What to do in Madison this weekend: March 5-8, 2026

Respect: A Celebration of Women in Music, International Festival and more Isthmus Picks

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Arts

  • Marna Brauner + Hai Chi Jihn, Lillian Luft, through April 12, James Watrous Gallery: Paired exhibitions at the Wisconsin Academy’s James Watrous Gallery consider the curatorial instinct and the clashing human drives of ecological conservation and plunder. “Curio” is a collaboration by Marna Brauner and Hai Chi Jihn, who assembled a “cabinet of curiosities” consisting of found objects in conversation with small, detail-oriented pieces created by the artists. “Deliberate Acts” by Lillian Luft was inspired by the history of native mussel overharvesting in the 19th century, and “poignantly evokes mussels’ bodies and the spaces they inhabited.” Gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.
  • Patricia McConnell, Thursday, March 5, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Patricia McConnell, animal behaviorist, canine trainer, dog lover, and co-host of the former WPR call-in show Calling All Pets has penned her first mystery novel. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Away to Me is centered on a character who, like McConnell, is an animal behaviorist who lives on a farm in Wisconsin and specializes in dogs. The plot thickens with a fatal shooting at a sheepdog trial. (Don’t worry, the dog’s okay.) McConnell will be in conversation with Madison novelist Maggie Ginsberg; in-person seats have all been claimed, but you can view a livestream at crowdcast.io. Read Bill Lueders’ interview with McConnell about the novel here.
  • Oh, My! It's Cheshire Cat Comedy's 300th Show! Thursday, March 5, Crucible, 7 p.m.: Scene energizer Cheshire Cat Comedy marks a milestone with a lineup featuring five cross-category performers who could all be headliners. Madison is ably represented by Eli Wilz, a stand-up comic and Atlas Improv member, and Aris Awes, comedian, drag performer and actor. The evening also includes three Chicago-based performers: Writer and 2025 Time Out Comic to Watch Deanna Ortiz, boylesque artist and variety show producer Joelie Folle, and stand-up, writer and filmmaker Rey Tang. (Previously announced performer Ross Childs will be unable to appear.) Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • Sandra, through March 8, Slowpoke Lounge, Spring Green: Sandra is the second part of a trilogy of film noir-style thrillers by David Cale (the Two Crows company also staged Harry Clarke, the first play in the trilogy, last year). It follows a recently separated woman who travels to Mexico to search for her missing friend, Ethan, a young composer and pianist. And a special treat: It stars APT stalwart Colleen Madden playing all the roles. Two Crows company founder Marcus Truschinski says of Madden: “She shifts into all these characters, and there’s no space between her and the audience.” Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at twocrowstheatrecompany.org.
  • Erin Morley + Lawrence Brownlee, Thursday, March 5, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Concerts featuring the 19th century bel canto style of singing can sometimes feel like a museum tour; this one won’t. Erin Morley and Lawrence Brownlee are both top-tier Metropolitan Opera singers, and when artists with this much control and personality share a stage, fireworks are sure to ensue: spun-legato lines, fearless high notes, and phrasing that can turn a single word into drama. The program includes work by Rossini, Verdi, Donizetti and other big names (including music from Morley and Brownlee's 2025 album, Golden Age), but the real draw is the duet chemistry and the sheer athletic beauty of voices that can make hard things sound effortless. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.
  • cullud wattah, through March 8, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre: This is a significant play from UW-Madison and First Wave alumna Erika Dickerson-Despenza, dramatizing the mid-2010s water crisis in Flint, Michigan, that shocked the nation. When the city began drawing water from the Flint River without proper treatment, lead from old pipes began poisoning the population. The play centers on one family’s intersection with protest, trust and community, themes still highly relevant today. University Theatre performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sundays, plus 2 p.m. March 7. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.
  • Los Straitjackets with Deke Dickerson, Thursday, March 5, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: For more than 30 years, Los Straitjackets have been keeping the flame of instrumental rock ‘n roll alive in clubs around the world (and on record, such as their 2025 platter Somos Los Straitjackets). Along with developing an unforgettable stage presence (performing in matching suits and Mexican wrestling masks), Los Straitjackets has also proven to have excellent taste in collaborators, serving as Nick Lowe’s recurring backing band for some years now and maintaining periodic confabs with rock/roots true believer Deke Dickerson. The “Rockin' Dance Party” tour should provide freewheeling fun. This one sold out well ahead of time, but if there are any last minute tickets they will be at theburoakmadison.com.
  • The Lone Bellow, Thursday, March 5, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Mere weeks after the release of the trio’s sixth album, What A Time To Be Alive, The Lone Bellow makes a stop in Madison. The first incarnation of this upbeat album — loaded with the band's “signature harmonies and anthemic indie folk turned up full,” according to Holler — was stolen from the band’s van while on tour (along with equipment, instruments and luggage), and it all had to be re-recorded. Here’s to a trauma-free tour and a memorable Madison stop. Peru-born Fabrizio, whose deep baritone suits his brand of haunting Americana/folk, opens. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Orchid Escape, through March 8, Olbrich Gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: After the recent stretch of frigid temperatures, many may be thinking of escaping to somewhere warm. A retreat right here in town is Olbrich Gardens' Bolz Conservatory, with the annual “Orchid Escape” display through March 8. Along with a multitude of beautiful orchids, this year’s event includes a focus on insects that are part of the plants' ecosystem. Tickets for timed entry are required, and available at olbrich.org.
