Winter Concert

Nick Venturella - Folk, Rock & Pop

2 pm

Warm your winter day with a concert in the Evjue Commons. Series sponsored by the Olbrich Botanical Society. Concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from January 3 through March 28. Suggested donation is $1.

GARDEN EXPO AT ALLIANT ENERGY CENTER

Friday 4 - 9 pm; Saturday 8 am - 6 pm; Sunday 10 am - 4 pm

Visit Olbrich's booth at Garden Expo 2010 and learn about the ways to use Olbrich as a resource for your gardening needs. Olbrich Horticulturists will be on hand to answer your gardening questions, and Olbrich Educators will teach you about the benefits of leaf mulch. Register to win an exotic plant and get a free gift when you become a member of the Olbrich Botanical Society at Garden Expo.

Winter Concert

Opan Jii - Contemporary Latin & Smooth Jazz

2 pm

Warm your winter day with a concert in the Evjue Commons. Series sponsored by the Olbrich Botanical Society. Concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from January 3 through March 28. Suggested donation is $1.

CHILDREN OF THE RAINFOREST:

Viv Ncaus Hmong Dance Troup

Performances at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm

The simple beauty of traditional Hmong dress and dance will bring the rainforests of Laos to life on a cold winter's day in Madison. Madison's Viv Ncaus Hmong Dance Troupe will perform in colorful, traditional dress, hand-made with intricate stitching, which is the original written Hmong language. Dances portray the Hmong connection to nature, birds, forest, and traditional bamboo instruments. Viv Ncaus means "sisters" in Hmong and the dance group teaches Hmong girls to respect Hmong arts, embroidery, and music while still embracing their new Hmong-American culture. The Children of the Rainforest series offers performances for families to celebrate cultural differences in rainforest regions around the world, and is generously sponsored by William Wartmann. Performances are at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $3 for adults, $2 for children 12 and under, and free for ages 2 and under.

Winter Concert

New Mountain Kickers - Popgrass Band

2 pm

Warm your winter day with a concert in the Evjue Commons. Series sponsored by the Olbrich Botanical Society. Concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from January 3 through March 28. Suggested donation is $1.

indulgence! Wine & Chocolate tasting

5:30 - 8:30 pm

This decadent evening features tastings of an array of delightful local wines paired with the ultimate indulgence - handcrafted chocolates made by talented local chocolatiers. Meet the chocolate artists and wine producers as you sample their wares. Stroll through a candlelit conservatory with music in the background and the smell of exotic flowers in the air. As a token of the evening, take home a commemorative wine glass and continue sipping! Tickets are $20 for Olbrich members, $25 for the general public, or $15 for a designated driver. Tickets are available beginning January 4 at Olbrich's greeter desk or by phone at 608-246-4550. All proceeds benefit the gardens. Indulgence! Wine & Chocolate Tasting is sponsored by Johnson Bank.

Winter Concert

Yid Vicious - Yiddish Folk Music

2 pm

Warm your winter day with a concert in the Evjue Commons. Series sponsored by the Olbrich Botanical Society. Concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from January 3 through March 28. Suggested donation is $1.

Bolz conservatory exhibit -

cHOCOLATE:  tHE BITTER AND THE sWEET

Chocolate is one of those flavors that most people love. However, the dark brown, pleasantly bitter, chemically complex substance bears little resemblance to the pulp-surrounded seeds of the cacao pod. Visit the tropical Bolz Conservatory to see the unique cacao tree and to learn about the impact of chocolate on culture. The exhibit, Chocolate:  The Bitter and the Sweet, may give you an interesting perspective on one of the most popular plant products in history. The conservatory is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $1 for the general public. Admission is always free for Olbrich Botanical Society members and children 5 and under, and is free for the general public on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon.

ONGOING:

ART EXHIBIT -

Butterflies and Blooms

Sundays, 11 am - 5 pm

Local artist Ann Thering's stunning images capture rare glimpses of colorful butterflies in their natural habitat. Thering's photography explores the colors, patterns, and textures of butterflies and their habitat, as well as butterfly behavior. The exhibit is free and open to the public on Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm.

ONGOING: 

YOGA IN THE GARDENS

Mondays 5:30 - 6:45 pm OR Thursdays 7:30 - 8:45 am

Held inside the tropical Conservatory or Outdoor Gardens when possible. The cost is $12 per class, no registration required.