What to do in Madison this weekend: Aya, Dark Holiday Bazaar and more Isthmus Picks

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Free Turkey Day Meals, Thursday, Nov. 27: It’s not been a good year so far for folks who’ve been hit hard by job losses, the government shutdown, and especially the disruption in SNAP benefits. Fortunately caring members of the community want to share the harvest so everyone can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Drop-in options on the holiday include Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 5701 Raymond Road, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; House of Flavas and Devine Grilling hosts a meal at the Black Business Hub, 2352 S. Park St., 2-4 p.m.; Luke House, 310 S. Ingersoll St., 3-4 p.m.; and the Cardinal Bar, 418 E. Wilson St., 5-10 p.m. (pay-what-you can). Registration is required for the meal at Lakeview Lutheran Church, 4001 Mandrake Road (noon; RSVP at 608-244-6181) and for a free meal hosted by Neighborhood Food Solutions founder Robert Pierce at Madison Labor Temple (1-4 p.m.; RSVP at 608-358-5834), and recommended for the Delta Beer Lab meal (3-5 p.m. call Delta at 608-640-4500 or register here). Find more info in the calendar listings or here.

Madison Makers Market, Saturday, Nov. 28, The Deliciouser, Giant Jones Brewing, Hotel Indigo, Imaginary Factory, Old Sugar Distillery, State Line Distillery, Vintage Brewing-Capitol East and Working Draft Beer, noon to 5 p.m.: Madison’s Capital East district will be teeming with craft hunters for this free event, which showcases work from the most creative and diligent makers among us. Find unique, handmade gifts, buy them directly from the artisans and craftspeople who made them, and grab a drink (or three) while you’re at it. Find vendor profiles at facebook.com/MadisonMakersMarket  and locations at madisonmakersmarket.com.

HO Ho HO! Nov. 28-29, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: Madison’s arts community loves to create new holiday traditions, especially of the irreverent variety. Dance Fabulous is back for another season of HO Ho HO! A Holiday Variety Burlesque Cabaret Spectacular. The title should prepare you for what to expect (at least a bit) and the cast features a who’s who of burlesque stars: Cherry Popper, Daniel the Fox, Foxy Veronica, Holly Garland, Juniper Fox, Mae Summers, Nicole, Plezher SSSea, and host Ms. Behavin'. As per tradition, a dance party with DJ ScaryMike and The Geminis follows the final show. Tickets at holidayburlesquespectacular.com.

Women’s Work, through Nov. 29, Giant Jones Brewery: As if one needed another reason to head to the tasting room at Giant Jones, this showcase of all the 2025 applicants to the Forward Art Prize is one that’s non-beer related. The space has good lighting designed for art displays (and great beer to sip while enjoying the art). The Forward Art Prize from the Women Artists Forward Fund addresses gender inequity in the arts, supporting women-identifying visual artists in Dane County. Extended through Nov. 29.

Añamarié Edwards + Warren King, through Jan. 11, Watrous Gallery: Head up to the third floor of the Overture Center for this fall-into-winter paired exhibit from two Milwaukee artists. Añamarié Edwards' “The Home of Joy” delves into what joy might look like for Black and brown communities, in paint and mixed media. Warren King’s “Homecoming” showcases his abstracted cardboard sculptures (mostly of human figures) that are influenced by the Chinese tradition of lacquerware. Regular gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday; the gallery is closed on Nov. 27 and from Dec. 25-Jan. 1.

Zoo Lights, through Dec. 23, Henry Vilas Zoo: The tradition of lights in the deep midwinter, when we in the northern climate suffer from lack of daylight, makes sense. For the annual Zoo Lights event, the pleasant confines of the Henry Vilas Zoo are lit up with holiday- and animal-themed displays. Special activities included in the cost of the ticket (it’s a benefit for the normally free zoo) are unlimited carousel rides and pictures with Santa. (There’s also a special event with Henry the Lion on Dec. 7 and a sensory friendly night Dec. 10.) Snacks and drinks — even adult beverages — are available for purchase. Zoo Lights features timed entry starting at 5:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 22-Dec. 14, as well as Wednesday, Dec. 10, Thursday, Dec. 11, and nightly Dec. 16-23. Advance tickets only, available online here.

