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City Cast Madison

Rob Thomas

It’s October in Madison, which means there’s lots of scary stuff going on. And there’s lots of 

 of scary stuff to do, whether you want to see a horror movie, get lost in a haunted forest, learn about some haunted spaces, or more.

So here’s a list of the ways that Madison is trying to scare you this Halloween. Enjoy, and make sure to keep the lights on at night.

Get the willies scared out of you at one of the area’s haunted houses. 

 near Stoughton includes four haunted experiences to walk through for one price, including a prison and a mad scientist’s laboratory. (That’s a no from me!)

By day, Schuster’s Farm near Deerfield offers a fun and family-friendly corn maze. But by night, the ghouls come out for 

. Good thing there’s a bar where you can decompress afterward with a beer and some live music.

 offers eerie tours of both downtown Madison and the UW-Madison campus, digging up stories of the spirits that may still haunt those historic spaces. Meanwhile, 

 unveils the spooky stories behind locations like the Majestic Theater and Tempest Oyster Bar.

,” which UW Cinematheque is screening for free Halloween night in a beautiful 35mm print. The Bartell Theatre has 

a double feature of two scary-funny horror movies

, “Re-Animator” and “Prom Night II,” on Oct. 30. And the Union South Marquee Theatre is screening two ‘70s horror classics, “Suspiria” and “Halloween,” on Oct. 30 and 31.

Meanwhile, Marcus Point and Marcus Palace is offering its “

” series, where for $18 you can see four classic horror movies – but you won’t know which ones until the lights go down.

Madison Ballet presents a brand-new production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “

” at MYArts Starlight Theater Oct. 29 through Nov 1. Chicago’s 

Manual Cinema recreates Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”

 on Oct. 23 on stage using eerie shadow puppets. And Glass Cannon Network will play the Lovecrafting role-playing game “

” live on stage at Atwood Music Hall on Oct. 15.

Looking for a scare this October in Madison? From horror movies to haunted forests and eerie ghost tours, here is your ultimate guide to Madison Halloween events.

The Best Spooky and Haunted Things to Do in Madison

Where To Get Scared in Madison for Spooky Season

Find the best of everything that Madison has to offer.

Madison’s Best

Madison's Best

Jade Iseri-Ramos

📖 Wisconsin Book Fest Fall Celebration

Wisconsin Book Festival’s 25th Fall Celebration

! All year long the festival brings authors to Madison (

), but every fall they bring dozens of authors to town for the four-day event. The whole celebration is free and a select few author events include a free book for attendees.

 is holding a T-shirt giveaway this fall if you visit three of the participating art museums. Lucky for us, both Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chazen are on the list, so with one short road trip, that shirt could be yours! If you want to make a vacation out of it, the website has several preplanned road trips.

Badger Homecoming is this week! We laid out all you need to know about homecoming and tailgating on the 

. The UW-Madison football team’s big home games this month are on Saturday, Oct. 3 and on Oct. 24. But there are also other Badgers sports teams worth cheering for this month!

 is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division I this year, and for the last decade, the team has consistently been one of the best in the nation. Their home games always draw a big crowd to the Field House where they have four games this month.

 soccer teams have had strong starts to their seasons and both have a handful of home games in October.

 has two tours that uncover the ghost stories of our city. From haunted theaters to campus ghost stories, things can get a little intense! Plus, Madison Ghost Walks is hosting our City Cast Madison Neighbors on a tour. 

and join us on a ghost walk later this month!

Obviously, the month ends with Halloween. This year, the holiday lands on a Saturday which means things are probably going to get a little wild on “Halloweekend.” A tamer option for the kids is 

Downtown Madison’s family Halloween night

 on Wednesday, Oct. 28. There will be hayrides around the Capitol, crafts, and trick-or-treating at participating businesses.

For the adults, the Bur Oak and Atwood Music Hall are hosting 

 with two nights of cover-band shows and costume contests. And if you’re a child at heart, the Madison Children’s Museum is hosting 

Plan your perfect October 2026 in Madison! Check out the 25th Wisconsin Book Festival, cheer on the Badgers, tour haunted spots, and find top Halloween events.

What to Do in Madison in October 2026: Book Fest, Badgers & Halloween

What To Do in Madison in October 2026

We can agree to disagree. But the joke behind 

Corey Holl’s political satire “The Park People”

 is that we can’t agree on how to disagree.

Holl is a 24-year-old Monona Grove High graduate who makes short business documentaries and music videos in Madison with his partner David Guenther through their company 

. He’s raising money to shoot “Park People” in Madison next summer, and has started a crowdfunding campaign and 

 to show to production companies who want to get involved.

