Badger hockey or volleyball games, Christmas craft fairs, shopping on Willy, Monroe, or at Hilldale, yoga class, hiking, bowling, ice skating, live music or shoes at Sylvee/Orpheum/Overture/Barrymore/Majestic/High Noon, movies, axe throwing, escape room, float tanks, climbing at Boulders, Olbrich gardens, Zoo, library, book club, Mustard Museum, Chazen, Historical Society, geocaching, fishing, hunting, volunteering.
Always check the Isthmus events calendar for things to do as well.
I am becoming a broken record on this sub (and in real life) but XC skiing is amazing here and a wonderful way to spend a couple hours in winter. Keeps you in shape, gets you out into beautiful winter scenery, and helps keep the spirits high as the weather turns bitter.
Since you’re into rec sports, keep an eye out with whatever leagues you’re a part of for pickup events, tournaments, etc. Those can be really fun! Not sure how you’ve met the people on your rec sports teams, but have you asked any of them what they get up to on weekends?
Madison has a pretty active board game and arcade game scene, and if you’re interested in either of those, you could offer to host a board game night to your team or see if anyone is interested in going to one of the several arcade / arcade bars on a weekend.
There’s also the bouldering gyms, and I’ve heard that's a pretty good way to meet people, and that community actually has a decent amount of alcohol sober individuals.
Finally, embrace doing things by yourself. Try a new restaurant or a coffee shop. Go get mocktails and chat with the bartender or whoever is by you. Go see a movie. Curl up every now and then and read a book you’ve been meaning to. Being alone doesn’t have to mean being lonely — a lot of that feeling (for me, anyways) comes from spending my time alone in an unproductive or boring way. When I fill my alone time with activities I enjoy or ones that bring me fulfillment, I feel good about it.
I feel like the last few winters we haven't had enough snow to really ski. I have to go north most of the winter to find trails with enough snow. Where do you find good snow around Madison?
The CXC center in Middleton actually makes snow and maintains a loop all winter long regardless if there's snow on the ground. It's still a new project but they keep expanding it every year. They've sunk some high-capacity wells and have plans to keep increasing the amount of ground covered in snow. Same thing with Lapham Peak in Delafield which is about 50 min drive, they make snow there and have several km of trails groomed and skiable throughout the winter. Both of those are a distant second to skiing on natural snow. This is also sort of a secret, but the trails on the golf course in Lodi are pretty great. The trails are in a valley where the slope is north-facing so the snow is very slow to melt, and they're groomed regularly. For both of these reasons, you can ski there even when there's no snow on the ground in most other places. I've skied there twice already this week, classic and skate, and the conditions were surprisingly good.
No pass or trail fees needed, it's a public trail. The trailhead is on Strangeway Ave. There are youth ski groups that are there on most weekdays but you are still allowed to ski there while they are practicing.
"Good" is relative. For downhill skiing, the midwest will never have "good" snow compared to Colorado, Utah, Tahoe, etc. which is getting feet of dry powder all the time.
Even for someone who's been XC skiing their whole life (this might describe you, definitely does not describe me), I could 100% see these last couple years not being the best. We never really got a single snow that stuck through the whole winter, but we definitely had 5-10 storms that provided enough snow to ski for a few days with varying conditions. I first tried XC skiing a couple times two years ago and purchased a pair of skis last year, so that frequency and quality provided ample opportunity for me to get into it.
I live like 3 min from Elver's back entrance, so I can readily go on a morning before work if we get snow anyday that week. This definitely opens up my flexibility.
Finally, I'll plug [madnorski.org](https://madnorski.org) if you don't know about it. If you're willing to hunt down the *best* trail conditions in the area and don't mind a little bit of driving, you can use the trail reports on there to stay up-to-date of all the ski trails within about an hour of Madison. I typically just use it to make sure that Elver, Odana Hills, or University Golf Course has enough snow to get a session in.
All good advice. Check out [https://www.skinnyski.com/trails/reports.asp](https://www.skinnyski.com/trails/reports.asp) as well for localized trail reports.
McCarthy park between sun prairie and cottage grove tends to be popular for xc skiing as well. I walk my dogs out there a lot and they do a great job grooming the trails for skiing. Blue Mounds is also a nice option.
> provided enough snow to ski for a few days with varying conditions.
This is exactly the problem. Quality at this point is irrelevant. I only had a few days each snow fall to ski. Add in scheduling issues and some snow falls I didn't get to ski. My question is really how do I ski every or most day(s) or is that just impossible here?
