17³Ô¹Ï

Free Admission

Talented musicians from several area groups will come together to bring you an all instrumental holiday concert. Seasonal favorites will be performed by the Rhinelander Area 17³Ô¹Ï Band, Flute Therapy, Reeds in the Weeds, Jubilant Brass, and The Unemployed 11.

Complimentary cookies and coffee will be provided during the concert. Non-perishable food and monetary donations for local food pantries are welcome at the door.

The Billy Bronsted String Band brings together the best of Wisconsin’s north and south, pairing Billy’s plainspoken, down-home songwriting with the progressive fire that Jordan Kroeger and Ernest Brusubardis IV built on the state’s thriving bluegrass scene. Mandolin phenom Ryan Ogburn rounds out the lineup, and together these four turn string band arrangements into something that respects tradition while refusing to stay put.

Lakeside Lounge bar service offering beverages and small bites opens at 6:30 pm.

Presented by the University of Wisconsin Badger Talks Program

Step into the vibrant world of the Blue Note Ensemble, UW–Madison’s premier small jazz group led by nationally acclaimed pianist, composer, and educator Professor Johannes Wallmann. Typically featuring 2–3 frontline instruments—like trumpets, trombones, saxophones, woodwinds, or even high strings—alongside 1–2 comping instruments such as piano, guitar, or vibraphone, plus bass and drums, the group delivers a rich, textured sound that’s both classic and contemporary.

Each semester, the ensemble dives deep into the work of a single iconic jazz artist, offering students the chance to explore that artist’s style, language, and legacy in depth. Past focuses have included jazz legends such as Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, and Art Blakey, among others. The ensemble will delight audiences with 45 to 60 minutes of music from a recent or upcoming concert with an opportunity for informal interaction with the performers after the concert.

Ben Mulwana is a Ugandan-born and raised artist residing in Wisconsin. With thought-provoking lyrics and a diverse range of musical inspiration, Mulwana’s music has been described as Afro-soul rock that takes on a unique storytelling quality. The full band brings a dynamic and high-energy quality that builds on the soulful presence of his solo performances.

Free Admission

Lakeside Lounge bar service offering beverages and small bites opens at 5:30 pm.

A remarkable piece of Rhinelander history, once thought lost forever, was rediscovered in the fall of 2025. Tens of thousands of newspaper photo negatives spanning the 1950s through the 1990s were uncovered from the archives of the Rhinelander Daily News, preserving decades of Northwoods people, places, events, and everyday life.

In this first public presentation of the collection, Northwoods historian Kerry Bloedorn will share a selection of these fascinating images, offering a rare glimpse into the community’s past through photographs unseen for generations. From major local events to candid moments of everyday life, these rediscovered photographs tell the story of Rhinelander and the surrounding region in vivid detail.

Free Admission

How has fire shaped the Great Lakes area over time? Inspired by the red pine forests of the Great Lakes area, Anishinaabe graduate student Nisogaabokwe Melonee Montano and university professor Evan Larson join together to educate current and future generations about how returning fire to the land, and returning the land to its people, can be healing for all. See the short film, join a discussion with the film’s creators, and share an Indigenous meal.