Despite heavy rains this week, a sunny fall day arrived just in time for Madison's annual Bottle Hill Day on Saturday, luring large crowds of local families to spend the day outside in the Rose City.

The event, which is coordinated by the Downtown Development Commission, has been a Madison tradition for more than 30 years. Lisa Ellis, the Bottle Hill Day coordinator, said this year's event was the best in recent memory.

"This is probably our best attended Bottle Hill Day at least in the last 10 years," Ellis said. "We've been lucky with the weather and it's just been an all-around great day."

According to Ellis, nearly 20,000 people attended the fair and spent time in downtown Madison sampling local goods, listening to local bands and playing in the Family Fun Zone filled with amusement park rides.

In addition to the favorable weather, Ellis credits some new changes for the event's success.

"We have four stages this year instead of two or three and we spread out the entertainment," she said. "We also closed off an additional intersection, which cuts down on cross traffic and opens up the flow."

Ellis said Bottle Hill Day is important not only as a major fundraiser for the DDC, but as a way to help Madison residents get to know each other.

"I think it's a great day to see the community out in this kind of mass," Ellis said. "You know everybody is always so busy and don't really have the time necessarily to socialize and get out and meet people and I think that's what the value of this day is."