Bundle up and get outside

Ideas for socially distanced outdoor activities and more Isthmus Picks for Dec. 24-31

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Sing Out, Madison, Friday, Dec. 25, 6 pm: As long as your germs only reach the people in your immediate household, here’s a great way to celebrate the holiday season safely: Reshaping Madison Together is urging everyone to sing "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" at exactly 6 pm, followed by bell ringing and banging on pots and pans to accompany "Jingle Bells." Just come to your front door and sing, oh ye of little faith. If you're around to be able to do this, you have something to celebrate. Lyrics will be posted on the Facebook event.

Wisconsin Ensemble Project, Friday, Dec. 25, 6 pm: The Wisconsin Ensemble Project (aka WE Project) is a new group formed by professional musicians during the dark times of COVID-19 to bring songs and light to worthy organizations. The group's inaugural online concert features chamber music by Black women composers and benefits the Foundation for Black Women's Wellness. The program includes "Strum" and "Voodoo Dolls," by Jessie Montgomery; "Modes," by Dorothy Rudd Moore; and String Quartet in G Major, by Florence Price. Performers are Christopher Dozoryst, Karl Lavine, Leanne League and Mary Theodore. The concert will be available through Jan. 3 at wisconsinensembleproject.com, and donations will be accepted.

A Christmas Carol: Home for the Holidays, Streaming Dec. 18-31: No humbug here. Madison's venerable Children's Theater of Madison has created a wildly ambitious and inclusive virtual Christmas Carol experience featuring a cast of 95, including many past Scrooges and public figures including Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Gov. Tony Evers and First Lady Kathy Evers, UW Marching Band director Corey Pompey, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, the Rev. Dr. Alex Gee, and former Madison poet laureate Fabu. The classic tale is reimagined and read, underscored by a six-person string ensemble, and interspersed with clips from past productions. It's a wonderful gift for the community, and thanks to the sponsors, the webcast is absolutely free.

Georgia Comes Alive, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2 pm: In many years runoff elections in Georgia would not inspire collective national hand-wringing, but as with much else in 2020 normal expectations can be jettisoned. Georgia Comes Alive is a livestream concert to promote voter participation in the Peach State's Jan. 5 runoff contest, but everyone else can just join in and enjoy a lot of fine music. It's your one time to see The Lame Ducks, an impromptu supergroup featuring Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), and a wide range of other performers should offer something for musical tastes from blues (such as Bobby Rush, pictured) to EDM and much in between. Make a donation at georgiacomesalive.com to receive a link to the stream.

Meskales, Saturday, Dec. 26, 8 pm: If you need to work off a big Christmas meal, The Spaceship has a livestream (tickets here) designed to help. Madisonians Los Meskales mix ska, surf rock and Latin rhythms and brass into a sound of their own. For a sample of their music (sung in Spanish), check out a new EP on Bandcamp. Hailing from Rockford, No Comprendo's sound is a bit more punk-tinged variation of ska than Meskales, but their songs (which smoothly transition between English and Spanish) will also keep you dancing. Since the release of debut album Flea Market Fiesta in 2019, the band has posted a few new songs on YouTube.

Edgewater skating rink, daily, Edgewater Hotel, various times: Evening ice skating overlooking Lake Mendota with refreshments available at the Icehouse? Sign us up. In fact, you have to sign up — The Edgewater is selling tickets for an hour on the ice, following occupancy rules from Public Health Madison and Dane County. Skaters must wear masks and that doesn't mean your winter scarf. The online reservation system is easy to use and slots are going fast; a skate with Santa event on Dec. 24 is already full. The rink is open Monday-Friday from 3-9 pm, Saturdays 10 am-9 pm and Sundays 10 am-6 pm (but will be closed on Christmas Day).

This Wonderful Life + APT's Holidames, Streaming through Dec. 29: American Players Theatre is offering up some holiday fare for theater-starved audiences to enjoy in front of the yule log. This Wonderful Life is an adaptation of the classic Frank Capra film written by Steve Murray. This is a solo version starring the marvelous Nate Burger playing every character in the colorful community of Bedford Falls. APT's Holidames: Tangled in Tinsel is a world premiere celebration of the holidays that includes veteran women from the company: Sarah Day, Tracy Michelle Arnold and Colleen Madden (pictured). Read Gwendolyn Moore’s review here. These are the first ticketed online events APT has created since the pandemic scrapped their summer and fall season, so you can also feel good by supporting our local thespians through difficult times. Buy tickets ($24 per show, or $45 for both) here; you will receive a code and link that will be available for 24 hours.

