What's On in Madison
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Madison, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Arts and exhibitions in Madison: November 2026
Arts near Madison to mid-December: library film nights and a Dec. 13 holiday concert, A Christmas Carol from Dec. 4 and the Huntsville Nutcracker Dec. 11-13.
Coming up
The full month- Sat. Nov. 7 Family Fall Night
- Sat. Nov. 7 A Celtic Christmas
- Sun. Nov. 8 Gather Madison free community meal
- Mon. Nov. 9 Adult Sewing: Snap Bags
- Tue. Nov. 10 Veterans Dinner
- Wed. Nov. 11 Veterans Day Breakfast
- Wed. Nov. 11 Veterans Day pre-parade show
- Wed. Nov. 11 Veterans Day Parade
- Thu. Nov. 12 MAD Movie-A-Thon-O-Rama: Knives Out
- Fri. Nov. 13 James Clemens, AHSAA Class 6A playoffs
- Nov. 13 to 22 Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley
- Sun. Nov. 15 Sensory Swim
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Madison Fourth of July fireworks 2027: Let Freedom Ring
Madison's Fourth of July fireworks are at Let Freedom Ring in Dublin Park. In 2026 it ran 5 to 9 p.m. July 3, with parking at Bob Jones High. 2027 date TBA.
Halloween
Madison trick-or-treat: 2026 has passed; next Oct. 31, 2027
Halloween 2026 has passed. Madison set no official trick-or-treat hours this year; Halloween 2027 is Sunday, Oct. 31. This page is updated each October.
Christmas
Madison Christmas parade 2026: Dec. 12, new route
Madison's Christmas parade is 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, on a new route from Life Way to Celtic Drive; Christmas on Main trees light up at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4.
High school football
Madison football playoffs 2026: Bob Jones hosts Hoover
Bob Jones hosts Hoover in the 6A playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Madison City Stadium. Region champion James Clemens (8-2) is due to play Friday, Nov. 13.
Fall festivals
Madison fall festivals and pumpkin patches: 2026 season over
The 2026 fall season near Madison is over: Tate Farms closed with Pumpkin Destruction Day Oct. 31. Still ahead: the free Family Fall Night on Nov. 7.
Halloween
Madison Halloween: 2026 events over; next is Oct. 31, 2027
Madison's 2026 Halloween events, from the downtown festival to Toyota Field trick-or-treating, have passed. Halloween 2027 is Sunday, Oct. 31; updated yearly.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Madison 2026: turkey trot, closures, trash
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. The Turkey Trot 5K starts at 8 a.m. at UAH; Madison's Thursday garbage moves to Friday; city sites close two days.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Madison 2026
Black Friday is Nov. 27 and Small Business Saturday Nov. 28. Where Madison shops: Town Madison, downtown Main Street, Clift Farm and Bridge Street.
Christmas
Madison Christmas events 2026: lights, Santa, parade Dec. 12
Galaxy of Lights opens Nov. 13; Christmas on Main trees light up Dec. 4 and the Madison Christmas parade is 5 p.m. Dec. 12, plus Santa at Toyota Field.
New Year's Eve
Madison New Year's Eve 2026: Toyota Field party, 8 p.m.
Toyota Field's 21-and-older New Year's Eve party runs 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31. The library closes at 5 p.m. that day; city offices shut Jan. 1.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Madison 2027: dinners, events, date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday. Madison dinner spots, wine bars and date ideas, plus a library Romeo + Juliet movie night Feb. 18. Updated as venues post.
Spring break
Spring break in Madison 2027: school dates, games, things to do
Madison City Schools' spring break is March 15-19, 2027. High school baseball at Toyota Field, library programs, parks, pools and what is open.
Easter
Easter in Madison 2027: egg hunts, brunch and services
Easter is Sunday, March 28, 2027. Madison's Easter Eggstravaganza at Dublin Park, a sensory-friendly egg hunt, Easter Mass times and Sunday brunch hours.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Madison 2027: brunch, gardens and gift shops
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027. Sunday brunch hours in Madison, afternoon tea, the botanical garden's butterfly house and downtown gift shops.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Madison 2027: ceremonies, closures, trash
Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. Where Madison honors its fallen, the Trash Pandas' holiday-weekend homestand, and what is open and closed.
Summer
Summer in Madison 2027: camps, Dublin Park pools, swim lessons
Summer 2027 in Madison: the city's Summer Day Camp, tennis and archery camps, Dublin Park's indoor and outdoor pools, swim lessons and Trash Pandas nights.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Madison 2027: baseball, brunch and events
Father's Day is Sunday, June 20, 2027. The Trash Pandas are away that day and home June 22-27; Sunday brunch and steak hours, trails and the dog park.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Madison 2027: events, closures, trash pickup
Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. Schools are off Sept. 3-6; city offices and the library close Monday; the Trash Pandas end the season at home Sept. 7-12.
