Downtown Holiday Open House

Free holiday fun for kids of all ages and their families. Cookie decorating, Disney's THE LION KING activities, characters in costume, holiday photos with Isthmus, Kids in the Rotunda performances, and more! Stop by the Downtown Information Table for maps, downtown directions and a friendly smile, and visit the Rotunda Cafe for beverages and snacks. Enjoy the spectacular holiday lights and decorations throughout Overture Center, and finish your holiday shopping with Overture Center Gift Certificates!

9:30 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM (Rotunda Stage)
Free Kids in the Rotunda shows featuring shadow puppeteer Daniel Barash. Coffee and kid-friendly snacks available for purchase from the Rotunda Cafe.


10 AM - 2 PM (Overture Hall Lobby, unless otherwise marked)

-Free holiday cookie decorating station hosted by Madison Children's Museum, with cookies provided by Catering a Fresco, Overture Center's exclusive caterer, and the BID.

-Overture Center ticket giveaway station, with a chance to win a family four pack of tickets to Disney's THE LION KING coming to Madison April 27-May 23! Tickets go on sale December 5 at Overture Center.

-Disney's THE LION KING coloring activity for kids of all ages.

-Meet-and-greet photo opportunities at the birch forest, with costumed characters from Kanopy Dance and Children's Theater of Madison's production of A Christmas Carol. Staff from Isthmus, Madison's weekly newspaper, will photograph character greetings and post them to TheDailyPage.com the following week.

-Interactive "Gone Fishing" exhibit provided by Madison Children's Museum.

-Madison Ballet's life-sized Nutcracker on display.

-Show tickets and gift certificates on sale at the Overture Center ticket office.

-The Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration exhibition, free and open to the public in the Wisconsin Academy's James Watrous Gallery (third floor Overture Center). Showcasing the work of several of Wisconsin's most accomplished illustrators of children's books. Gallery is open until 6 pm on November 28. Call for more info, (608) 265-2500.

3:30 - 5 PM (Rotunda Stage) Dreams of our Future book exhibition project inspired by James Watrous Gallery exhibition, The Fine Arts of Children's Book Illustration. Fourth and fifth graders from Glendale Elementary School will read selections from their self-authored books about their dreams for the future. Free and open to the public.

Complete offerings from participating area businesses are available here.