Events Calendar

*Note: this event takes place at the Lussier Community Education Center -- 55 S. Gammon Rd*

Do your cooped-up kids need a warm, free place to run and be loud? Come experience Anji Play! In this weekly award-winning program, kids lead the play while adults step back and observe with deep curiosity.  This educational approach rooted in True Play was created in Anji County in China. Madison Public Library is a pioneer in developing a library-based Anji Play model. Open to all ages. No registration required. 

Read and play with your favorite baby or toddler! Engaging with books, songs and playful experiences all help children develop communication skills, patience, empathy, and pre-reading skills and helps to build a lifelong love of reading.

Library programs are always free. Siblings and childcare groups are welcome.

Storytime for the Very Young is intended for children ages 0 to 3 years old.

Growing Voices Music Class is an interactive class for caregivers and their children, birth-4, to play, learn, and bond with music. In our classes we sing, play instruments, dance, and have fun together! 

Come on in and share tips or get advice! Please bring your own supplies. All skill levels welcome.

In partnership with the City of Madison and Madison Public Library, the African Center for Community Development provides in-person assistance* to help offset housing costs by assisting residents with applications for services, jobs, and other financial benefits.

We provide help for people navigating application processes and filling out forms required for housing, immigration, food, health, and other community support services. For questions about the program, please call African Center at 608-957-5623 or 608-294-0066.

*Neither The African Center for Community Development nor Madison Public Library can provide legal assistance or advice.  We are not able to fill out applications on your behalf, or assess program eligibility. 

The River Food Pantry's Munch Truck will be stopping outside Hawthorne on Tuesdays from 3:55PM - 4:25PM.

About River Food Pantry & Munch Truck

Launched in 2016, Munch(link is external) is our mobile meals program that delivers free healthy meals to children and adults in over a dozen low-income neighborhoods throughout Madison. Each meal contains a sandwich or main menu item, a fruit or vegetable, a grain, a treat, and a drink. Everyone is welcome to take home a free meal. No registration or ID is required.

Neighborhoods served by Munch have large populations of children eligible for free school lunch. To bridge the gap that exists when school lunch is not available, Munch operates up to 6 days per week, Monday–Saturday, any time school cafeterias are closed (including breaks and periods of remote learning).

For any questions or comments, please contact the Munch staff at munch@riverfoodpantry.org(link sends e-mail) or (608) 661-1223.

Join The Kids Chef, Lily Kilfoy, for a series of cooking classes for school-age kids, tweens, and their families. Participants will learn about different foods, where they come from, how to follow recipes, and how to use a variety of tools.  Registration is not required, but participation will be limited to the first 25 attendees. 

Food generously provided by Willy St. Co-op North.

Inspired by this year's selection, local artist National Velvet will lead a workshop on making a zine to tell your own story. Attendees will start with the kit they designed, along with others at ArtWorking, and work collaboratively to create memoirs or stories. National Velvet will lead the group through brainstorming activities and help attendees complete their zine. There will be lots of art supplies and discussions, so be ready for a fun, creative time--no art or storytelling experience required! 

Registration for this event is required. Registration will open on January 14th at 9:00am.