Stoughton offers a wide range of activities for the whole family! Indoors or out, there’s something to do every season of the year. Located on the Yahara River and just a few miles south of Lake Kegonsa, Stoughton is a destination for water sports and fishing enthusiasts, yet we also have a wide variety of cultural activities sure to entice the most determined city dweller. From swimming in a sandy bottomed pool, disc golf, canoeing and boating in the summer months to ice skating, cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter, there’s plenty for the outdoor enthusiast. Stoughton has over 14 parks, including a skateboard park, tennis, basketball as well as two hiking trails. And, we’ll soon have a dirt bike park for the kids to use. Nearby Lake Kegonsa State Park offers camping in the summer, hiking and water sports year round as well as cross country ski trails in the winter.

Throughout the year, we have several events. In addition to our May Norwegian Syttende Mai celebration, we have the Norse Afternoon of Fun in February, the Stoughton Fair in June/July, one of the last free fairs in the state, the Coffee Break Festival and Car Show in August, the Halloween Harvest Festival, the merchant’s Holiday Open House in November, and the Victorian Holiday Celebration and more. Ready to sit down? Try a movie at the Cinema Café, with five theatres and homemade pizza served to you while you watch.

Other outdoor activities include racing at the nearby Madison International Speedway with races every Friday night in the summer, walking tours of our beautiful downtown historic districts (booklets are available at the Stoughton Public Library and the Chamber of Commerce), and an outdoor Farmer’s Market every Friday morning, May through October. Amuse the kids with a hands on tour of a dairy farm at Hinchley’s Dairy Farm Tours. Don’t miss our crowning jewel, the Stoughton Opera House, offering fall and spring seasons with acts ranging from Doo-Wop to Classical, comedy to drama in this beautifully restored Victorian theatre.