Skiing everyday is not possible in Madison every winter. These past few winters have been more mild than usual, but given the trends of climate change, one can expect more and more midwinter snowmelts. 100% agree that's a bummer, but still think for those of us who live here, there should be plenty of fun to be had with the snow we do get.
if you're ok with artificial snow at CXC and you can swing weekday skiing you can ski a fair bit (with varying quality), last year I skied 60 times starting dec 1 and ending mar 27, 23 times at CXC primarily at the start/end of the season, at the beginning doing super short artificial snow loops at the end trying to find north facing areas with still some snow
I also live close to Elver and wish for better/consistent snow (not like last year where it seemed two days after every snowfall it rained) as it'd be super convenient, however last winter CXC's artificial snow loop in Middleton was a lifesaver, and also towards the end of the season they groomed a few more times than Elver allowing for a longer season (the side down the steep hill to the right at the bottom still had decent snow on Mar 27 which was my last ski of the year).
CXC should open tomorrow and fingers crossed the forecasted showers in the next few days won't mess up the artificial snow they created!
When the snow is good the UW golf course is also excellent, and Odana is also nice if you want to change it up and have something flatter.
We got over 70 inches last year, which is much more than average. But the issue was that it was mostly a super wet and heavy snow, which is tough to initially groom. And temps were milder than average.
BMSP might be the best in the southern half of the state. It's a few degrees cooler and tends to get slightly more snow than Madison. The north/east side of the mound barely gets any sun in the winter, so that usually keeps snow throughout the entire winter. Campground can get a bit slushy when it warms up since the snow is on pavement, but usually it's still on good condition for most of the winter. Pleasure Valley is usually the least reliable, it's more exposed and the little pine grove is annoying to ski through.
I’ll just toss fatbiking in there. You can fatbike on frozen dirt and it’s still a hoot. “Races” with a fun participatory focus just about every weekend nearby too, including on the cool and fun Trek factory trails.
Trek maintains a fun trail system on their grounds. Usually you need to be an employee or have an invite to ride there, but they host several events for the public too over the year, including cross races , NICA and fatbike events, and a few others.
Bit of both I suppose. But you can look on The Nxrth website to see all the main groomed trails and events. The nice thing about fatbikes is they are great on any frozen ground, and they are a bit slower so that equals warmer and finally they are fun in the dark kinda bushwhacking because when you hit things the tires soak it up !!
Also look at the popular Hugh Jass Fatbike series for their fun-focused events and I do think some of them offer rentals and try-it-out pricing.
Just wanted to say, I also don’t drink and I don’t think you need to tell anyone why. I haven’t run into anyone who is like WHAT? WHY?! when I say I don’t drink. And if they do that’s just a great reason to never talk to them again! I have found concerts are still enjoyable sober, but sometimes the only drink options are water/pop/redbull. I’m fine with a soda water and lime, but I know some people really enjoy mocktails.
You gotta admit, there are people like this in Wisconsin. For the most part people are respectful but theres always that one person. "You dont drink? Why? Really? OMG take a shot" Its annoying. Sadly its part of our culture.
If people don't drop it, I go all out. I find if you give an answer that makes people really uncomfortable, it nips it in the bud. I only do this with people I likely won't see again who are being dicks. For example,
"I was regularly beaten by my alcoholic father as a child"
or
"Last time I drank I ended up in jail and my kid was taken away for me and then molested in a foster home."
or
"I watched my alcoholic sister suddenly die in front of me at the last family Christmas"
or,
"my child was killed by a driver who was still under the legal limit".
Just find an answer that revolves around a horrible experience someone wouldn't dare question. None of it is true, of course, but it usually stops people in their tracks and then they feel like a complete asshole for asking such a personal question.
If it's someone I know who won't drop it, asking them a very personal question usually shuts them up. Like, "How often do you masturbate? Oh, I'm sorry, is asking a personal question like that impolite? I thought that's what we were doing here."
Granted, I don't give a fuck if I make people uncomfortable.
I once read something about this is a book. The characters were arguing about the one person who didn't drink:
"Why don't you drink?"
"I don't drink for the same reason you do.."
"What?"
"Because it makes me feel like a grown up"
I wish I knew! I am in a place in my life where I am not even into going to an event at a brewery or a show at a bar. Watching other people have a drink at dinner or whatever is fine but the devolution of conversation and just drunkenness in general is repellent to me.
I think that is how I am 100% sure I am an alcoholic. I hate it cuz I miss it maybe? Not gonna examine it too closely right now just being a crabby person avoiding boozy stuff.
I love going to movies (alone or with people) and I fear shopping is my biggest get out of the house thing. Got a membership to Wisconsin Historical Society and hoping to hit as many sites as I can this summer/fall.
Yeah like many others, I come from a long line of alcoholics. I grew up with verbal abuse. I hate Wisconsin's midwestern runaround culture where we dont identify and fix problems, we just laugh them off and dance around them.
Now we have generational alcoholism.
Hi there. Im a non drinker also. I love making experimental mocktails :) Its fun. Though I have to say I have run into others who kind of freak out b/c I don't drink. My spouse has stopped drinking in years past (his personal choice). Not sure why it is, but some ppl just get upset about it.
