When downtown Madison is trimmed in sparkling lights and evergreens, you know the holiday season is here. During this magical time of year, the city feels warm, festive, and welcoming. There are events and celebrations throughout the whole season for the entire family.
Shine on Madison: Holiday Tree Lighting & Capitol Square Décor: Downtown Madison decks its halls and holds an entire series of celebrations to ring in the holiday season starting with a lighting ceremony on November 22nd at 9pm in which local leaders will turn on the festive decorations and lights for the season. Following the festive kickoff, downtown Madison hosts a Holiday Open House November 28-30 complete with Santa visiting state street, shopping specials, events at The Overture and more. There are many other events in the heart of Madison going into December such as cookie walks, hot cocoa walks, shop window scavenger hunts, caroling, and more.
Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park is back at Olin Park through early January. This free drive-through experience of 50+ light displays is open from 4:30-10:30 PM daily.
Zoo Lights at Henry Vilas Zoo begins November 22nd and runs through December 23rd on weekends and select weeknights. Light displays will shine bright as you walk through Madison's beloved zoo while the animals stay cozy inside their habitats.
Holiday Markets: Winter doesn’t mean there are any shortage of markets in Madison. The Saturday morning Dane County Farmers Market has moved indoors for the season at The Monona Terrace on November 22nd and December 6, 13, 20 with over 60 vendors bringing seasonal and local goods, specialty holiday food, gifts, and artisan goods. On December 13 and 14 Garver Feed Mill hosts their own holiday market hosting various crafters and artisans so you can shop small this holiday season and support local businesses. Breese Stevens Field also hosts a Winter Holiday Bodega on November 29 from 10-5 where you can shop and support local small businesses, crafters, and artisans; experience live music, see reindeer, visit Santa Claus, do some crafts, and more. And the list of markets doesn’t end there, there are many more happening all around Madison this holiday season.
Concerts & Performances: Stages are set for the season, and special stories of magic, whimsy, cheer, and love take the spotlight. A celebrated holiday tradition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker ballet returns to The Overture Center of The Arts from December 12-21, Kanopy Dance performs Winter Fantasia: Reimagined from December 4-7, A Madison Symphony Christmas on December 5th for classic Christmas orchestra performance, a telling of one of the most beloved holiday stories by Children’s Theatre of Madison on December 5th: A Christmas Carol, and more.
Miracle on King Street: If you’re looking for a nostalgically-festive spot for a date night that you can wear your ugly Christmas sweater to, stop by Lucille off the capitol square near King Street. From November 17 until December 24, you can grab cocktails from a special menu in a festive souvenir glass or mug amongst colorful lights and shining holiday decor.
Holiday Tree in the Capitol: Step into Capitol Rotunda to see (and smell) the Wisconsin State Capitol Holiday Tree. The tree is about forty feet tall, and reaches up to the next floor. It’s decorated with ornaments made by students from across the state. If you miss the annual lighting ceremony, you can still stop by anytime to see Wisconsin’s most iconic holiday tree. The lighting ceremony for the 2025 tree will take place on December 4th at noon.
Holiday Express at Olbrich Gardens: See large-scale model trains wind through a holiday scene filled with hundreds of poinsettias and fresh evergreens. If you’re feeling the winter blues, step into Bolz Conservatory for a brief escape to the tropics–also decorated for the season.
Ice Skating: Strap on some skates and hit the ice! Madison Parks offers free ice skating at many locations across town. Tenney, Vilas, and Elver parks all offer rentals, concessions, and warming houses. Make sure you familiarize yourself with safety measures and remain off the ice unless the rink is officially open.
Sledding: There are a lot of great sledding options in Madison, but nothing compares to Elver Park. Elver Park is the home of Madison’s steepest sledding hill. Kids love to sled beneath the lights, and the park also offers ice skating and hockey rinks as well as cross-country ski trails.
Here at The Madison Concourse Hotel, we want to be your home-away-from-home (should you need it) for the holidays. Like our downtown neighborhood, our halls are decked in wintry evergreens, warm lights, and plenty of holiday cheer. Our guest rooms are warm and cozy, and our Starbucks just off the lobby offers a wide variety of warm, holiday drinks in red and green cups to match the season. If you venture over to The Bar, we are also featuring a fall and winter seasonal cocktail menu that hits the spot on freezing winter nights.
Country Christmas at The Ingleside Hotel: Our sister hotel in Waukesha puts on an incredible light show. Country Christmas is Wisconsin’s largest drive-through holiday lights display. It features over a million holiday lights along a mile-long trail through the woods. It’s a favorite holiday tradition for many Wisconsin families.
We hope your holiday season brings good cheer and merriment and if any of it will be spent here in Madison, we can assure you that your experience here will be nothing short of merry and bright.
For more things to do, check out the Isthmus Events Calendar and the Destination Madison Events calendar.