You might want to be home for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean never leaving your house for the next month!
Dane County and the surrounding areas offer a sleigh-ful of family-focused holiday events — many of them free! Here’s a chronological rundown of 14 ideas to help celebrate the season (and still be home in time for the holidays).
• Holiday Fantasy in Lights: Now through Jan. 1, nightly from dusk to dawn (and free candy canes from 4:30-10 p.m.) — Olin Park, 1156 Olin Court, Madison
• Berbee Derby 10k • 5k Run/Walk: Nov. 24 — Fitchburg Business Park, 5500 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg
• Madison Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk: Nov. 24 — Start and finish lines at the Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison
• Santa Express at Mid-Continent Railway Museum: Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 3-4 — E8948 Museum Road, North Freedom
• Garver Holiday Craftacular: November 27, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. — Garver Feed Mill, 3241 Garver Green, Madison
• Victorian Holiday Weekend: Dec. 1-4 — Throughout Stoughton
• All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914: Four Seasons Theatre at Overture Center, Dec. 1-11 (recommended for ages 12 and older) — 201 State St., Madison
• New Glarus Christkindli Market: Dec. 2-4 — Downtown New Glarus
• Ice Skating at the Edgewater Icehouse Ice Rink: Opens Dec. 2 (weather permitting), Wednesdays-Sundays — 1011 Wisconsin Place, Madison
• Winter Wonderland in the Village – Holiday Pet Photos with Santa: Dec. 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. — McFarland Animal Hospital , 5620 U.S. Highway 51, McFarland
• Holiday Express Flower & Model Train Show: Dec. 3-31, daily from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison
• Run Santa Run: Dec. 4 — Start and finish lines at Downtown Madison’s Capitol Square
• A Christmas Carol: Children’s Theater of Madison at Overture Center, Dec. 10-23 (recommended for ages 7 and older) — 201 State St., Madison
• Christmas Craft Fair & Cookie Walk for OccuPaws: Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. — Windsor Elementary School, 4352 Windsor Road, Windsor
Whatever you do and wherever you go, I wish you a safe and happy holiday season.