It’s (almost) March, and that means spring is here! I’m not saying that winter is done with us yet – this is Wisconsin, after all – but we’ve got warmer and rainier days in our forecast, and even a little bit of green.
It’s also a time when Madison is starting to get itchy to get outside and do things. Listen to the City Cast Madison podcast today as executive producer Hayley Sperling, host Bianca Martin, and I talk about what we’re most looking forward to seeing, doing, and eating this month. And below are a few more suggestions for your March madness.
🎉 Let the Good Times Roll
Overture Center’s International Festival returns on March 8 to take Madison around the world in a day. The daylong festival boasts 30 free live performances, from the UW Russian Folk Orchestra in Overture Hall to Son Del Atlantico Cuban fusion jazz in the lobby. Buy tasty food from Jakarta Cafe, Cafe Costa Rica, and more, and peruse arts and crafts for sale from many local vendors.
Get a head start on Mardi Gras by going to see Mama Digdown’s Brass Band bring New Orleans jazz to the High Noon on March 4. And New Orleans native Johnny Chimes will do a special Mardi Gras show at Middleton’s Big Easy-themed restaurant, Louisianne’s.
Wear your green when the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches around the Capitol Square on March 16. Madison Irish rockers the Kissers will play two shows at the High Noon Saloon on March 15. And call in sick for work Wednesday now if you plan to take in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl, starting at Camp Trippalindee.
UW-Madison students will be away on Spring Break on March 22-30, which is something to celebrate for locals looking for a little more elbow room at downtown concerts and restaurants!
🎥 Lights! Camera! Action!
Tickets go on sale March 8 for the Wisconsin Film Festival in April, and diehard cinephiles will be at Flix Brewhouse Madison on March 5 for First Look at the Fest, a sneak peek at the schedule over free food and drinks. The City Cast Madison team will be there, so come say hi and tell us what you’re most excited about seeing.
Flix is also hosting a Studio Ghibli Fest throughout March, while Marcus Point and Marcus Palace are hosting a seven-hour marathon of the first three Indiana Jones movies on March 8. And the new indie comedy-drama “My Best Friend Zoe,” opening Friday in theaters, was written and directed by Verona native Kyle Hausmann-Stokes.
🌳 Get Outside!
How sweet it is at Aldo Leopold Nature Center, where Maple Syrup Fest will be on March 15. This is a family-oriented event where you can learn how to tap a tree, hike the trails and, of course, sample some real maple syrup. And the UW-Madison Arboretum has family nature hikes scheduled every weekend in March, including a Spring Equinox night hike on March 19.
