Heatin’ up ovens on Madison’s East Side since 1991
Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the usual location.
Send regrets and questions to the hostess: To stay on guest list: show up or inform hostess you are sorry you cannot / did not attend
Details
- Food: Please bring hotdish, salad, dessert or other tasty, homemade dish to pass, labeled with info on contents (gluten, nuts, dairy, OK for vegans, etc.).
- Drinks: Open bar in the hallway. Fizzy water, nonalcoholic beer, root beer, etc. in the party room.
- Children: Kids’ room will have supervision and be stocked with its gear.
- Jell-O songs will resonate if the remaining crowd so demands.
- Food pantry donations accepted — including plastic, paper and reusable grocery bags.
2026 Jello Contest
Jell-O creators use gelatin and perhaps other food and/or inedible objects in their entries. Hoedown guests select winners through secret balloting — and they are encouraged to vote early to speed counting.
2026 Categories
- Best Jell-O Contest Category Suggested by Artificial In‑Jell‑i‑gence
- Best Homage to the Penny
- Best Advice for Navigating John Nolen
- Most Optimistic Vision for 2035
- Best Use of Color
- Most Spectacular Scientific Phenomenon
“The potluck in contemporary America serves as an outlet for socialising, with the fact of each dish being contributed by attendees permitting the event to proceed unencumbered by roles of host and guest, as well as other status considerations. The main source of conversation … is the food, giving people a shared reference of likes and topics, including skill and identity.”
— “Potluck.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed January 5, 2026
What passes for Hotdish Hoedown 2025 webpage
Mark calendars for January 30, 2027