National Mustard Day: For the Love of Mustard and Skateboards

As an avid mustard connoisseur it is often surprising to me just how few people I meet in Madison who know that Mount Horeb, just 20 minutes to the west of downtown, is home to the nation's only Mustard Museum. It was one of the first things I learned when I moved to the city more than four years ago and has become a common side trip whenever a friend comes to visit. The museum showcases more than 500 mustard jars from all 50 states and more than 60 countries. It is the quintessential roadside America attraction.

Every year the Mustard Museum opens its doors and spills out onto Mount Horeb's Trollway for an annual National Mustard Day Festival. This was the first year the mustard jars in the sky aligned and I was able to partake in the festivities surrounding my favorite condiment. What struck me as I approached the bright yellow banner announcing the starting point of the Mustard Day festivities was not mustard, but a horde of skateboarders kick flipping at the entrance. This year, proceeds raised at the festival went toward Mount Horeb's Troll Skatepark. According to one parent at the festival, parents were driving out to skateparks in Middleton or Madison, so they came up with the idea of building their own. The idea, more than 10 years in the making, finally came to fruition after the new water tower was built near the entrance to town. The skatepark, which will open to the public on August 6, lies on top of a green hill and under the shadow of that water tower.

The skateboarding was only a small part of National Mustard Day. After I passed the makeshift ramps I was greeted by the iconic Weinermobile, a giant wandering French's Mustard Bottle, the Mustard Girl, Lady Liberty Mustard, Mustard Museum curator Barry Levenson, free hot dogs (as long as you put mustard on them, ketchup will cost you $10), Culver's Mustard Custard (surprisingly delicious), and a variety of fair style games themed around the famous condiment.

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