Did you know that Wisconsin is the only U.S. state to not recognize Veterans Day as a state holiday? Veterans Day, however, is still a federal holiday, and there are plenty of ways that Madisonians are honoring those who served and remembering the fallen this Nov. 11.
Here’s what’s going on in Madison this Veterans Day, as well as the reason why it’s not a state holiday in Wisconsin.
😦 What Do You Mean, Veterans Day Isn’t a State Holiday?
The reasons behind that are complicated. Wisconsin had always been a strong supporter of Armistice Day, the worldwide occasion that celebrated the end of World War I. In the 1950s, the U.S. government renamed Armistice Day as Veterans Day to honor Americans who served in all wars. But Wisconsin stuck to observing Armistice Day, and while there were some efforts in the 1980s to add Veterans Day as a state holiday in Wisconsin, it did not gather enough support to pass.
Those efforts have resurfaced in recent years. In 2022 the Wisconsin Senate passed a bill to make Veterans Day a state holiday, but it has not come up for a vote in the Assembly. In his 2025-26 budget, Gov. Tony Evers included a provision that would make both Veterans Day and Juneteenth state holidays, but it was removed by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee.
In 2025, a group of Democratic lawmakers introduced “The Veterans Promise,” which would align Wisconsin with the U.S. government’s observance of Veterans Day. But it was never approved by the Legislature.
🇺🇸 Observance in the Capitol
The annual Veterans Day observance in the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda will take place on Nov. 11, hosted by the Madison Veterans Council at the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. The program begins at 9:15 a.m. with a concert by the VFW 1318 Band, followed by a speakers’ program at 10 a.m.
☕ A Cup of Veterans Day Coffee
In honor of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum’s 125th Anniversary, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Nov. 11 the museum will be serving up free cups of a special 125th anniversary coffee blend, “Rood Awakenings,” in honor of the museum’s first leader and Civil War veteran Hosea Rood. The coffee was roasted by Kawkauna-based Operation Coffee, a veteran-owned business.
🥞 UW-Madison Student Breakfast
Come to the Red Gym from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for a drop-in breakfast program featuring several speakers honoring the military and veteran’s contributions to the UW-Madison campus. At the Memorial Union, University Veteran Services will engrave dog tags to honor the veteran or service member in your life.
💬 Military Monologues
A group of Madison College students and guest artists will present original military-themed stories at “Military Monologues,” Nov. 11-14 in the Studio Theater at the college’s Truax Campus. The event is free for students and veterans.
📚 Read Up on Veterans History
Every book in the Wisconsin Veterans Museum bookstore is 30-50% off as the museum makes room for a refreshed book section. The sale runs through Nov. 21.
🎶 The Kissers Honor the Fallen
In 2024, Madison Irish rock band The Kissers released “The Foe and the Fallen,” a concept album about World War I. You can get the album on Bandcamp, and listen to Kissers frontman Ken Fitzsimmons talk about the project, which has grown into a stage show.