Brunch
Brunch in Madison: 7 places for breakfast, brunch and tea
Brunch in Madison, Alabama: First Watch, Another Broken Egg, Metro Diner, Eggs Up Grill, Edgar's at Town Madison, Honest Coffee and Lanier House tea.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Madison: dog park, trails and the leash rules
Mill Creek Dog Park, leashed hikes at Rainbow Mountain and the greenways, Galaxy of Lights dog nights, and Madison's leash and dog license rules.
Kids
Kids' activities in Madison: playgrounds, story times, rainy days
Kids in Madison, Alabama: Kid's Kingdom inclusive playground, library story times every week, Dublin Park's pools, escape rooms and rainy-day picks.
Trails
Madison walking and biking trails: greenways, loops, parking
Madison's greenways and trails with distances and parking: Bradford Creek 2.3 miles, Mill Creek 1.5, Indian Creek 3.6, Rainbow Mountain nearly 4.
Town Madison
A guide to Town Madison and Toyota Field
Town Madison, the district around Toyota Field off I-565: Trash Pandas games, parking, the clear-bag rule, restaurants and the 2027 SEC Softball Tournament.
Nightlife
Live music and nightlife in Madison: bars, jazz, brewery
Nightlife in Madison, Alabama: live jazz at Zanotta's, Vine & Oak wine bar, Old Black Bear Brewing on Main Street, Prohibition's rooftop and Toyota Field.
Free
Free things to do in Madison: parks, trails, events, library
Free in Madison, Alabama: Kid's Kingdom, Rainbow Mountain and the greenways, library programs, the dog park, and free city and downtown events all year.
Date night
Date night in Madison: dinner, wine bars, rooftops, games
Date night in Madison, Alabama: Zanotta's with weekend jazz, The Chop House, Vine & Oak wine bar, Prohibition's rooftop, escape rooms and Toyota Field.
Veterans Day
Veterans Day near Madison 2026: Huntsville parade, closures
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11: the parade steps off at 11 a.m. in downtown Huntsville; Madison city offices and schools close and Thursday garbage moves.
Witches Ride
Madison Witches Ride: 2026 ride was Oct. 18; next in 2027
The 2026 Madison Witches Ride was Sunday, Oct. 18, on Garner Street downtown. It runs on a late-October Sunday; rider sign-up opens Sept. 1 each year.
Madison Street Festival
Madison Street Festival: first Saturday in October, downtown
The free Madison Street Festival is the first Saturday in October, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown. The 44th was Oct. 3, 2026; the 2027 date would be Oct. 2.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Madison: lists by category
Every Madison, Alabama where-to-eat list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast and coffee, burgers, sushi, desserts and patios.
Wings
Where to get wings in Madison: Town Madison, Hughes Road and Highway 72
6 places to get wings in Madison, Alabama: Town Madison by Toyota Field, Hughes Road, Highway 72, Wall Triana Highway and County Line Road.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Madison: Hughes Road, Highway 72, County Line
10 pizza places in Madison, Alabama, on Hughes Road, Highway 72, County Line Road, Madison Boulevard and at Clift Farm, with hours from their own sites.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Madison: Highway 72, Town Madison
8 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Madison, Alabama, on Highway 72, in Town Madison, on Madison Boulevard and County Line Road, with hours.
Barbecue
Where to get barbecue in Madison: Hughes Road, Highway 72, Town Madison
4 barbecue restaurants in Madison, Alabama: two LawLers on Hughes Road and County Line Road, Chuck Wagon on Highway 72 and Moe's in Town Madison.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Madison: Highway 72, Hughes Road, downtown
14 places for breakfast and coffee in Madison, Alabama, on Highway 72, Hughes Road, Wall Triana, County Line Road, downtown and Town Madison.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Madison: Town Madison, Clift Farm, Hughes Road
7 burger places in Madison, Alabama, in Town Madison, at Clift Farm and on Hughes Road, County Line Road, Wall Triana and Madison Boulevard.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Madison: Town Madison, Hughes Road
6 sushi and Asian restaurants in Madison, Alabama, in Town Madison, at Clift Farm and on Hughes Road and County Line Road, with hours.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Madison: Town Madison and Hughes Road
5 places for ice cream and desserts in Madison, Alabama: milkshakes, frozen custard and cakes in Town Madison, gelato and cobbler on Hughes Road.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Madison: Town Madison and Clift Farm
5 Madison, Alabama restaurants whose own sites list a patio or rooftop: Town Madison, Clift Farm, Hughes Road and Madison Boulevard.
Event news
Nutcracker
Huntsville Nutcracker 2026: Dec. 11-13 times and tickets
Huntsville Ballet's Nutcracker with the symphony runs Dec. 11-13 at the VBC, $45 to $55. Plus A Christmas Carol Dec. 4-13 and more holiday shows near Madison.
Things to do
Things to do in Madison this weekend, Oct. 23 to 25
Madison this weekend: James Clemens hosts Huntsville Friday, the library's Treasures and 25-cent book sale Saturday and a church trunk-or-treat Sunday.