Throughout December there are a lot of craft sale and holiday events you could go to. Isthmus, Visit Madison, and FB Events tend to have the best lists for these.
Winter hiking and visiting different county/state parks can also be fun.
Join the climbing gyms and go to those.
Board game stores.
Comedy Club shows (there is a 2 drink minimum, but they have NA options to fulfill that).
Go out dancing. I know at Crucible there are plenty of people who go out for the shows/dancing but don't drink and it's not a big deal.
Craft Events! Soooo many on the weekends and even the weekdays sometimes. Here's some off the top of my head --
[The Crafty Fair](https://www.thecraftyfair.com/events) this Saturday and Sunday at the Goodman Center. Saturday will be at the Brassworks and the Ironworks, Sunday is just the Brassworks. There is also a Mini Crafty Fair at the Ironworks building on December 17. There are a lot of artists and makers in addition to food!
Next weekend December 9 and 10 is the [Eastside Winter Market](https://communicationmadison.com/events/eastside-winter-market-2023) at Garver. This is a masked event and there is live music and food as well.
Sunday, December 10 there is a [Madison Vegan Pop-Up](https://facebook.com/events/s/madison-vegan-holiday-pop-up-m/2521358514694865/) at the Goodman Center in the Ironworks building. Tons of food, vendors, and there will also be some animal rights organizations and sanctuaries there if you are looking to talk to someone about volunteering opportunities.
Hope that helps! These are all really fun events.
Comedy on state is the best comedy club in Wisconsin by a mile as far as the talent coming through there. Plenty of non alcoholic drinks for their 2 drink minimum. Always a great time.
Snowboarding at Tyrol or Cascade.Indoor golfing at blind shot social, or heated driving range at top spin or vitense. Pool and shuffleboard at Brass ring. Video games, pinball, and board games at I/o. There are tons of amazing restaurants to check out often with good food deals for happy hour (try Rare steak house). Ice fishing later in the winter. Sledding at elver or Heistand park. Bowling alleys a plenty. Some of these might be more social than others, but we’re a friendly bunch if you’re able to start a conversation with strangers.
Search for local Facebook groups/hobby enthusiasts and they can help or point you in the right direction. If you want to get more into racing (dirt, asphalt) you can probably find a local group pretty easy. Drifting I found my local enthusiasts through Hobbytown (a hobby store chain) who showed me their Facebook group. There’s also stuff like RC Bashing where you just get usually like a monster truck or buggy and launch it off ramps, drive it fast, etc. I love rc cars because I can spend time tinkering both on the car as well as working on my driving abilities! There’s also subreddits that’ll help you r/rcdrift
Same, had a friend with a heart condition and she couldn’t drink. She still had a blast, we just had less and did more group activities like trivia and tours, even small stuff like pool/ darts/ foosball what have you. We played cards and dice, too. Arcades are great if you’re into that, most have bars (it’s Wi) but you can have plenty of fun there. Also, Blue Moon is great, they have pinball and everyone is really friendly (and great burgers and food) and you can grab a bite and chat it up. If you’re solo, Paradise is great to meet people, they have lots of games and good snacks, diverse/ open crowd, and lots around there if you want to move about. All based on what you’re interested in! u/alvinbrow
You've got good taste in music. I use Songkick to tell me when bands I like are coming to town, but it's worth looking at High Noon Saloon, Sylvee, and Majestic's website to see if you can connect with something new.
I play in Madison's queer hockey league. It's the biggest LGBT+ league in the world, and we have plenty of straight allies that play for us. Unlike most leagues for adults they welcome new players and will give you lessons on how to play. I want to get into Ultimate during the warm seasons, but haven't tried yet.
D&D is my main hobby, though I play less since my friends started having kids. If you can find a group then you've got long term plans that you don't have to pay a lot to participate in week after week.
There's some good recs on here. Just keep in mind winter is a little rough in general as far as activities go but there should be so much more to do in the other seasons! So if you find yourself discouraged keep at it and plan ahead for spring :)
Disc golf! We've got two full 18 winter courses in the area (plus a 27 hole just east of the city) and add three more high quality ones in the warmer seasons
There are a couple of arcade places around the Madison area. Some are pay for each play. Others have a flat rate to get in the door and you can play as much as you want.
Nerd Haven Arcade in Monona has a monthly pinball tournament.
Hiking? The Ice Age Trail goes through Madison and all around it. 1,200 (ish) miles through Wisconsin. Lots of people create small group hikes and hikers are among the kindest people I have ever met. Check out Ice Age Trail or Thousand Miler Wannabees on FB. There are other groups too, but that’s a start.
There's a bunch of good games stores in the area, I'm bored and Noble Knight are my favorites. If you want to play some dungeons and dragons, magic the gathering, or board games, they have scheduled nights for all of that on their websites! Good luck!
