(Madison, WI): We’ve rounded up the tree lighting ceremonies and events in and around Madison, WI this holiday season! If there is something we missed – please let us know in the comments below or by emailing [email protected]. The events are listed in order by date.
Tis the season!
Shine on Madison
November 23, 2024 – December 31, 2024
During the November Night Market, downtown Madison will shine bright. Enjoy live music, and shop a variety of market vendors and downtown stores. Join the lighting ceremony on State St and the Capitol Square. Event runs 4-6pm with the lighting ceremony taking place at 5pm.
DETAILS: Website
North Pole Party at Hilldale
November 24 | 3pm-6pm
- 3:00 – 5:30 PM: Pose for a photo with the reindeer pulling their sleigh on the Green near L.L. Bean
- Snap a photo with Nutcracker dancers from the Monona Academy of Dance outside of Kendra Scott.
- Stay toasty with complimentary Crescendo hot chocolate and toppings bar (one cup per person, while supplies last)
- Keep an eye out for Santa from 3-6 PM as he strolls through Hilldale.
- Enjoy local musicians’ classic holiday tunes all evening.
- Find the Selfie Stand near the 30-foot tree by Café Hollander and capture your perfect holiday selfie.
- Enjoy Black Friday preview sales and special shopping & dining deals.
- Follow Santa to The Plaza and gather ’round just before 6 PM as Savanna Brito, meteorologist for WISC-TV, welcomes Santa to count down to the magical lighting of our 30-foot tree to officially kick off the holiday season!
10th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting at The Edgewater
November 29 | 3pm-6pm
Join us for our 10th annual Holiday Tree Lighting, Friday, November 29. This special tradition will feature fun for the entire family.
Event is free and open to the public, food and beverage will be available for purchase.
Light the Ice in Monona
November 30 | 5:30-7:00pm
Monona’s RiverRink transforms into a winter wonderland with 10,000 lights strung on a 20-foot-tall tree. Join for the tree lighting, plus light displays, hot chocolate and ice skating.
5:30pm-730pm-Holiday Music
5:30pm-7:00pm-Stilt Walkers
6:00pm- Tree Lighting Ceremony
6:00pm-7:00pm- Aerial Yogis by Aerial Arts
6:00pm-7:00pm-Meet & Greet with the Clauses
Downtown Sun Prairie Fire & Lights Holiday Parade
November 30 | 5:30pm-7:30pm
Firetrucks dress in their holiday best as they lead the parade to a tree-lighting celebration with Santa.
Downtown Middleton
November 30 | 5:00pm-7:00pm
Save the date for 5 – 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, to celebrate the start of the holidays at Stone Horse Green as they spruce up the green with a beautiful light display. Be sure to bring your children as Santa will be riding in on a fire truck at 5:30 p.m.! The official tree lighting will take place at 5:25 p.m.
December 4 | 5:00pm-7:00pm
Celebrate the Fourth Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 4th in Fireman’s Park. The event will run from 5:00pm to 7:00pm with a special visitor from the North Pole and more!
Victorian Holiday Weekend in Stoughton
December 4 – December 8
Stoughton’s weekend-long holiday celebration is overflowing with old-world charm. The annual lighting of the Love light Tree kicks off a weekend of music, artisanal shopping, local food and more.
Holiday Tree Lighting in New Glarus
December 1 | 6:30pm
Kick off the season of delights in downtown New Glarus at our Holiday Tree Lighting. Enjoy the enchanting sights — historic Swiss architecture, shops aglow, old fashioned street lights, the majestic Depot pine festively trimmed for the season — as well as festive alphorns!
Tree Lighting Community Night in Oregon
December 6 | 6:00-7:15pm
Santa rides into town on a firetruck to light Oregon’s holiday tree. Afterward, head to the local fire station for a chili dinner and photos with Santa.
Waunakee Light the Night Parade
December 6 | 6:30-7:15pm
The parade route will start at O’Malley Street down Main Street and end at Village Park. The parade will take about 30 minutes. Then join us with caroling at the Creche, cookies and hot apple cider while walking through Rotary in Lights at Village Park.
Wisconsin Capitol Holiday Tree Lighting
December 5th | 12-1pm
Join inside the Capitol Rotunda for an hour-long presentation with remarks from the Governor and music from a youth choir. Learn where this year’s giant tree is from, and see the ornaments created by kids from across Wisconsin.
Cottage Grove | Christmas in the Grove
December 6-8th | 3:30pm-6pm
Janesville Jolly Jingle
December 6-8
Ring in the holiday season with this fun family weekend in Janesville, Wisconsin, featuring a wide variety of activities for all ages including ice skating, a lighted parade, live theater, fireworks, a tree lighting, fun run, family entertainment, kids activities and more. Most activities are free or low cost.
Hometown Holidays Tree Lighting Festival – Verona
December 6 | 4pm-8pm
Includes ceremonial tree lighting and ice skating at the new Century School outdoor ice rink!
TBD
Best Places to Cruise for Christmas Lights
Fantasy In Lights
Olin Park, 1156 Olin-Turville Court, Madison
November 11 – the New Year; Dawn to Dusk | FREE
Over 50 light displays, including many new items will be brought out to the park and set up for all to enjoy. Booths are open (think candy canes!) from 4:30 – 10:00 pm each evening!
Fitchburg Holiday Lights Tour
This year the Fitchburg Holiday Lights Tour includes a kickoff celebration for everyone. Friday, December 13th, 5:00pm-8:00pm join us for Get Festive at Agora, a holiday party with fun for the whole family. See details below.
And all weekend long residences and businesses pull out all the stops to create elaborate and elegant light displays, celebrating the season. Tour the participating locations on the weekend of December 13th-15th and vote for your favorite!
Hickory Hill Academy
Open to the public through the end of the year – cars are welcome to pull into the parking lot and view from there.
3276 S. High Point Road | Madison, WI
Zoo Lights | Henry Vilas Zoo
Zoo Lights is open from 5:30pm – 8:30pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between November 29 – December 28. It takes approximately one hour to walk through the whole Zoo and see all the lights.
University Avenue at University Bay Drive, Madison
Rotary Botanical Gardens Holiday Light Show
1455 Palmer Drive, Janesville
Rotary Lights, Waunakee
500 E. Main Street, Waunakee
Waunakee’s Village Park transforms into a winter wonderland with light-lined streets and holiday displays. Enjoy the lights either on foot or from your car.
Ours is not set to music, but it is a pretty elaborate display! 521 President Lane, Madison
Tracy, your address didn’t come up for me in Google. I’d love to check out your house, maybe your street name was autocorrected?
The Cassidy Drive house is 88.5 FM. Just went there last night, it’s a fun display.
If you get to the East Side of Madison. Our display is pretty nice. It’s the biggest it’s been so far and we have a steady flow of people every night. 2926 Sachs Street just off N Marquette St
4289 Dicky Ln, Madison, WI 53718
Great display set to music
Oak St. (314 Birch Ct.) In Oregon has a great display set to music! Lasts about 20 min or more. Even better than last year’s!
We have a large blow mold display. 3766 Sunburst Rd. Madison. About a mile from American Family Insurance. American Parkway turns into Rattman Rd at 4 way stop. Then 2nd development on the left at top of hill. There is another large display farther down on Rattman Rd.
Lots to enjoy for free