Local Raffles in Madison, WI: Updated 2026 List for Local Winners

Madison's verified raffles right now are a short list: a monthly meat raffle at VFW Post 1318, a nonprofit meat raffle at Delta Beer Lab, and a statewide calendar raffle sold through member taverns. One large local raffle — the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's car raffle — has already drawn and is not selling tickets.

That is the whole set of Madison raffles with a current primary source behind them as of October 21, 2026. Below is what each one costs, when it happens, and the two details worth a phone call before you drive over.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on October 21, 2026.

The Madison raffles with a current date behind them

The most dependable one is the meat raffle at VFW Lt. Marion C. Cranefield Post 1318.

The post's own news page lists a raffle on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the post, and its earlier 2026 dates — January 24 and February 28, also at 3:00 p.m. — show a roughly monthly cadence.

A meat raffle sells tickets for one round at a time, with a cut or package of meat going to each round's winner. The second is REAP Food Group's meat raffle at Delta Beer Lab, 167 E Badger Rd. REAP's own events page lists "Under the Hunters' Moon" on November 7, 2026, with registration through the link in REAP's Instagram bio.

A second entry on that page carries a November 11 date attached to a 2025 blurb, so check REAP's listing again close to the date. One scheduling caveat on the VFW event: date and time for it are listed differently in other places, including a Sunday date and a 1:00 p.m. start.

The post's own page is the better authority, and a call to (608) 255-5955 settles it before you spend the afternoon.

What a Madison meat raffle actually costs to attend

Entry is usually the cheap part. REAP's January 10, 2026 meat raffle at Delta Beer Lab ran 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., was free to attend, and closed with a 50/50 raffle, according to the Visit Madison event listing for it. "Free to attend" is not the same as free to play — you pay per round of tickets once you are inside.

That format has a practical consequence: there are no advance tickets to buy, so you cannot enter from home and you cannot win if you are not in the room. Bring small bills. Rounds move quickly and ticket sellers work the room between them.

A 50/50 raffle splits the pot — half to the winner, half to the organizing group. It is a chance to win, not a payout anyone can count on, and the odds depend entirely on how many tickets sell that afternoon.

The one raffle you can buy into year-round

The Wisconsin Tavern League Foundation's calendar raffle is the only Madison-available option that is not tied to a single afternoon. Per the Foundation's raffle rules, a calendar costs $20, sales are capped at 10,000 calendars, and the prize structure is 365 cash prizes totaling $100,000 with a $100 minimum — one drawing per day of the year. Calendars are sold through member taverns, which includes Madison-area bars.

You buy a physical calendar from the bar; there is no online purchase path. As of October 21, 2026, the 2027 edition had not been posted, so ask the bar whether calendars are in hand rather than assuming. Do the arithmetic before buying.

A 10,000-calendar cap against 365 prizes means most calendars win nothing, and $100 is the floor for a prize, not the typical outcome. It is worth $20 if you want a daily shot and do not mind that the expected return is below the ticket price.

Closed now, open later

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Madison's "Drive Change" car raffle is the city's largest by stake: 5,000 tickets at $100 each. Its raffle page shows sales ended and the drawing was held July 1, 2026, at Russ Darrow Mazda of Madison.

If a car raffle is what you want, watch that page for the next edition instead of buying anything described as a current ticket. The next large on-site raffle on the calendar is at the PBS Wisconsin Garden & Green Living Expo, which returns to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on February 12–14, 2027. Its exhibitor materials are still circulating a Raffle Prize Donation Form, which means the 2027 prize list is still being assembled.

Expo raffle tickets are sold at the PBS Wisconsin booth near the main entrance at $3 each, 4 for $10, or 10 for $20, with the drawing at 3 p.m. on the event's final Sunday. Per the expo's raffle page, winners do not need to be present, and proceeds go to PBS Wisconsin — so you can buy on Friday and leave.

How to tell a legal Madison raffle from one that isn't

Wisconsin raffles are licensed under Wis. Stat. ch.

563 by the Department of Administration's Division of Gaming. Only a local religious, charitable, service, fraternal, or veterans group, or a 501(c)(3), that has existed for at least a year may hold one, per the Division's raffle license information. A Madison "raffle" run by a business or an individual is unlicensed and illegal.

The Division's position is that a fully online raffle is not permitted in Wisconsin, because the law requires paper ticket stubs drawn from a physical container and the drawing held in public. Class B licensees, which run same-day raffles, may take ticket orders by website, email, or text — but the draw itself still happens on paper, in person. That gives you a quick screen for anything you come across:

• Is the seller a church, veterans post, service club, or registered nonprofit? If it is a company or a person, walk away.
• Is there a paper ticket and a public drawing? A raffle that exists only as a web form does not fit Wisconsin's rules.
• Is the group at least a year old? Newer organizations cannot be licensed.
• Does a payment request arrive by direct message or peer-to-peer app with no named licensee? Treat it as unverified.

Before you leave the house

• Call the VFW post at (608) 255-5955 to confirm the October 24 date and the 3:00 p.m. start, since listings disagree.
• Check REAP's events page the week of November 7 for the Delta Beer Lab raffle, and register through the link it gives.
• Bring cash in small denominations — meat raffles and 50/50 draws sell per round at the door.
• Expect to be present to win at the meat raffles; the Garden Expo raffle is the one where you don't need to be.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I enter a Madison raffle online?

Not a full raffle. Wisconsin requires paper stubs drawn from a physical container at a public drawing, though same-day Class B licensees may take ticket orders by website, email, or text.

Do I have to be at the drawing to win?

At the meat raffles, yes — tickets are sold per round on site. The PBS Wisconsin Garden Expo raffle is different: its raffle page states winners need not be present.

Is the St. Vincent de Paul car raffle still open?

No. Sales ended and the drawing was held July 1, 2026, at Russ Darrow Mazda of Madison. Anyone selling tickets for it now is not selling a valid entry.