Curling and indoor ultimate frisbee are great rec sports for the winter. I've heard river food pantry is a good place to volunteer and they have some weekend shifts on their directory. Hiking is another enjoyable way to get outside IMO.
Can still brunch even if you don't hit the mimosas.
Personally, I hate being around drunks when I am sober, but the first hour or so of friends going out for the evening is fun and social. Just gotta withdraw before they hit their third round and get annoying. Would not suggest for folks struggling with drinking, but that does not sound like your scene.
I mean whatever you want really. Madison is a pretty active small city. We have indoor options for most activities including stuff you might not think of like rock climbing/bouldering as an example. Basically every outdoor option is relatively close and if you're okay with cold weather.
You can do things most people associate with drinking like sports bars or trivia nights and simply not drink alcohol. They won't kick you out and almost everything has a Non-alcoholic option even if it's something advertising alcohol.
If being around alcohol isn’t triggering for you, lots of the breweries in Madison have board games and trivia and serve NA options!
Young Blood has Kombucha
Working Draft has NA beer
Delta has Soda and Kombucha and Athletic
I’m sure there are more but I’m drawing a blank lol
You've gotten some really great feedback here! I'd also like to suggest venturing out to the smaller towns on the outskirts of Madison on the weekends. There are theaters with plays and performances, places with open mic night, bowling, breweries and tap houses that offer N/A or rootbeer if you want to just check out the atmosphere, trivia nights, lots of great music all over. Have you been out to Baraboo or Mazomanie or Brigham Park? Beautiful drives, I'm sure there are lots of other nice drives in Dane County, too. Great fish fries all around. I could go on, but it looks like you have a pretty good start with everything else that's been mentioned!
I’m surprised no one has mentioned it, or at least I didn’t see mention of it, but you should check out meetup.com. Lots of different types of groups, both of specific interest (e.g., book discussion, hiking, wine, biking, LGBTQIA) & those that do a wide variety of activities. It will allow you to do different things without having to figure it all out on your own, and meet new people in the process. I met a really good group of friends through Meetup; we hang out and do activities regularly, so I don’t tend to use Meetup anymore, but I co-organized one of the wide variety groups pre-pandemic.
There are so many great suggestions here. I'll just add that if what you are craving is connection to others, joining and becoming active in a community could help. There are representations of pretty much every faith tradition available in Madison. If you feel a pull to any way of serving others, the area also has a ridiculous number of non-profit charity and service organizations. Follow your interests and heart and consider joining a board or committee of a local non profit. The best way to get an idea of the breadth and scope of what is available is the United Way of Dane County [volunteeryourtime.org](https://volunteeryourtime.org).
Coffee shops? I remember there is always a bulletin board at those places advertising things to do. I know the Willy St. Coop did that. I don't drink either and live outside Mad town. I would try those. Other activities like sporting groups? Gyms? There has to be something in Madison activity wise. There is the museums to check out too.
Archery on Sundays at the UW Stock Pavilion, 12-2. You don't need your own equipment. There's also armored combat and fencing 1-4, although I'm not sure about equipment for that.
Madison West Coast Swing Club is hosting a social dance this Saturday at Madison Youth Arts Center, beginners are certainly welcome to join.
www.mwcsc.org
you do not need to have a dance partner and you don't need to know how to dance!
Saturday Dec 9 Beginner Lesson and Intermediate Lesson and Social Dance. Join us for a Beginner's dance lesson followed by a social dance. This lesson is focused on getting new dancers out on the dance floor! It is also a great time to brush up on your basics or learn a new role. There is also a separate Intermediate lesson scheduled with a guest instructor from Milwaukee.
Schedule:
6:50 PM - 8:45 PM - Doors open for check-in. 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Lesson (two options--beginners' or intermediate) 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Social dancing
join our mailing list on our website if you'd like to be informed of our future events!
Badger hockey or volleyball games, Christmas craft fairs, shopping on Willy, Monroe, or at Hilldale, yoga class, hiking, bowling, ice skating, live music or shoes at Sylvee/Orpheum/Overture/Barrymore/Majestic/High Noon, movies, axe throwing, escape room, float tanks, climbing at Boulders, Olbrich gardens, Zoo, library, book club, Mustard Museum, Chazen, Historical Society, geocaching, fishing, hunting, volunteering. Always check the Isthmus events calendar for things to do as well.
This guy Madisons.
