What to do in Madison this weekend: Natty Nation, Zoo Lights and more Isthmus Picks

Thanksgiving Free Meals, Thursday, Nov. 23, various locations: Perhaps your household could use a helping hand this Thanksgiving, or you’re just seeking some community; several locations have free meals planned on the holiday. Delta Beer Lab’s fifth annual community Thanksgiving is taking place from 3-5 p.m. (the taproom will be open 1-7 p.m.). The meal, a cafeteria-style turkey dinner, is free but donations are encouraged for Agrace; tickets at delta.beer. The free Sina Davis Community Meal is from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County’s Allied Family Center; pre-registration is encouraged. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 5701 Raymond Road, hosts its traditional free Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; no RSVP necessary. Lakeview Lutheran Church hosts a free meal at noon; RSVP by calling 608-244-6181. And Neighborhood Food Solutions is hosting a free community meal at Madison Labor Temple, from noon-3 p.m.

Kids in the Rotunda, Friday, Nov. 24, Overture Center-Rotunda Stage, 9:30 and 11 a.m., 1 p.m.: The Cash Box Kings’ lively take on the electric blues music of the mid-20th century helps keep the sound fresh in the 21st. And what better way to build a bridge to the 22nd century than to perform for an audience of toddlers? This special Friday vacation day edition of the Kids in the Rotunda series features three performances and the chance for kids to try out harmonica, guided by CBK harp man Joe Nosek.

My Fair Lady, through Nov. 26, Overture Hall: While newer Broadway musicals like Hamilton or Six may understandably generate more buzz, there is nothing like the comfort of a classic like My Fair Lady. The Lerner and Loewe adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion preserves the thorny ethical questions of the original text (feminism, classism, morality in general) although it pretties them up with luscious earworms like “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “On the Street Where You Live,” and of course the indelible “The Rain in Spain.” This 2018 revival of the 1956 musical is directed by Bartlett Sher. Performances at 1 and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 25, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 26. Ticket info at overture.org.

Zoo Lights, Nov. 24-Dec. 30, Henry Vilas Zoo: With the temperature finally dropping to levels that feel more like fall, it’s easier to get into the holiday spirit — which is also aided by the return of holiday lights. One of the Madison area’s most elaborate displays can be found at the Henry Vilas Zoo, and your ticket purchase helps fund the zoo (which does not usually charge admission). Santa will be on hand for photos with the kiddos through Dec. 23, and unlimited carousel rides are included with admission. Zoo Lights takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 24-Dec. 30, plus Dec. 18-21 and 26-28; note this year tickets for timed entry are only available online at henryvilaszoo.doubleknot.com.

Mary Burns + Madeline Grace Martin, Nov. 24-Feb. 4, Overture Center-Watrous Gallery; reception Dec. 2, 6-8 p.m.: The Wisconsin-centric Watrous Gallery weighs in with another winning pairing. Mercer’s Mary Burns is a textile artist. Her “Women of Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World” consists of almost photo-realist hand-woven jacquard portraits of women from 39 countries around the globe. Milwaukee’s Madeline Grace Martin is a multidisciplinary artist who uses media including watercolor, embroidery, pencil drawings, and hand-cut paper. Her “Of Words and Trees: A Collaboration with My Father” extends her father’s writings with various media, including natural objects and cut paper, to investigate the “inexact quality of memory.”

Christmas with C.S. Lewis, Nov. 24-26, Overture Center-Playhouse: This one’s a different entry into the holiday sweepstakes. Christmas with C.S. Lewis dramatizes the change of heart British writer and theologian C.S. Lewis (portrayed by David Payne) had about Jesus, thanks to his friend J.R.R. Tolkien. The setting is Lewis’ home near Oxford on Christmas Eve. Shows at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, 3 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 25, and 2 p.m. on Nov. 26. Tickets at overture.org.

Natty Nation, Friday, Nov. 24, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Madison band Natty Nation has been playing their fiery blend of roots reggae and rock for more than a quarter century, and for many years it’s been a tradition for the band to bring the music to the people on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year’s concert promises a new song and many favorites that haven’t been played in a while, plus a set by The Grasshoppers and spins from DJ Kayla Kush (host of 2 DUB on WORT-FM). Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

James Earl Tate & the 008 Band CD release, Friday, Nov. 24, Red Rooster, 8 p.m.: James Earl Tate has been leading blues jams in the Madison area since starting a weekly session at O’Cayz Corral in 1984, and it’s been a rite of passage for countless local players to step on stage for the first time with the house band (in recent times, the 008 Band). So it’s appropriate that the band’s new album is titled Keeping the Blues Alive. Pick up your copy at this special Red Rooster Appreciation Weekend concert.

Subaversary, Saturday, Nov. 25, Crucible, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.: Milwaukee area collective Subspace mixes music and video live when throwing dance parties around the Midwest. The group is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a pair of shows in November, and the Madison edition is a darkwave blowout featuring eight bands — Carrellee, Choke Chain, Cyanotic, The Gothsicles, Lorelei Dreaming, Nevada Hardware, The Overmorrow and Total Chroma — along with DJs Ecto and Kittens. Be prepared to dance all night. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Found Footage Festival, Saturday, Nov. 25, Barrymore, 8 p.m.: Wouldn’t it be great if you had a couple of friends who spend all their time rummaging around garage sales and thrift stores to find old VHS tapes of off-the-wall content like, oh, say a New Age seminar called “Elimination: The First Step?” Well, you do. Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have hoovered second-hand stores across the country and accumulated over 11,000 VHS tapes. The weirdo films (German nudist club, anybody?) are funny enough, but Pickett and Prueher’s bent banter about the selections is a scream. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

The Trouble Notes, Sunday, Nov. 26, High Noon Saloon, 7:30 p.m.: The music of The Trouble Notes is delightfully hard to pin down. Led by the melodic violin of Bennet Cerven, the sound is rooted in folk — but from where? (The trio’s members hail from different continents.) You can play spot the style on their most recent album, Liberty Awaits, or just enjoy their complex yet still catchy songs. After a busy summer festival schedule the group is wrapping up a North American tour at the High Noon. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.