MADISON — The City of Madison canceled the annual Christmas parade this year due to COVID-19, but it has been replaced with safe, socially distanced events that promise plenty of holiday cheer.

Among those events is the first “Cars Under the Stars Christmas Movie Event” at the Madison Stadium; the second annual Christmas Capers, which will be held virtually; several walking tours of the historic homes on Church, Arnett, Front and Maple streets; and a Christmas Eve Jingle Some Joy bell ringing event along the Polar Express Christmas Tree Trail.

Offered as an alternative holiday opportunity for the Madison community that observes social distancing requirements while providing seasonal enjoyment for families amid the pandemic, the “Cars Under the Stars Christmas Movie” event on Dec. 12 will be a double feature: “The Grinch” at 5 p.m. and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” at 7 p.m. at the city’s stadium.

Madison Polar Express graphic only Hosted by the Madison Parks and Recreation Department, admission is free with a canned good donation for the local food bank. The gates open at 4 p.m. and there will be food vendors on site.

To help pay for the event and support future endeavors involving family-friendly programming and events during the pandemic, Madison Parks & Recreation is offering holiday sponsorship opportunities for local businesses.

Gold sponsorships are $500 and Platinum sponsorships are $1,000. Both packages include a vendor booth at the Cars Under the Stars and one other event in the coming months.

To pre-register for the “Cars Under the Stars Christmas Movie”, click here. For corporate sponsorships, contact Chris.Lund@madisonal.gov.

The second annual Christmas Capers is a virtual rendition of last year’s Chicken Capers, introduced during the 2019 Madison Business Expo & Kids Day.

It follows the true story of “Doc” Hughes who, during the Great Depression, started a holiday tradition known as Christmas Chicken Capers.

On Christmas Eve, Hughes tossed live chickens from the roof of his store with prize tags attached to their legs. Residents chased the chickens down, redeemed the prizes at Hughes’ store, and took the chicken home to cook for Christmas dinner.

In a variation of the event ol’ Doc Hughes could never have imagined, rubber chickens will be tossed from the roof of Hughes Hardware and the event will be live streamed on Facebook. Community members can submit their names and contact information to the Historical Society at MSHPSociety@gmail.com for a chance to win a “prized chicken.”

No chasing chickens through the streets of downtown Madison this year, but socially distanced patrons in small groups can “jingle some joy” with Christmas bells for two minutes this Christmas Eve to showcase the spirit of the season along Main and Front Street. The bells ring in hope and joy for 2021 and start at 6 p.m., Dec. 24.