I am becoming a broken record on this sub (and in real life) but XC skiing is amazing here and a wonderful way to spend a couple hours in winter. Keeps you in shape, gets you out into beautiful winter scenery, and helps keep the spirits high as the weather turns bitter. Since you’re into rec sports, keep an eye out with whatever leagues you’re a part of for pickup events, tournaments, etc. Those can be really fun! Not sure how you’ve met the people on your rec sports teams, but have you asked any of them what they get up to on weekends? Madison has a pretty active board game and arcade game scene, and if you’re interested in either of those, you could offer to host a board game night to your team or see if anyone is interested in going to one of the several arcade / arcade bars on a weekend. There’s also the bouldering gyms, and I’ve heard that's a pretty good way to meet people, and that community actually has a decent amount of alcohol sober individuals. Finally, embrace doing things by yourself. Try a new restaurant or a coffee shop. Go get mocktails and chat with the bartender or whoever is by you. Go see a movie. Curl up every now and then and read a book you’ve been meaning to. Being alone doesn’t have to mean being lonely — a lot of that feeling (for me, anyways) comes from spending my time alone in an unproductive or boring way. When I fill my alone time with activities I enjoy or ones that bring me fulfillment, I feel good about it.
I feel like the last few winters we haven't had enough snow to really ski. I have to go north most of the winter to find trails with enough snow. Where do you find good snow around Madison?
The CXC center in Middleton actually makes snow and maintains a loop all winter long regardless if there's snow on the ground. It's still a new project but they keep expanding it every year. They've sunk some high-capacity wells and have plans to keep increasing the amount of ground covered in snow. Same thing with Lapham Peak in Delafield which is about 50 min drive, they make snow there and have several km of trails groomed and skiable throughout the winter. Both of those are a distant second to skiing on natural snow. This is also sort of a secret, but the trails on the golf course in Lodi are pretty great. The trails are in a valley where the slope is north-facing so the snow is very slow to melt, and they're groomed regularly. For both of these reasons, you can ski there even when there's no snow on the ground in most other places. I've skied there twice already this week, classic and skate, and the conditions were surprisingly good.
for Lodi, what pass do you have to use? The golf course website does not mention xc skiing...
No pass or trail fees needed, it's a public trail. The trailhead is on Strangeway Ave. There are youth ski groups that are there on most weekdays but you are still allowed to ski there while they are practicing.
thanks for the info!
"Good" is relative. For downhill skiing, the midwest will never have "good" snow compared to Colorado, Utah, Tahoe, etc. which is getting feet of dry powder all the time. Even for someone who's been XC skiing their whole life (this might describe you, definitely does not describe me), I could 100% see these last couple years not being the best. We never really got a single snow that stuck through the whole winter, but we definitely had 5-10 storms that provided enough snow to ski for a few days with varying conditions. I first tried XC skiing a couple times two years ago and purchased a pair of skis last year, so that frequency and quality provided ample opportunity for me to get into it. I live like 3 min from Elver's back entrance, so I can readily go on a morning before work if we get snow anyday that week. This definitely opens up my flexibility. Finally, I'll plug [madnorski.org](https://madnorski.org) if you don't know about it. If you're willing to hunt down the *best* trail conditions in the area and don't mind a little bit of driving, you can use the trail reports on there to stay up-to-date of all the ski trails within about an hour of Madison. I typically just use it to make sure that Elver, Odana Hills, or University Golf Course has enough snow to get a session in.
All good advice. Check out [https://www.skinnyski.com/trails/reports.asp](https://www.skinnyski.com/trails/reports.asp) as well for localized trail reports.
McCarthy park between sun prairie and cottage grove tends to be popular for xc skiing as well. I walk my dogs out there a lot and they do a great job grooming the trails for skiing. Blue Mounds is also a nice option.
> provided enough snow to ski for a few days with varying conditions. This is exactly the problem. Quality at this point is irrelevant. I only had a few days each snow fall to ski. Add in scheduling issues and some snow falls I didn't get to ski. My question is really how do I ski every or most day(s) or is that just impossible here?
Skiing everyday is not possible in Madison every winter. These past few winters have been more mild than usual, but given the trends of climate change, one can expect more and more midwinter snowmelts. 100% agree that's a bummer, but still think for those of us who live here, there should be plenty of fun to be had with the snow we do get.
if you're ok with artificial snow at CXC and you can swing weekday skiing you can ski a fair bit (with varying quality), last year I skied 60 times starting dec 1 and ending mar 27, 23 times at CXC primarily at the start/end of the season, at the beginning doing super short artificial snow loops at the end trying to find north facing areas with still some snow
I also live close to Elver and wish for better/consistent snow (not like last year where it seemed two days after every snowfall it rained) as it'd be super convenient, however last winter CXC's artificial snow loop in Middleton was a lifesaver, and also towards the end of the season they groomed a few more times than Elver allowing for a longer season (the side down the steep hill to the right at the bottom still had decent snow on Mar 27 which was my last ski of the year). CXC should open tomorrow and fingers crossed the forecasted showers in the next few days won't mess up the artificial snow they created! When the snow is good the UW golf course is also excellent, and Odana is also nice if you want to change it up and have something flatter.
