Things to do in Madison, WI: Nov. 21-28

Hi there!

If you thought things in town were slowing down because of the holidays, think again! We have over 40 event suggestions for you to peruse.

The events this week are a wonderful smorgasbord of live music, trivia, local shopping, races, and more.

And of course, there's Thanksgiving itself. That's on Thursday, folks. Here are two great resources from Madison Magazine:

🦃 11 donation, Thanksgiving meal resources for the Dane County community

🦃 We’ve done all your Thanksgiving meal research so you don’t have to

- Sam

Monday, Nov. 22

• Webinar: "The Standing Rock Sioux and the No Dakota Access Pipeline Movement" with the Wisconsin Energy Institute. 3:30 p.m. Free.
• Madison school board meeting. 6 p.m. Virtual option.
• Webinar: "Harvesting Our Heritage" with Wisconsin Native Vote. "Attendees will learn about the significance of many of our traditional foods, the ways in which those foods continue to be used to this day, and how the current climate crisis impacts those food sources." 6 p.m. Free.
• Murder By Death with Shawn James at the Majestic. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $20 advance, $25 at door.

Tuesday, Nov. 23

• Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting: Forage Kitchen on Old Sauk Rd. 12 p.m.
• "Spring Cleaning" by Falconbridge Players at Art Lit Lab. "A staged reading of the 1925 play." Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Free.
• “Twilight” themed trivia at the Rigby. 7-9 p.m.
• A Virtual Conversation with Melissa Lozada-Oliva, author of “Dreaming of You,” and Rax King, author of “Tacky,” with A Room of One’s Own. 7 p.m. Virtual. Free.
• Lecture: "What can growing diamond teach us about nature?" with UW professor Matthew Gebbie at Lewis G. Weeks Hall. 7 p.m. Free.
• Two Remain (Out of Darkness) with University Opera. 7:30 p.m. $27, with discounts for seniors and students.

Wednesday, Nov. 24

• Taiyamo Denku at the Bur Oak. Doors 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $10.
• Latin Music Fest at the Majestic. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8:30 p.m. $20.
• 80's Party and Second Harvest Benefit at Harmony Bar & Grill. 8:30-11 p.m. Suggested donation of $10.
• Kevin Bozeman & Friends 16th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Day Show at Comedy on State. 10 p.m. $30.

Thursday, Nov. 25

• Madison Turkey Trot 5k. Registration closes 11/22.
• Community Thanksgiving at Delta Beer Lab. Food served 3-5 p.m. Free, but donations are encouraged.
• Trivia Night at State Line Distillery. $1 per player.

Friday, Nov. 26

• Madison Makers Black Friday Market and Pub Crawl. Family-friendly event with a variety of local makers set up in bars. 12-5 p.m. Free.
• Fourth Friday morning jazz piano solo by Jon Wade at Cafe CODA. 10 a.m. Free.
• Toys 4 Tots Fundraiser with The Shruggers, Cliff Frederiksen, Butterbrick, and Yes Factory at the Bur Oak. 3-9 p.m. $10 suggested donation or bring toys to donate.
• Opening night of Zoo Lights at Henry Vilas Zoo. "Experience the Zoo after hours under the glow of almost one million lights!" General admission $10. Children 3 and under are free. Entrance times from 5:30–8:30 p.m.
• 7th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at The Edgewater Madison. Outdoor events will begin at 2 p.m. and the trees will be lit at 6 p.m. Free.
• The JB3's at Cafe CODA. “A group of Madison WI and Chicago funksters got together to FUNK YOU UP!!!” 6 p.m. $15.
• Mike & Friends at the Bur Oak. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. “Expect high flyin’ Grateful Dead, originals and highly curated other covers.” $8 advance, $12 at door.
• Tom Petty Tribute at the Majestic. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $13.
• Comedian Chad Daniels at Comedy on State. Shows at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. $18.
• Kule, Honey Creek, Excuse Me Who Are You, and Lady Blue Doors at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. $7 advance, $10 at door.
• AfroVibe Black Friday dance party at Cafe Coda. 9 p.m.-12 a.m. $10.
• Goth AF at Crucible. "An evening of new and classic goth dance music with DJ Ryan Parks and DJ Samogon." $5. 9 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27

• Small Business Saturday with Monroe Street businesses. All day. Full list of vendors and more details here.
• Light the Rink Ceremony at Monona Bank RiverRink. "The rink lighting entails 10,000 lights on a 20-foot-tall, Wisconsin-grown spruce tree, large light displays, hot chocolate, entertainment & photo opportunities." 6 p.m.
• Hanah Jon Taylor Artet at Cafe Coda. Two shows: 7 and 9 p.m. $20.
• Drag Show hosted by Raynebow Sunshine Brinklounge Madison. 7 p.m. $5-10 donation suggested.
• The Earthlings at the Bur Oak. "Wonky 808 beats and psychedelic waves of sounds evolve and morph your soul into motion. For fans of: Enya, Beastie Boys." Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
• The Last Waltz Beyond: A Midwest Musician’s Tribute to The Band at High Noon Saloon. The Last Waltz, the farewell concert for The Band,  was filmed for a documentary by the same name. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. $10 advance, $15 at door.
• Beach Bunny at the Sylvee. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $22 advance, $26 at door.
• Comedian Chad Daniels at Comedy on State. Shows at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. $20.
• Queer: A DJ Amos Video Dance Party at Crucible Madison. Crucible invites you on a journey into unusual, indie, and unexpected dance music with video DJ Amos! 9 p.m. $5.
• Late Night Jam Session at Cafe Coda. 11 p.m.-1 a.m. $5.

Sunday, Nov. 28

• Sullivan King at The Sylvee. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $25 advance, $30 at door.
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Overture Center. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35.
• Mason Jennings at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $20 advance, $25 at door.
• Yid Vicious Hanukkah Concert at Madison Children’s Museum. 2:30 p.m. Free.

Some things to look forward to…

• Madison's 25th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Festival on December 4th. All vendors have been vetted to ensure their products are ethically and humanely produced.
• Table Wreath Workshop at Olbrich Botanical Gardens on December 5.
• Eastside Winter Market by Communication at Garver Feed Mill on December 11 & 12. The market will be a community focused weekend showcasing local artists, businesses, and performers.

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📜 Our events guidelines:

• We prioritize events that are some combination of the following: free/low cost, organized by locals, and of interest to the general public.
• Since we’re a small team, we are not able to offer feedback on when/if events will be included.
• We request at least a week’s heads up on upcoming events.