  • LEXFest, March 6-7, The Rigby: This new entrant in the music fest sweepstakes will be a favorite for anyone who likes Midwest punk, ska, emo and more, or a handy sampler for those who want to learn more about regional music. It’s coordinated by Lex Dahl under the Lextasy Productions banner, and features three of Dahl’s bands: Closeted Alcoholic and Cathouse Dandies on Friday, and This is My Tragedy on Saturday. More than 15 artists will hit the stage: Friday (starting at 6:30 p.m.) includes the unforgettably-named “Scream Internally and Die” Forever, and Saturday (kicking off at 2 p.m.) features a rare set by office-themed punks Help Desk, favorites such as The Brash Menagerie and Courtesy of Tim, and headlining visitors from Minnesota Space Monkey Mafia.
  • Slum Village, Friday, March 6, The Annex, 7 p.m.: Detroit underground hip-hop vets Slum Village have kept the flame alive over decades, with the duo of T3 and Young RJ returning in 2024 with their first album in a bit less than a decade. F.U.N is hardly a nostalgia trip, adding new collaborators to the album’s roster of guest rappers and bringing a bit of disco and funk to the tracks. Slum Village is joined on tour by artists from the United Grind Society collective and a strong array of regional artists including Antiii-Gravity, Goddess Nacole, Obscure, Lambo Lada and GreenT. Tickets at eventbrite.com.
  • International Festival, Saturday, March 7, Overture Center, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Enjoy music, dance and other performances from around the world at the International Festival, Overture Center’s annual celebration of the diversity of Madison’s arts scene. More than 30 ensembles will perform, ranging from Chinese lion dance by Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association to Cuban music by Rebulú to the German choral group Madison Männerchor. Hands-on art activities and a food and vendor market make for a full day. Find a performance schedule and more info at overture.org.
  • Tiara’s Hat Parade, March 7-22, Madison Youth Arts: The next production from Children’s Theater of Madison is also a part of the World Premiere Wisconsin schedule. Tiara’s Hat Parade is based on the kids' picture book by Kelly Starling Lyons, and transformed into a stage show by actor-director-playwright Paige Hernandez. It tells the story of a young African American girl who comes up with an idea to help her mother revive her small business; Hernandez’s adaptation features Lydia Danielle playing all the play’s roles. Performances at 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday; tickets at overture.org.
  • Madison Reads Leopold, Saturday, March 7, UW Arboretum Visitor Center, 1-4 p.m.: It is close to spring, and it’s time to stop doomscrolling and do something that engages with the community, history, nature, literature and the seasons. All in one event? You bet. Madison Reads Leopold is an annual community read-a-thon that lauds Wisconsin's own Aldo Leopold. Selections from A Sand County Almanac and more, from such readers as…your friends and neighbors! Readers include historians, biologists, naturalists and people who just love Leopold. Note: you may come and go throughout the event; find a schedule of readers at arboretum.wisc.edu. Also: Sunday, March 8, a hike departs at 1 p.m. from the Visitor Center: “Walking in Leopold’s Footsteps” visits locations related to Leopold’s work as the Arboretum’s first research director.
  • Ruthie Foster, Saturday, March 7, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Ruthie Foster’s most recent studio album, 2024’s Mileage, finds the artist right at home on a set of horn-drenched soul, blues and roots music. The album earned Foster a well-deserved first Grammy win in 2025 (after five previous nominations) for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.com.
  • Dar Williams, Saturday, March 7, Atwood Music Hall, 8 p.m.: If you do not know Dar Williams, you have been missing out. The New York-based singer-songwriter has created an uplifting, quirky, amusing and yet haunting body of work since The Honesty Room in 1995. You might encounter pagans and Christians memorably breaking bread together at the holidays, paeans to babysitters, a haunting cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb,” or the Midwestern singalong favorite “Iowa.” If you’re feeling low and even if you aren’t, you’ll leave this show feeling hopeful. With Joy Clark. Tickets at theatwoodmusichall.com.
  • Respect: A Celebration of Women in Music, Saturday, March 7, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Music by some of music’s iconic voices — Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Lady Gaga and others — will be presented by 10 of the Madison area’s most distinctive singers at the annual concert “Respect: A Celebration of Women in Music.” This year’s lineup features Raquel Aleman, Chakari Daezhare, Helen Feest, Molly Fish, Betty Guerrero, Kelly Hepper, Lo Marie, Maya Robinson, Elena Ross and Leah Isabel Tirado (note, previously announced singer Teresa Marie will be unable to appear); they are backed as always by The Big Payback, whose versatility makes the evening happen. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
  • Winter Festival of Poetry, Sundays, through March 8, Delta Beer Lab, 2 p.m.: A potent potable and some poetry on a midwinter’s afternoon? Yes please. The annual Winter Festival of Poetry is now located at Delta Beer Lab for the rest of these Sunday afternoon readings, proving that iambs and IPAs are a perfect match. The final week's readers: Margaret Benbow, Steve Tomasko, Mo O'Grady, F. J. Bergmann, Arsenio Sorrell and Kristian Petrov Iliev.

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