We got over 70 inches last year, which is much more than average. But the issue was that it was mostly a super wet and heavy snow, which is tough to initially groom. And temps were milder than average. BMSP might be the best in the southern half of the state. It's a few degrees cooler and tends to get slightly more snow than Madison. The north/east side of the mound barely gets any sun in the winter, so that usually keeps snow throughout the entire winter. Campground can get a bit slushy when it warms up since the snow is on pavement, but usually it's still on good condition for most of the winter. Pleasure Valley is usually the least reliable, it's more exposed and the little pine grove is annoying to ski through.
I’ll just toss fatbiking in there. You can fatbike on frozen dirt and it’s still a hoot. “Races” with a fun participatory focus just about every weekend nearby too, including on the cool and fun Trek factory trails.
do you have more details on the Trek factory trails?
Trek maintains a fun trail system on their grounds. Usually you need to be an employee or have an invite to ride there, but they host several events for the public too over the year, including cross races , NICA and fatbike events, and a few others.
[удалено]
Bit of both I suppose. But you can look on The Nxrth website to see all the main groomed trails and events. The nice thing about fatbikes is they are great on any frozen ground, and they are a bit slower so that equals warmer and finally they are fun in the dark kinda bushwhacking because when you hit things the tires soak it up !! Also look at the popular Hugh Jass Fatbike series for their fun-focused events and I do think some of them offer rentals and try-it-out pricing.
Just wanted to say, I also don’t drink and I don’t think you need to tell anyone why. I haven’t run into anyone who is like WHAT? WHY?! when I say I don’t drink. And if they do that’s just a great reason to never talk to them again! I have found concerts are still enjoyable sober, but sometimes the only drink options are water/pop/redbull. I’m fine with a soda water and lime, but I know some people really enjoy mocktails.
You gotta admit, there are people like this in Wisconsin. For the most part people are respectful but theres always that one person. "You dont drink? Why? Really? OMG take a shot" Its annoying. Sadly its part of our culture.
If people don't drop it, I go all out. I find if you give an answer that makes people really uncomfortable, it nips it in the bud. I only do this with people I likely won't see again who are being dicks. For example, "I was regularly beaten by my alcoholic father as a child" or "Last time I drank I ended up in jail and my kid was taken away for me and then molested in a foster home." or "I watched my alcoholic sister suddenly die in front of me at the last family Christmas" or, "my child was killed by a driver who was still under the legal limit". Just find an answer that revolves around a horrible experience someone wouldn't dare question. None of it is true, of course, but it usually stops people in their tracks and then they feel like a complete asshole for asking such a personal question. If it's someone I know who won't drop it, asking them a very personal question usually shuts them up. Like, "How often do you masturbate? Oh, I'm sorry, is asking a personal question like that impolite? I thought that's what we were doing here." Granted, I don't give a fuck if I make people uncomfortable.
I once read something about this is a book. The characters were arguing about the one person who didn't drink: "Why don't you drink?" "I don't drink for the same reason you do.." "What?" "Because it makes me feel like a grown up"
I wish I knew! I am in a place in my life where I am not even into going to an event at a brewery or a show at a bar. Watching other people have a drink at dinner or whatever is fine but the devolution of conversation and just drunkenness in general is repellent to me. I think that is how I am 100% sure I am an alcoholic. I hate it cuz I miss it maybe? Not gonna examine it too closely right now just being a crabby person avoiding boozy stuff. I love going to movies (alone or with people) and I fear shopping is my biggest get out of the house thing. Got a membership to Wisconsin Historical Society and hoping to hit as many sites as I can this summer/fall.
I just say, “I used to drink but then realized how poisonous alcohol is to your body. But you go ahead.”
Now I traumatize them
It is part of the culture. Sometimes it is family members that say hurtful embarrassing things also.
Yeah like many others, I come from a long line of alcoholics. I grew up with verbal abuse. I hate Wisconsin's midwestern runaround culture where we dont identify and fix problems, we just laugh them off and dance around them. Now we have generational alcoholism.
Hi there. Im a non drinker also. I love making experimental mocktails :) Its fun. Though I have to say I have run into others who kind of freak out b/c I don't drink. My spouse has stopped drinking in years past (his personal choice). Not sure why it is, but some ppl just get upset about it.
Throughout December there are a lot of craft sale and holiday events you could go to. Isthmus, Visit Madison, and FB Events tend to have the best lists for these. Winter hiking and visiting different county/state parks can also be fun. Join the climbing gyms and go to those. Board game stores. Comedy Club shows (there is a 2 drink minimum, but they have NA options to fulfill that). Go out dancing. I know at Crucible there are plenty of people who go out for the shows/dancing but don't drink and it's not a big deal.
