Madison
Wisconsin
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Madison-Vilnius Sister Cities Inc.
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Save the date for Kūčios (Christmas Eve) celebration on December 13, 2026.
We will have the celebration at the same place as last year (Aubergine kitchen on Willy Street). More details will come later in the fall, but save the Sunday afternoon for our traditional holiday event.
Past events:
A Lithuanian movie “How to Divorce During the War” screening at UW Madison Marquee cinema on Oct 8, 2026. Interview with the director Blaževičius on NPR here.
Across the Atlantic, A Friendship Renewed: Vilnius Mayor Visits Madison
Valdas Benkunskas, Mayor of Vilnius, visited Madison, Wisconsin on March 20, 2026. He met with the Madison’s mayor and MVSC Board. Read more here.
Madison Lithuanians are featured in two TV episodes
Nijole Etzwiler during the TV interview
Madison Lithuanians are featured in two episodes of Dalelė Lietuvos (“A Piece of Lithuania”). Viewers meet Dr. Jonas Juozevičius, a retired UW–Madison physician and grandson of Aleksandras Stulginskis, Lithuania’s second president. Milda then tells how Madison Vilnius Sister Cities began in 1989 and shares MVSC’s next chapter: a Vilnius committee to strengthen ties between the two cities, more visiting Lithuanian artists, and new business, research and university exchanges.
The other episode opens with a Madison story many people don’t know. Architect Vaidas Aksamitauskas tells the story of Maušas Erdmanas, born in Tverai, Lithuania, in 1922 and sent to America as a boy. As Marshall Erdman, he became one of Madison’s best-known builders. He built Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unitarian Church, pioneered the suburban medical clinic and grew a nationally known healthcare construction firm. The second half turns to today’s community and Žaibas, Madison’s Lithuanian folk dance group, active for more 35 years.
More about the episodes and links to watch them are here.
English transcript of episode 1
English transcript of episode 2
Žaibas 35 Jubilee Celebration - Oct 24, 2026
Žaibas jubilee celebration happened on October 24, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. Close to 50 people came to celebrate our dancing since 1991. Our community includes old and young, great teachers and dancers. John Swissler MC’ed the event, Steven Thomas is our professional polka DJ, Erica Pinigis, the new vadovė, taught us several dances, Nijole Etzweiler presented a short history and we even had an email from the first vadovė Vida Kazlauskaitė Stark. Margarita Swissler prepared a slideshow of Žaibas photos and Reda Daukšys brought Lithuanian food from Chicago suburbs. Ačiū everyone who came and celebrated with us!
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