Madison Wisconsin

The new year is a great time to seek out new experiences. Fortunately in Madison, you’ll be able to do that all year long. This capital city is filled with exciting events, winter activities and big celebrations.

Madison’s first professional women’s sports team will kick off its inaugural season on Jan. 17 & 18 at the Wisconsin Field House. League One Volleyball (known as LOVB) will be the newest addition to the league and will join existing programs from Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Omaha and Salt Lake City. The rest of the season will be played at the Alliant Energy Center and will last through early April. Tickets are available at https://lovb.com/teams/lovb-madison-volleyball/tickets-central

Visit the Kohl Center to cheer on the Badger Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Hockey and Women’s Hockey teams. And, root for Men’s Wrestling at the historic UW Field House. Visit the Kohl Center to cheer on the Badger Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Hockey and Women’s Hockey teams. And, root for Men’s Wrestling at the historic UW Field House. You can also root for the Madison Capitols Hockey team-the nation’s top amateur hockey players face off at the newly renovated Bob Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena, complete with a 300-person beer garden and expanded seating.

Water, oysters, shrimp and whiskey are all things you’ve probably seen on ice. But what about a 5K and Lady Liberty? If not, then you need to experience Madison’s frozen festivals. Frozen Assets and Winter Carnival are two back-to-back fests held annually on frozen Lake Mendota. See for yourself why Madisonians look forward to February.

Have you ever heard of a 5K held entirely on the ice? Well, now you have! After a week of pre-festival activities, the Frozen Assets Festival, hosted by Clean Lakes Alliance, kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 8 at The Edgewater with a race on frozen Lake Mendota. Following the race there are all-day winter-focused events to take part in including pond hockey, snowshoeing, skating on the Edgewater Ice Rink, and curling! The festival will also feature sky divers, an ice science lab, and kites on ice. These family-friendly activities, both on ice and at The Edgewater Plaza, continue on Sunday, Feb. 9 for non-stop frozen fun! New in 2025: View the World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships on Lake Mendota during the week of Frozen Assets. Gather at The Edgewater to watch pros from around the world compete.

Join us for a week full of winter fun at the Wisconsin Union‘s Annual Winter Carnival. This long-standing cold weather tradition features winter activities and events all week long. Take part in family-friendly activities like a freestyle skiing and snowboarding contest, snowshoeing, mini golfing on the ice, hot cocoa, ice fishing, and on Saturday, a can’t-miss fireworks show over the lake. We can’t forget to mention Lady Liberty’s annual appearance on frozen Lake Mendota on Friday and Saturday. With this variety of fun winter activities, there is something here for all ages to enjoy!

Choose your own adventure this winter filled with nature, art, wellness and connection during Self-Discovery Weekend. Join us February 14-16 in Monona for two days of workshops to help you discover (or rediscover) your passions. Self-Discovery Weekend in Monona gives you the opportunity to learn something new and unplug from your everyday hustle. The weekend’s lineup of workshops and activities span from

winter hikes to art classes to wellness courses and more.

Art house 360 is opening this spring. A group of Dane County artists will open a new multicultural arts space in Verona this spring aimed to provide the community with arts education programming, working space, exhibition and performance space, and a gathering place for people of all backgrounds. ART House 360 will be home to visual and performing artists in addition to welcoming the entire community to use the

space for collaboration and inspiration.

Madison’s five lakes are a year-round playground. You can step right on any of the lakes from anywhere and walk, dance, sip coffee, ice fish or take in all the beauty of Madison. Try ice skating at the Edgewater. This 4,000-square-foot rink is a Madison favorite for friends, family and visitors to the area. Roller skating at the ice rink during the winter season is actually offered when weather is not permittable for ice skating. The lakes are typically frozen in early January but freeze date varies year to year. Generally, a minimum thickness of four or five inches is required for walking.

There are also 10 sledding hills to explore, including the largest in the city at Elver Park, where you can cozy up with concessions in the warming house.

Strapping on a pair of snowshoes and heading out onto a frozen lake or snowy trail is a great way to exercise and see some of Madison’s most spectacular winter scenes. Rent snowshoes at the Wisconsin Union or Rutabaga Paddlesports.

New Glarus Hotel is opening in the summer/fall of 2025. A 171-year-old icon in the Swiss-inspired town of New Glarus will be revived this year with the reopening of The New Glarus Hotel and its accompanying restaurant. The historic building is being renovated by Nic Mink, known for bringing to life Seven Acre Dairy Company in Paoli, a hotel with multiple restaurants located in a former creamery. The chalet-style hotel will house eight upscale rooms and suites. Its accompanying restaurant, The Yodel Room, will be a refined take on a traditional supper club featuring locally sourced fare and live entertainment.

There will be 100 new rooms to stay at in Fitchburg this year once Springhill Suites by Mariott opens on the city’s west side near Quivey’s Grove restaurant and the Military Ridge State Trail.

The Italian sandwich shop and artisanal grocery store will open a new

location on Monroe Street in early 2025.

Owners of The Cider Farm, a former cidery on Madison’s west side, will open a gastropub in Verona this spring featuring classic Wisconsin fare alongside elevated dishes, all made from locally sourced ingredients.

Get a front-row seat to one of the best meals of your life at DelecTable. The menu is always hand-selected by a lineup of elite chefs, complimented by a drink menu and live entertainment that stands heads and shoulders above the rest.

Learn to cook alongside chefs who have helped put Madison’s culinary scene on the map at The Deliciouser, where themed events and quality ingredients take center stage.