Photo courtesy of Forward Festival

The sixth annual Forward Festival, taking place Aug. 20-27 at various locations in the city, will feature events for entrepreneurs, foodies, music lovers and now parents, organizers announced this week.

“We’re looking forward to showcasing the incredible evolution of innovation around Madison at this year’s festival,” Bryan Chan, festival co-founder and president of SupraNet Communications, said in a statement. “We’re excited to include a wide range of entrepreneurs in different ages and industries while also focusing on the challenges families and parents of entrepreneurs face.”

Kicking off the conference is the inaugural Social Good Summit on Thursday at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. This day-long summit will help redefine entrepreneurship in terms of the social good people do. The summit will include a panel discussion, networking opportunities and other engaging activities.

The first-ever Parentpreneur Night is one of Friday’s highlights as the event looks to connect entrepreneurs who seek work-life balance. This family-focused event will give adults the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, while ice cream, creative activities and games will be available for the children.

Food-lovers will enjoy the Yum Yum Fest taking place on 3-8 p.m. Sunday at Central Park. Attendees can purchase food from 24 area restaurants, including A Pig in a Fur Coat and The Coopers Tavern.

The Edible Startup Summit is back for a second year, now taking place over three days, Aug. 24-26 at the Goodman Community Center. Attendees will hear from successful food entrepreneurs and have ample amounts of networking opportunities with foodies from all industries.

One of the most popular events is the Forward Technology Conference, now paired with the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce’s neXXpo and Pressure Chamber events, on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at the Monona Terrace. Kevin Conroy, President of Exact Sciences and Josh Levs, a CNN reporter will be keynote speakers of the conference, which focuses this year on “entrepreneur inclusivity” and “location matters.”

The Forward Technology Conference also will have free childcare throughout the day, according to Chan.

The theme of the third annual Badger Startup Summit, taking place Aug. 26 at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, is “Transitioning Madison from Fly-Over to Fly-Into.” Speakers include Marquette University President Dr. Mike Lovell and Venture Investors Managing Director Scott Button.

The festival wraps up with the annual Capital Entrepreneurs Open Social, an Aug. 27 happy hour at the U.S. Bank Building.