If you’ve watched any TV since Nov. 1, you might have noticed that the holiday-themed commercials have begun. Whether advertising toys, food or luxury vehicles, they’re all designed to put you in the spirit of the season. But so are countless events happening in and around Madison for the next month and a half, and it’s not too early to begin making plans.
Here’s are 13 of my top picks, in chronological order:
• Holiday Fantasy in Lights: Nov. 14-Dec. 31 at Olin Park
Soak up more than 50 light displays (all with energy-saving LED bulbs!) while taking a slow and peaceful drive through Olin Park. The journey is set to a special soundtrack available on the event’s website, and free candy canes are distributed between 4:30 and 10 p.m. every night.
• Polish Christmas Market: Nov. 14 at Asbury Church, 6101 University Ave.
This annual event features Polish food and bakery items, amber jewelry, Boleslawiec pottery, books, Christmas ornaments, traditional craft demonstrations, history displays and the club’s szopka (nativity scene).
• Lights on the Lake at The Boathouse: Nov. 18-Jan. 24 at The Edgewater Hotel, 1001 Wisconsin Place
This waterfront pub transforms into a winter wonderland with holiday lights, trees and a miniature train. Highlights include trivia nights, holiday movie screenings, board games and bingo, karaoke and even curling.
• Zoo Lights: Nov. 20-Dec. 20 at Henry Vilas Zoo
This after-hours excursion is illuminated by more than one million holiday lights, and admission includes unlimited carousel rides and photos with Santa. Sunday, Dec. 13, is a sensory-friendly night at the zoo, intended to create a quieter, lower sensory experience with no additional music in the park.
• Holiday Farmers’ Market: Nov. 21, Dec. 5, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19 at Monona Terrace
The Dane County Farmers’ Market hosts four special holiday markets featuring more than 60 vendors and is billed as a “one-stop shop for all of your local food needs for the holidays.” Madison’s Fair Trade Holiday Festival will take place next door to the Holiday Farmers’ Market at the Monona Terrace on Dec. 5. All vendors at this event are vetted to ensure their products are ethically and humanely produced.
Holiday Farmers’ Market Website
Fair Trade Holiday Festival Website
• Christmas in Paoli: Nov. 27-29, Dec. 4-6, Dec. 11-13 and Dec. 18-20
Paoli, located about 15 miles southwest of downtown Madison, has become one of Dane County’s hot spots. And it’s transforming into a Christmas village for four weekends of shopping, food, drink and winter activities. Vendors change every weekend, but Santa Claus will be there for the duration.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas: Nov. 28 at the Orpheum Theater
Kick off the holiday season with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Madison jazz piano trio Mr. Chair and members of the Madison Youth Choir as they perform the iconic holiday album in its entirety — with new orchestral string arrangements. The original soundtrack to the 1965 animated TV special featuring Peanuts characters was performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio and is one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time.
• Wisconsin State Capitol Tree Lighting: Dec. 1
Nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for “Best Public Holiday Lights Display,” Wisconsin’s State Capitol Tree (typically a 35-foot balsam fir donated by one of the state’s tree farms) will be decorated with more than 2,000 LED lights and ornaments made by public and private school students from around Wisconsin. This year’s decorations theme is “The Year of the Neighbor,” and the tree will be on display in the Capitol Rotunda.
• New Glarus Adventsfenster: Dec. 1-31
A village tradition based on a practice in Switzerland in which the community decorates windows before Christmas, this month-long event features a life-size Advent calendar with each window revealed at a different location every evening.
• Stoughton’s Victorian Holiday Weekend: Dec. 4-6
Dubbed “a celebration in Victorian flair,” this three-day event will be highlighted by shopping, holiday window displays and neighborhood lights. Wearing of historical garments is encouraged, too. Additionally, several local businesses will collect gift donations for families in need, and Stoughton Utilities will be accepting non-perishable donations for local food pantries.
• A Christmas Carol: Dec. 12-23 at Overture Center-Capitol Theater
The signature production of the Children’s Theater of Madison, the Charles Dickens classic set in Victorian England never gets old. This production celebrates 50 years in 2026 and is recommended for children ages 8 and older; it runs two hours with a 15-minute intermission.
• Holiday Black Bazaar: Dec. 19 at The Black Business Hub, 2352 S. Park St.
The 4th Annual Holiday Black Bazaar is the season’s biggest celebration of Black and Brown talent, entrepreneurship and creativity, according to the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce and the Urban League of Greater Madison, which presents this indoor market. (No website)
(Special thanks to VisitMadison.com for inspiration.)