harvest produce.
Urban Triage is also developing future produce distribution partnerships with the Wisconsin FoodShed and Grandad’s Farm Stop. Both facilities are still under development, with more information to come as they prepare to open.
The agricultural work will be on full display at Harvest Festival, but the day is also about bringing people together for food, family, culture, music and joy.
Nearly 3,000 people gather at the farm each year, and the festival is designed so families can spend the entire afternoon there without having to pay for admission, food, entertainment or children’s activities.
For children and families, the farm will be packed with things to do: bouncy houses, face painting, bubbles, a hands-on tightrope activity, drum making, a drum circle, a magic show, activities with Madison Children’s Museum, cotton candy, popcorn and a caramel apple table.
Throughout the farm, guests will also encounter stilt walkers, aerialists and jugglers. The day will feature African drummers and dancers, Milwaukee band Cigarette Break, a DJ, spoken word and line dancing.
There will be free food throughout the day, including complimentary beer and wine for adults, along with fresh produce. Local vendors and entrepreneurs will also be onsite.
Admission, food, entertainment, children’s activities and shuttle transportation are all free.
“We wanted to create a day where families can come out and actually enjoy themselves without spending the whole afternoon thinking about what everything costs,” said Brandi Grayson, founder and CEO of Urban Triage. “Bring your children and let them play. Eat good food. Dance. Listen to the drums and the music. Walk the farm. Sit with the elders. You don’t have to keep reaching into your pocket or telling your child no because the next thing costs money. For one day, we want people to come out, be together and enjoy what we’ve created together.”
Elders will have a dedicated area with servers and additional support so they can comfortably enjoy the festival. Golf carts will be available throughout the farm for elders and guests with mobility needs.
Urban Triage also provides free wheelchair-accessible shuttle service from its office at 2312 S. Park St. in Madison to the farm. Shuttle service begins at 2pm, and the final shuttle leaves the farm at 8pm.
Attendees who need shuttle transportation can reserve a spot by emailing info@urbantriage.org or alindenmeyer@urbantriage.org.
Harvest Festival grew alongside Urban Triage’s Supporting Healthy Black Agriculture program, which grows and distributes organic produce, provides agricultural education and creates opportunities for people to learn how food is grown and spend time on the land.
This year, that work also includes Less Noise Wellness, Urban Triage’s Wisconsin-grown hemp wellness brand. Less Noise Wellness will be onsite at Harvest Festival, giving adults 21 and older an opportunity to learn about the brand and purchase products.
Five years after the first Harvest Festival, the event has become a place where the different parts of Urban Triage’s agriculture work come together. Food grown on the farm reaches neighborhoods across Madison. Families come onto the land. Children experience agriculture alongside play. Elders are cared for. Entrepreneurs connect with thousands of community members. And for one afternoon, people get to eat, dance, laugh, learn and enjoy the farm together.
Harvest Festival is free and open to the public.
Urban Triage is also seeking volunteers to help make this year’s Harvest Festival possible. Those interested in volunteering can contact info@urbantriage.org for more information.
About Urban Triage
Urban Triage is a community-centered nonprofit based in Dane County, Wisconsin. The organization provides housing support, youth programming, agriculture, education, advocacy, systems navigation and direct services that help individuals and families build stability and create greater opportunities for themselves and their families.
Mission: Urban Triage transforms culture, institutions, and communities to ensure a humane future.
Vision: A world where everyone has the freedom, resources, and support to heal and self-actualize.