Kevin Bozeman’s 20th Annual Thanksgiving Weekend: Nov. 28-29, Comedy on State: Comedy vet Kevin Bozeman got his start at open mics in Madison about a quarter century ago, and Comedy on State has remained a special stop on his touring schedule; he recorded his latest special there this summer. Bozeman is following up his 20th annual Thanksgiving eve show with three more weekend bills, featuring Chicago comedy legend Damon Williams joined by T Murph and Kristen Toomey. Shows at 7 p.m. Nov. 28 and 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Nov. 29; tickets for all shows at madisoncomedy.com.

Gutenberg! The Musical! through Nov. 30, Overture-Playhouse: If a couple of newbies staging an implausible Broadway musical sounds like a plot you’ve heard before (The Producers), you’re not entirely wrong. But unlike the protagonists in the storied Mel Brooks comedy, the two behind this unlikely show, Bud and Doug, truly believe in its worth. Gutenberg! The Musical!, about the inventor of the printing press and his love for his assistant, Helvetica, is a charmer. This Forward Theater production is directed by Jen Uphoff Gray; the final performances are at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28-29 and 2 p.m. Nov. 30. Read Lauren Hafeman’s review here. Tickets at overture.org.

Celebration of Tom Petty, Friday, Nov. 28, Majestic, 8 p.m.: It’s both joyful and bittersweet to remember Tom Petty, the Rickenbacker-wielding Floridian who knew how to write a true American rock song. His songs are melodic, hard-driving and timeless (even if “It’s Good to be King” has come to take on a more sinister meaning). For this annual concert, Driveway Thriftdwellers with guests Trapper Schoepp, Lo Marie, Erik Kjelland, and Chris Haise will be runnin’ down a dream throughout the evening. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra + Mr. Chair + Madison Youth Choirs, MOVING TO Sunday, Nov. 30, Orpheum, 3 and 7:30 p.m.: Few albums define the holidays like the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas — it’s instantly recognizable from the first piano notes. This season, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra teams up with Madison’s boundary-pushing jazz trio Mr. Chair and members of Madison Youth Choirs to bring the soundtrack to life in its entirety, plus other holiday favorites. The program blends nostalgia with new artistry that will please families, Peanuts diehards, and anyone who still gets goosebumps when Linus steps into the spotlight. Tickets at wcoconcerts.org. Note: The concerts are moving to Sunday due to the snowstorm.

MAMA New Artist Listening Room, Saturday, Nov. 29, Harmony Bar, 7 p.m.: The Madison Area Music Association and Tone Madison are teaming up to present a new concert series featuring fresh voices on the scene. The first installment features six-piece Marigold Motel, purveyors of an eclectic blend of retro-leaning pop featuring prominent keys and harmonies; Jonathon Millionaire, a spiky emo-adjacent quartet led by singer-songwriter Lawrence Gann with a steady string of singles and EPs the last couple years; Rockstar & Elise, a project featuring thoughtful pop songs by Emily AF; and The Stoplights, showcasing the gentle, sometimes experimental creations of prolific singer-songwriter Ryan Liam Maguire. Watch for lineup updates at facebook.com/tonemsn.

Aya, Saturday, Nov. 29, Gamma Ray, 7 p.m.: Aya is the stage name of Sailou Mballow, who built a big following in his native Gambia, West Africa, as a member of Nobles. Judging by performance clips with his new Madison band at this past summer’s Africa Fest, his high energy stage presence and joyful music mixing Afrobeat, hip-hop and house will quickly find a following in the Midwest as well. With Kamale N’Goni, DJ Lyriks. Tickets at gammaray.bar.

Dark Holiday Bazaar, Sunday, Nov. 30, Crucible, 1-5 p.m.: If you’re looking for something edgier than the usual holiday shopping fare, Crucible presents the Dark Holiday Bazaar each year for your gifting perusal. With vendors such as Unicornicopia, GoofGore and My Existential Ennui, what’s on offer should be beyond Santa, reindeer and elves (though, there may be an aerialist elf in attendance…along with Krampus).

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

Editor's note: This post was updated due to the date change for the WCO and Mr. Chair concerts.