Isaiah Collier, Sunday, Dec. 27, 7 pm: Cafe Coda has kept up a steady pace of excellent online offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this livestream is a great way to wrap up the year by experiencing music from a young jazz prodigy. Saxophonist Collier is an alum of the Jazz Institute of Chicago and ChiArts and is a go-to player in the avant-garde scene. If you missed him last February in person, here’s another chance. Following this concert, Coda plans to take the month of January off to recharge.

Lights, everywhere holiday lights, ongoing in December and beyond: Lighted holiday displays spread cheer during the days with the least daylight of the year. This is a tradition people usually take part in while driving around in their cars anyway, so in that sense, this activity won't feel much different this year. The only Waunakee in the world has a packed park full of lights courtesy of the Waunakee Rotary at Village Park, 410 E. Main St., from 5-9 pm, through Dec. 31. Drive or walk through this ecstatic display; donations welcome. Not far away at 1808 Dover Drive in Waunakee, “Lights on Dover” features lights choreographed to music that you can tune in on your car radio at 96.1 and folks, it’s waaaay more than “Jingle Bells.” And yes, this is just somebody’s house. The University Avenue Holiday Lights were refreshed with LEDs for this season, and will remain on all day through the middle of January. And the car may be the best way to take in Olin Park's Holiday Fantasy in Lights (4:30-10 pm through Jan. 3; donations). One light-related update: Zoo Lights at Henry Vilas Zoo has been canceled due to COVID-19.

Skating and cross-country skiing, daily, Madison and Dane County parks: Snow comes and goes, and so do skiing conditions. As of Dec. 22, all city park cross-country ski trails are open, but conditions are fair to poor, with the exception of Elver Park with its snow-making machine. All designated cross country trails require purchase of a trail permit and note that due to COVID-19 safety precautions, permits are no longer available onsite and must be purchased online or by calling 608-266-4711. City park hours are 4 am-10 pm. Dane County's groomed ski trails are groomed and open, with fair conditions; check ongoing conditions here. Again, the same trail permit must be purchased and they are not available at the trailhead. Skiing ungroomed paths in county parks is free; county parks are open 5 am-10 pm. As of Dec. 22, all city ice rinks and lagoons are closed. But when they do open (colder weather is forecast after Christmas) COVID-19 will have forced some adjustments: warming huts will not be open and sorry, no hot chocolate, either. Check the city website for the status of each individual rink.

Magnum Opus: Full Light, streaming Dec. 23-30: One of the relative newcomers to the regional classical dance scene is Magnum Opus, a company founded several years ago by artistic director Abigail Henninger, a professional ballet dancer. Full Light is a full-length ballet choreographed to Handel's magnificent Messiah. This year's digital version is a ticketed event, because the company is trying to survive the pandemic, but there is a generous sliding scale, offering a chance for you to give as much as you can. And, hopefully, no one will complain if you sing along.

Free Bikes 4 Kids Raffle, tickets sold through Dec. 31: The Madison nonprofit refurbishing and giving bikes to families in need hosts its annual raffle fundraiser, this year with a Schwinn Monroe 250 e-bike, donated by Pacific Cycles. Tickets are $20 each, and on sale here through the end of 2020. The drawing will be Jan. 3.

The Docksiders, Thursday, Dec. 31, 9 pm: Count down to the end of a year we all want to say goodbye to with some smooth sounds courtesy of The Docksiders. The Milwaukee yacht rock tribute band is captained by songwriter-producer (and 88Nine Radio Milwaukee director) Kevin Sucher. Signs point to the possibility of Toto being part of their full show, livestreamed from the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. The night also features performances by BoDeans, B~Free & Quinten Farr, Rocket Cat, and Shonn Hinton & Shotgun. Proceeds benefit the Imagine MKE Artist Relief Fund and National Independent Venue Association. Tickets here.

We hope it's handy for you to find the Picks in a single weekly post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.