REAP Food Group’s “Collard Fest” happening July 8

Join us Tuesday, July 8 from 6–9 PM at Olbrich Gardens for Collard Fest—a free community celebration of food, culture, and connection. Enjoy West African and Caribbean cuisine prepared by local chefs, explore a farm stand with fresh veggies from Firm Footing Farm, and experience an evening of storytelling, music, and garden learning.

6:00–8:30 PM
• Food Vendors: Enjoy collard greens and other dishes rooted in African diaspora foodways from Traderoots (Chef Yusuf Bin-Rella & REAP), Rasta Barista, and Woo’s Food to the Soul.
• Farm Stand: Stock up on fresh produce from Firm Footing Farm, a space cultivating equity and experimentation in agriculture.
• Discovery Cart & Companion Plantings: Learn how collards grow alongside celosia and calendula, and see how Olbrich’s Herb Garden is tracking pollinator activity.

6:30–7:00 PM
• Storytelling Pop-Up: Hosted by writer and educator Qwantese Winters, this storytelling session features first memories of collard greens shared by Vivian King and Charles Payne.

7:00–8:30 PM
• Live Music by Sinkane: Experience the genre-bending sounds of Sudanese-American artist Ahmed Gallab, fusing funk, Afro-beat, gospel, and soul in a joyful, high-energy concert.

Collard Fest is a vibrant gathering rooted in community, culture, and the shared nourishment of land and story. Reserve your free ticket at olbrich.org/calendar/collard-fest.

Terrace Chairling plushie Colby Miller makes his debut

The Wisconsin Union team has welcomed its newest Terrace Chairling plushie, the orange, sunglasses-clad Colby Miller, to shelves at Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South and to its online store, terracestore.union.wisc.edu. 

Colby features the Union’s trademarked sunburst design on his orange body, soft arms and legs, and a weighted base that allows him to sit upright. His last name, Miller, pays homage to his Allis-Chalmers orange color and the Allis-Chalmers milling equipment manufactured in Wisconsin. 

Colby and his fellow Chairlings first debuted in digital form on Wisconsin Union social media and the Union’s blog TerraceViews.org in 2022. The Union team introduced him as an adventurous character who strives to live in the moment and loves trying new things, such as new food and outdoor activities. 

Colby is the third in the Wisconsin Union’s Chairling plushie line. The first, the green Maple Fields, debuted in November 2024, followed by the yellow Ray Laken in April 2025. 

The plushies are inspired by the Union’s well-known yellow, green and orange full-size, metal sunburst Terrace chairs, which appear seasonally at the team’s lakefront, outdoor dining and entertainment destination, the Memorial Union Terrace. For almost 100 years, the Terrace has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors annually for lakeside dining as well as free and low-cost events. 

The Chairlings’ colors and the color of the Terrace chairs that inspired them reflect Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage and the beauty of Wisconsin’s seasons: John Deere green, Allis-Chalmers orange, and sunshine yellow.

Wisconsin Union Graphic Designer and Production Artist Emily Swanson created the Chairling plushie concept and designed the Chairling plushies as an intern at the Union while studying at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

 “From his bright orange color to his adorable sunglasses, we hope Chairling plushie Colby Miller brings joy to people’s homes and offices and reminds people of their adventures at the Memorial Union Terrace,” said Shauna Breneman, Wisconsin Union public relations and communications officer. “Terrace joy is ageless and an almost century-long Madison tradition that we are excited to share in plushie form with Terrace lovers around the world.”

Patrons can shop for plushies and other in-house designed Wisconsin Union and Terrace-themed gifts, accessories, and apparel at Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South and online. Patrons can also find in-house developed food and beverages at Wisconsin Union dining options, such as the Union’s line of naturally caffeinated, fruit juice-infused sparkling waters, called Sunburst Sparkler, developed in partnership with Madison-based Karben4. 

The Union’s Terrace-themed plushies are the only authorized Terrace-themed plushies in the world. The Wisconsin Union team does not plan to debut any additional Chairling plushie characters at this time. 

Purchases of Wisconsin Union products, such as the Chairling plushies, support the nonprofit Wisconsin Union’s work to provide gathering spaces, events and student leadership opportunities, some of which provide academic stipends up to 80% of students’ in-state tuition. 

For more information about the plushies Colby Miller, Ray Laken and Maple Fields, visit union.wisc.edu/plushie.

Edgewood College Launches New Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia Program

Madison, Wis. (June 18, 2025) – Edgewood College is pleased to announce the launch of the Doctor of Nursing Practice: Nurse Anesthesia (DNPNA) program. Designed to prepare highly skilled, compassionate Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), this advanced practice degree equips graduates to provide safe, comprehensive anesthesia care across a broad spectrum of healthcare settings. The three-year hybrid curriculum begins with a blend of online and in-person coursework in the first year, followed by intensive clinical practicum experiences in years two and three.

“The professionals who will join us this fall can look forward to enhancing and expanding their caregiving career,” Quinn Mullikin, Ph.D., DNP, RN, Dean-Select of the Henry Predolin School of Nursing, Business, Education, and Health Sciences, said. “We look forward to delivering a multidisciplinary program that will play a meaningful role in shaping leaders ready for today’s complex healthcare environments, across Wisconsin, and across the Midwest.”

The inaugural cohort will begin in August 2025. Fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), the DNPNA offering is led by Dr. Ann R. Madden, DNP, CRNA, as Program Director, and Dr. Kelly Sinutko, DNP, CRNA, as Assistant Director. Established to address the increasing need for anesthesia services, particularly in rural settings where CRNAs are often the sole anesthesia providers, this program aims to strengthen access to high-quality care in underserved areas.

Graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination (NCE) administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) and qualify for licensure as a CRNA and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).

Note: The name of the institution will officially change to Edgewood University effective July 1, 2025.

About Edgewood College
Located in Madison, Wis., Edgewood College is a comprehensive, Catholic college in the Dominican tradition. We serve approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The College offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing, and doctoral degrees in educational leadership, nursing practice, and business administration. Edgewood College is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the National Collegiate Athletics Association and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information about Edgewood College, please visit www.edgewood.edu, or call Ed Taylor at 608-663-2333. 

Dane County Food Collective to host “Experience the Elements — A Celebratory Feast”

Something special is happening at Cadre on June 29. Join The Dane County Food Collective for an intimate, one-night “Elements Dinner,” a culinary and artistic journey inspired by the latest edition of The Shallot: Journal of Mental Health, Art, and Literature.

This isn’t just a meal; it’s an immersive experience where food, storytelling, and soul unite. Our visionary chefs have crafted an exclusive vegan menu that brings “The Elements” — Earth, Air, Fire, and Water — to life on your plate, alongside a celebration of the incredible art from our new journal.

The Shallot Dinner always sells out, and tickets are extremely limited for this unique event. Don’t miss your chance to connect with great people, enjoy insanely delicious food, and immerse yourself in creativity.

Buy your tickets here

Check out the menu below:

Menu

Pre-Dinner Cash Bar
With Live Music and complimentary snacks provided by Chef Evan Dannells

Frijolitos
Black-Eyed Peas, Bollitos, Sofrito
Served with Mushroom Chai

Beet Poke Bowl
Beets, Cucumbers, Carrots, Radish, Edamame, Rice
Served with Pomegranate Rosemary Fizz

Mushroom Parm Pasta
Breaded Oyster Mushroom, Marinara, Penne
Served with Cucumber Lemon Basil Sparkler

Dessert
Foraged Acorn Pudding

FORWARD MADISON RELEASE SPECIALTY PRE-MATCH TOP IN HONOR OF JUNETEENTH

Forward Madison FC is excited to launch its first pre-match top in celebration of Juneteenth. Local artist, Brooklyn Doby, designed the pre-match top with input from members of the Featherstone Flamingos – an inclusive group of Forward fans that celebrates Black culture. During the month of June, 25% of all proceeds from the collection will be donated to the Progress Center for Black Women. 

This is the second top that Forward Madison has commissioned local artistic representation in collaboration with Featherstone Flamingos. During the 2020 season, FMFC wore a Black Lives Matter warm-up top all season long, designed by Mike LeRoy with proceeds benefiting YWCA. Featherstone Flamingos and Forward Madison FC have a long standing collaboration on charitable merchandise pieces around Black History Month as well. 

“Featherstone is proud to partner with FMFC and Brooklyn on the design,” said Founding Member of the Featherstone Flamingos, Kyle Carr. “We feel it’s important to highlight black voices, issues, and celebrations both in Madison and beyond. The Progress Center for Black Women does amazing work for Black Women in the Madison community and we hope these contributions will get them closer to achieving their goal of creating more empowered leaders.”

Brooklyn Doby was born and raised in Madison, WI. She is a painter, muralist, and an Edgewood College art therapy graduate. She’s passionate about creating art that represents women of color and highlights African American beauty. Her work reflects her love for acrylic paint and abstract portraiture. She is also a newly self-taught digital artist. Her art strives to create imagery that is diverse, unique, and inclusive. When others witness her art, she hopes that it provokes positive change. She believes that the most impactful component about art making is that it can be shared amongst others, both through the product and the process. 

“I am very thankful to Forward Madison for providing a platform for underrepresented artists in the community to be able to share their stories and to create space for so many diverse cultures and diasporas to be spotlighted,” said Doby. “This has been yet another amazing opportunity in my artist career to show my children, future generations, and others who look like me; that their dreams aren’t as unreachable as they may seem.”

In honor of Juneteenth, Brooklyn chose to create a design that captures the essence of family, culture, strength, and ancestral roots. Her intentional use of the colors red, green, black and yellow symbolize the blood shed of those who fought for the liberation of Black people and the prosperity of Africa. Her imagery showcases music, food, and gathering to represent unity and freedom, and to highlight the celebration of past, present, and future. 

The 2025 Juneteenth Pre-Match Top will be worn by the players before the match on June 18th as Forward Madison FC celebrates Juneteenth. Team-issued tops will be sold starting at halftime during the match and will be signed by the respective players with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Progress Center for Black Women. 

The Juneteenth Top is available for purchase now online or in the Flamboyance Team Store starting Wednesday, June 18th, at the FMFC Juneteenth Celebration Match at 7pm CT. Starting at $28, fans can purchase a ticket to the match and scarf, designed in collaboration with Featherstone Flamingos, with the Juneteenth Celebration Pack. $5 from each pack sold will be donated to Progress Center for Black Women. 

About the Progress Center for Black Women: The Progress Center for Black Women is the legacy Founder Sabrina Madison wants to build for the greater Dane County area. It brings all her work under one roof, quite literally, and represents a long-term commitment toward the progress of Black women and families.The Center opened its first home in Fitchburg in fall 2018 after meeting an ambitious fundraising goal. From annual photos with Santa to coaching Black women to accomplish their career and entrepreneurial goals, we were able to create unique programming for Black women and their families.

About Forward Madison FC: Forward Madison FC is a charter member of USL League One, launched in the Spring of 2019. The Flamingos were a USL League One playoff team in 2019, 2023, 2024, and have made an international name for themselves with a fun-loving, flamboyant brand. More information and registration for the team’s weekly newsletter is available at www.forwardmadisonfc.com. Follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.