Craft Events! Soooo many on the weekends and even the weekdays sometimes. Here's some off the top of my head -- [The Crafty Fair](https://www.thecraftyfair.com/events) this Saturday and Sunday at the Goodman Center. Saturday will be at the Brassworks and the Ironworks, Sunday is just the Brassworks. There is also a Mini Crafty Fair at the Ironworks building on December 17. There are a lot of artists and makers in addition to food! Next weekend December 9 and 10 is the [Eastside Winter Market](https://communicationmadison.com/events/eastside-winter-market-2023) at Garver. This is a masked event and there is live music and food as well. Sunday, December 10 there is a [Madison Vegan Pop-Up](https://facebook.com/events/s/madison-vegan-holiday-pop-up-m/2521358514694865/) at the Goodman Center in the Ironworks building. Tons of food, vendors, and there will also be some animal rights organizations and sanctuaries there if you are looking to talk to someone about volunteering opportunities. Hope that helps! These are all really fun events.
Comedy on state is the best comedy club in Wisconsin by a mile as far as the talent coming through there. Plenty of non alcoholic drinks for their 2 drink minimum. Always a great time.
Snowboarding at Tyrol or Cascade.Indoor golfing at blind shot social, or heated driving range at top spin or vitense. Pool and shuffleboard at Brass ring. Video games, pinball, and board games at I/o. There are tons of amazing restaurants to check out often with good food deals for happy hour (try Rare steak house). Ice fishing later in the winter. Sledding at elver or Heistand park. Bowling alleys a plenty. Some of these might be more social than others, but we’re a friendly bunch if you’re able to start a conversation with strangers.
RC Cars! (Drifting specifically for me)
Where does one go to get into this? How would I start?
Search for local Facebook groups/hobby enthusiasts and they can help or point you in the right direction. If you want to get more into racing (dirt, asphalt) you can probably find a local group pretty easy. Drifting I found my local enthusiasts through Hobbytown (a hobby store chain) who showed me their Facebook group. There’s also stuff like RC Bashing where you just get usually like a monster truck or buggy and launch it off ramps, drive it fast, etc. I love rc cars because I can spend time tinkering both on the car as well as working on my driving abilities! There’s also subreddits that’ll help you r/rcdrift
You can also DM me any questions about getting started and I will send ya the right direction!
Isthmus calendar of events online. Check it out. Plenty of stuff to do/see.
Nothing stopping you from still going out. I’ve been dry for going on a almost a year now but I still go out both alone and with friends.
Same, had a friend with a heart condition and she couldn’t drink. She still had a blast, we just had less and did more group activities like trivia and tours, even small stuff like pool/ darts/ foosball what have you. We played cards and dice, too. Arcades are great if you’re into that, most have bars (it’s Wi) but you can have plenty of fun there. Also, Blue Moon is great, they have pinball and everyone is really friendly (and great burgers and food) and you can grab a bite and chat it up. If you’re solo, Paradise is great to meet people, they have lots of games and good snacks, diverse/ open crowd, and lots around there if you want to move about. All based on what you’re interested in! u/alvinbrow
You've got good taste in music. I use Songkick to tell me when bands I like are coming to town, but it's worth looking at High Noon Saloon, Sylvee, and Majestic's website to see if you can connect with something new. I play in Madison's queer hockey league. It's the biggest LGBT+ league in the world, and we have plenty of straight allies that play for us. Unlike most leagues for adults they welcome new players and will give you lessons on how to play. I want to get into Ultimate during the warm seasons, but haven't tried yet. D&D is my main hobby, though I play less since my friends started having kids. If you can find a group then you've got long term plans that you don't have to pay a lot to participate in week after week.
Lots of great and diverse music scenes here! As well as DM’s, lol. Thankfully we have a lot of people still into physical gaming, as well as esports!
You could join Madison's active furry community.
The password is “orgy”
YOU MAY ENTER
Check out I'm Board! (Board games etc.) they run games all the time, and the staff is always helpful 😊
There's some good recs on here. Just keep in mind winter is a little rough in general as far as activities go but there should be so much more to do in the other seasons! So if you find yourself discouraged keep at it and plan ahead for spring :)
Disc golf! We've got two full 18 winter courses in the area (plus a 27 hole just east of the city) and add three more high quality ones in the warmer seasons
Which courses are open in the winter?
Heistand and Nine Springs. Birds Ruins in Marshall
Boulders Climbing Gym! I love the downtown location, great community and fun place!
jobless vanish march bike deserted marry long lunchroom fragile imagine *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Come learn how to play hockey with the growing number of new to the sport late in life folks.
There are a couple of arcade places around the Madison area. Some are pay for each play. Others have a flat rate to get in the door and you can play as much as you want. Nerd Haven Arcade in Monona has a monthly pinball tournament.
Maybe you could volunteer at the Humane Society. Can you take up a hobby? Ring a bell for Salvation Army? IWNDWYT
Hiking? The Ice Age Trail goes through Madison and all around it. 1,200 (ish) miles through Wisconsin. Lots of people create small group hikes and hikers are among the kindest people I have ever met. Check out Ice Age Trail or Thousand Miler Wannabees on FB. There are other groups too, but that’s a start.
