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The 44th annual Madison Street Festival is Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Historic Downtown Madison, Alabama, and it is completely free to attend!
The Madison Street Festival reminds us just how much is happening right here in our hometown! Tens of thousands of people will fill downtown for the parade, shopping, food, live entertainment, kid-friendly fun, local businesses, and so much more.
Here is exactly what to know before you go. I hope this information helps you enjoy the festival grounds!
Downtown parking is limited, but the festival offers free, continuous shuttle service throughout the day, including handicap-accessible MARS buses. You can choose from two locations.
2. CrossPointe Church: 78 Hughes Road
During the parade and street closures (approximately 8:45–10 a.m.) the CrossPointe route will use the Wise Street drop-off. When you are ready to leave, catch the return shuttle to CrossPointe from Fellowship of Faith Church on Maple Street.
The Madison Street Festival parade starts at 9 a.m. and usually lasts about 30–40 minutes. It is a fun look at how cool our community us (especially for kids!), so bring a bag for candy and goodies tossed along the route.
Try to be parked by 8:30 a.m. if the parade is on your must-do list. Grab a spot along the curb on Church Street to watch the parade so that you can skip hauling folding chairs around all day if you can.
Food is spread throughout the festival, including Main Street and other downtown areas. Expect 36 food trucks and vendors with barbecue, pizza, international food, funnel cakes, lemonade, kettle corn, ice cream, snacks, and all the festival favorites.
Any good festival should have fantastic, memorable food options, and the options at The Madison Street Festival never disappoint. Don’t miss it!
You can definitely walk through quickly if you’re short on time, but the festival is way more fun when you give yourself time to wander slowly and really appreciate each vendor and festival area! After the parade, the crowd spreads out across downtown, with places to shop, eat, watch, explore, and let the kids play.
Look for:
You can preview the festival areas on the official Madison Street Festival attractions page.
The festival is a wonderful chance to meet vendors, but do not forget the local storefronts right in the middle of it all. Many Downtown Madison businesses will be open during their regular Saturday hours and would love to see you! Main Street Madison has attracted some of our city’s best and brightest in the business scene, so definitely take advantage of popping in from one to the next!
The Madison Street Festival’s third annual Stuff the Bus collection will help meet practical needs for Madison City Schools students. Festival guests can bring items like deodorant, snacks, and classroom supplies and drop them directly on the school bus parked at Front Street and Sullivan Street.
It’s a very easy way to do something tangible while you are already out enjoying the day!
Can’t make the festival but want to donate items? Madison City Schools’ Central Office is now collecting donations in advance. You may also shop directly from Stuff the Bus’s Amazon wishlist.
The train may run during festival hours. Organizers hope it will not stop on the tracks, but it is possible. If it does, please do not cross over or between train cars!
Yes, it is a really fun Saturday in downtown Madison, but it also gives back! The Madison Street Festival is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that supports local educational opportunities and literacy through its community grant program. The wonderful, heartwarming grant reception is held annually just a few months after the festival, and it’s thrilling to see so many educational ventures made possible by your participation and attendance at the festival!
Yes. Admission is free, and festival activities are designed to be accessible for the community.
The parade begins at 9 a.m.
Use the free festival parking and shuttle service at Madison City Stadium, 211 Celtic Drive, or CrossPointe Church, 78 Hughes Road.
Yes. MARS buses serving the festival shuttle routes are handicap accessible.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Comfortable walking shoes, water, a bag for parade candy and purchases, and a Stuff the Bus donation if you are able.
Make a plan, take the shuttle, come hungry, and give yourself time to wander. The Madison Street Festival is one of Madison’s best days of the year, and it’s a very easy way to spend a fall Saturday making memories close to home.
For the latest official updates, vendor information, maps, and festival announcements, visit madisonstreetfestival.org.
PHOTOS BY CAPTURED BY CRISTIE 2025
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