Madison’s Central Business Improvement District: Downtown holiday trolley & carolers, Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 & 19

Contact (through Oct. 6, 2015):
Mary Carbine
(608) 512-1340
mcarbine@visitdowntownmadison.com

Contact (Oct. 7 onward):
Tiffany Kenney
(608) 843-7079
tiffany@locavore-roar.com

MADISON, Wis. – Holiday shopping is especially jolly with the Downtown Trolley and Carolers! The free “Holiday Shopping Trolley” will run in Downtown Madison up and down State Street and around the Capitol Square from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays, December 5, 12 and 19. Catch at bus stops (follows Capitol Loop detour on Sat. Dec. 5). Carolers will stroll State Street and the Square those same Saturdays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Can’t decide what to get everyone on your list? Give the gift of Downtown Madison Gift Certificates, accepted at more than 175 shops and restaurants. Information is at visitdowntownmadison.com or (608) 512-1342, or stop by the Downtown Visitor Center or Overture Center Downtown Info Table (hours and locations below).

Downtown Holiday Trolley
The Holiday Shopping Trolley (schedule above) will be decorated and staffed by volunteer Downtown Information Ambassadors, who will greet riders, hand out treats for kids, and offer shopping suggestions, directions, and downtown maps. Riders on the trolley will also be treated to free Downtown Madison Welcome Bags (made possible thanks to our sponsor DreamBank – American Family Insurance) filled with promotions, coupons, special offers and information from downtown businesses and organizations (free, one per trolley rider, while supplies last).

Downtown Carolers
Volunteer community and UW-Madison choral groups and dancers will stroll State Street and the Capitol Square–and even hop on the trolley–to carol and perform for shoppers on Saturdays in December. Performances start at 11 am at the Madison Children’s Museum (MCM, 100 N. Hamilton St.) and at 1 pm in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Lobby (MMoCA, 227 State Street).

Caroler Performance Schedule:
(All performances kick off at the time and museum lobby indicated below, before groups begin strolling around State Street and the Capitol Square. Schedule subject to change, check visitdowntownmadison.com for any updates.)

Saturday, Dec. 5
11 am (MCM)- 1 pm: Midnight Voices
noon (MCM)- 2 pm: Madison Youth Choir
1pm (MMoCA) – 3 pm: Capitol Chordsmen (Barbershop Choir)

Saturday, Dec. 12
11 am (MCM) – 1 pm: The Ambulatones
12 pm (MCM) – 2 pm: Tangled Up in Blue (UW A Cappella Group)
1pm (MMoCA) – 3 pm: Redefined (UW A Cappella Group)

Saturday, Dec. 19
11 am (MCM) – 1 pm: Philharmonic Chorus of Madison
1pm (MMoCA) – 3 pm: Kanopy Dance

Downtown Visitor Center and Saturday Info Table
Holiday shoppers can count on our Downtown Information Ambassadors for helpful directions, shopping and dining suggestions, maps, and a friendly smile. Downtown Ambassadors will staff an information table in the Overture Center Rotunda Lobby (201 State Street) from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays December 5, 12 and 19. Stop by while shopping, attending Kids in the Rotunda, or enjoying the holiday lighting in the Overture Center. Downtown Ambassadors staff the Downtown Visitor Center at 452 State St., Sundays-Thursdays: 11:00am-5:00pm, Fridays: 11:00am-6:00pm, and Saturdays: 9:00am-6:00pm

Downtown Madison Gift Certificates
Downtown Madison Gift Certificates are accepted at more than 175 shops, restaurants, museums, cafes, bars and other establishments on State Street and the Capitol Square. They make the perfect holiday gift! Order online at visitdowntownmadison.com, or purchase in person at the Overture Center Ticket Office, 201 State Street, or the University Bookstore, 711 State Street.

Winter Snowflake Lights
The winter “snowflake” lights decorating State Street and the Capitol Square from Thanksgiving through January are a downtown Madison tradition. The lighting is funded by downtown business and property owners through Madison’s Central Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with the City of Madison Parks. The lighting has been upgraded this year thanks in part to the sponsorship of the Greater State Street Business Association (GSSBA) and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE). The new lighting is brighter energy-saving LED, which use up to 95% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. Now downtown Madison is truly “green” and bright for the holidays!