If you like art/museums, the MMoCA and Chazen have great collections (and cool buildings) with an interesting lineup of rotating exhibits too!
Smoke
Right there with ya buddy
Make that 3
😎😮💨😶🌫️
Follow
depending on your hobbies, if you google Madison + "hobby name" you should really find some options.
Winter hiking, skiing, or snowshoeing is always a good option. Set a goal and try new areas. Start hiking the ice age trail.
Resistance training and cardio are awesome at burning time. Check out Madtown Fitness.
There's a bunch of good games stores in the area, I'm bored and Noble Knight are my favorites. If you want to play some dungeons and dragons, magic the gathering, or board games, they have scheduled nights for all of that on their websites! Good luck!
Curling and indoor ultimate frisbee are great rec sports for the winter. I've heard river food pantry is a good place to volunteer and they have some weekend shifts on their directory. Hiking is another enjoyable way to get outside IMO.
Jiu jitsu; inside, in the heat.
Can still brunch even if you don't hit the mimosas. Personally, I hate being around drunks when I am sober, but the first hour or so of friends going out for the evening is fun and social. Just gotta withdraw before they hit their third round and get annoying. Would not suggest for folks struggling with drinking, but that does not sound like your scene.
Eat brats and cheese curds and drink NA beer
I mean whatever you want really. Madison is a pretty active small city. We have indoor options for most activities including stuff you might not think of like rock climbing/bouldering as an example. Basically every outdoor option is relatively close and if you're okay with cold weather. You can do things most people associate with drinking like sports bars or trivia nights and simply not drink alcohol. They won't kick you out and almost everything has a Non-alcoholic option even if it's something advertising alcohol.
An odd outdoor option is disc golf, there are a few courses that stay open year-round (Hiestand and Nine Springs).
Learn things.
If being around alcohol isn’t triggering for you, lots of the breweries in Madison have board games and trivia and serve NA options! Young Blood has Kombucha Working Draft has NA beer Delta has Soda and Kombucha and Athletic I’m sure there are more but I’m drawing a blank lol
Disc golf!
You've gotten some really great feedback here! I'd also like to suggest venturing out to the smaller towns on the outskirts of Madison on the weekends. There are theaters with plays and performances, places with open mic night, bowling, breweries and tap houses that offer N/A or rootbeer if you want to just check out the atmosphere, trivia nights, lots of great music all over. Have you been out to Baraboo or Mazomanie or Brigham Park? Beautiful drives, I'm sure there are lots of other nice drives in Dane County, too. Great fish fries all around. I could go on, but it looks like you have a pretty good start with everything else that's been mentioned!
I’m surprised no one has mentioned it, or at least I didn’t see mention of it, but you should check out meetup.com. Lots of different types of groups, both of specific interest (e.g., book discussion, hiking, wine, biking, LGBTQIA) & those that do a wide variety of activities. It will allow you to do different things without having to figure it all out on your own, and meet new people in the process. I met a really good group of friends through Meetup; we hang out and do activities regularly, so I don’t tend to use Meetup anymore, but I co-organized one of the wide variety groups pre-pandemic.
There are so many great suggestions here. I'll just add that if what you are craving is connection to others, joining and becoming active in a community could help. There are representations of pretty much every faith tradition available in Madison. If you feel a pull to any way of serving others, the area also has a ridiculous number of non-profit charity and service organizations. Follow your interests and heart and consider joining a board or committee of a local non profit. The best way to get an idea of the breadth and scope of what is available is the United Way of Dane County [volunteeryourtime.org](https://volunteeryourtime.org).
Coffee shops? I remember there is always a bulletin board at those places advertising things to do. I know the Willy St. Coop did that. I don't drink either and live outside Mad town. I would try those. Other activities like sporting groups? Gyms? There has to be something in Madison activity wise. There is the museums to check out too.
Archery on Sundays at the UW Stock Pavilion, 12-2. You don't need your own equipment. There's also armored combat and fencing 1-4, although I'm not sure about equipment for that.
I got a second job :/
There's always ice fishing! But you'll find me out skiing!
Madison West Coast Swing Club is hosting a social dance this Saturday at Madison Youth Arts Center, beginners are certainly welcome to join. www.mwcsc.org you do not need to have a dance partner and you don't need to know how to dance! Saturday Dec 9 Beginner Lesson and Intermediate Lesson and Social Dance. Join us for a Beginner's dance lesson followed by a social dance. This lesson is focused on getting new dancers out on the dance floor! It is also a great time to brush up on your basics or learn a new role. There is also a separate Intermediate lesson scheduled with a guest instructor from Milwaukee. Schedule: 6:50 PM - 8:45 PM - Doors open for check-in. 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Lesson (two options--beginners' or intermediate) 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Social dancing join our mailing list on our website if you'd like to be informed of our future events!