8 Midwest Cities You'll Love at Christmas

There's nothing quite like combining the thrill of shopping with the warmth of goodwill, and that's what happens at the annual Fair Trade Holiday Festival at the Monona Terrace in early December. More than 50 vendors sell artwork, jewelry, scarves, purses, yarn, clothing, lotions, chocolate, pottery, housewares, books, food gifts and more. Sellers eagerly share stories about causes close to their hearts; some of the proceeds benefit people in developing countries as well as rural Wisconsin (calamadison.org).

Other holiday traditions in Madison include the Wisconsin State Capitol Holiday Tree (left) (State Capitol tours), decorated with ornaments sent from schools across the state and on view throughout December, and Olbrich's Holiday Express: Flower and Model Train Show, also throughout December, at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (olbrich.org).

Madison Convention and Visitor Bureau