Sitting in the Tenney Park shelter near his home, Holl talked about finding the funny aspects of protest in unfunny political times:

“The Park People” is a political satire. It's a love letter to Madison, but it's also a satire about Madison, and it's about protesting and about place and finding your people, and then obviously about nature and parks, because I'm a big park person myself. So I'm always in parks, and I feel like I found a lot of solace in it, especially in recent times.

This park shuts down in the corner of the city, and these neighbors, mostly these two hippies, protest its closure right away. And then there’s Katie, who's this listless young adult who's our protagonist. She’s like a lot of young people, kind of doomscrolling, not really sure what to do with this world. She gets involved with these hippies and tries to figure out how to stop this park [closure]. They figure out that, you know, there's a corrupt mayor and there's this big billionaire company that's just gobbling up land and building luxury apartments on it. Things get more and more drastic as they try to stop it.

There’s something about this that really reflects Madison. Different generations of people who may be aligned politically but have very different ideas about action.

I feel like the most politically active are either young or old, just because they're not busy raising a family, they just have more time to think about these things, which was really interesting. I think I've seen that a lot too in promoting this movie. It feels like the people who are the most interested in it are either older, or like, the same age as me, which has been really interesting. That's been kind of a fun parallel between the story and the real world.

I've had a bunch of variations on this idea of nature bringing people together, just in my head for so long. I was trying to think about that. At the same time, it was this kind of concept where I was trying to figure out how to do something about protest as well. I thought, land is being ignored, and it’s something that isn’t so heavy that I could make fun of the concept of protesting without being insensitive about things that need to be protested. I thought I could have some fun with this and build this big satirical world around it.

Are you finding a good pool of talent in Madison in front of and behind the camera?

More than you'd think, just because everyone's in their own little niches and their own little bubbles. But things are coming together. Once you meet one person, they know this person, and then they know this person, and it’s really just all a web where everyone comes together. So you're able to find pretty much anyone you need in the city. They're all really talented and all very passionate. People just want to get things made and things that are fun made.

Madison filmmaker Corey Holl launches a crowdfunding campaign for his new political satire, "The Park People." Explore the proof-of-concept short film.

'The Park People': Corey Holl's Madison Political Satire Film

‘Park People’ Will Satirize Madison’s Protest Culture

 says she’s more excited about her new book “

” than she has been about one of her novels in a while.

Part of that is the anticipation of catching her readers off-guard. At first, “Tell Two Friends,” which hits stores Sept. 8, fits in snugly with Garvin’s other books like “Bummer Camp” and “

,” funny, poignant novels about messy, lovable women. “Friends” focuses on Jane Baye, who becomes the pariah of her very Stoughton-like small town when it’s revealed that her husband is a polygamist.

That alone seems like it would be enough for a novel. But then Garvin starts interjecting chapters told from the perspective of Truman, an ex-con who has moved in across the street from Jane, and is watching her for reasons that are unclear but certainly troubling.

Garvin will talk about “Tell Two Friends” on Sept. 22 at Mystery To Me bookstore with 

“Writing Forward” podcast host Jeff Oloizia

. She talked to City Cast Madison about her glee in throwing her readers a curveball.

CCM: It’s like this guy Truman has infiltrated an Ann Garvin book.

AG: That’s exactly how I wanted it to feel. My very first book had like a real tension line through it, but then I kind of left that behind because people were like, "We don't know how to market a book that is a little bit scary and a little bit funny.” This is the first time where you read chapters and you think, “Oh, that's new.”

It was fun. I was nervous to write it because I wasn't sure if I was going to get the voice right and the tone right. But then I met a post-incarcerated man who was on the docket for a teaching thing that I did in New Hampshire, and I got to know him well. And so he promised that he would read it, and I actually paid him to read to be my sensitivity reader.

Does this mark a turn in the kinds of books you want to write?

I have ideas in the future for some books that are tension-filled, but nothing like this really. I'm not really the kind of person that thinks about murderers often. When I pick a book to write, I just have to really feel excited about it, passionate about it. I actually have to know that there’s a true story in there, not just a premise.

What was the biggest challenge of writing the book?

The hardest thing I think with this book was to make her everyday life tension-filled enough that anybody gave a shit about her chapters while you waited to find out what this other guy was doing. I want people to be turning the pages in her life, and all she’s doing is being a regular mom in a town that’s mad at her.

Speaking of that town, you have a disclaimer at the front of the book that this is not Stoughton. But how do you think Stoughton readers will react?

I think I’ll get a mix of responses. I think I’ll get some people mad. You know, “She made fun of us!” I don’t think I was disdainful. I think I rib them carefully because I don’t feel disdainful.

This is a very common question for a writer, but how much do you draw from your real life?

I know that everybody sort of puts themselves in there, and people very often think I’m the protagonist. Which in some cases, I guess I give the protagonist my voice. But she definitely is not me.

When I was a nursing student, I saw a little want-ad, “Be a Pen Pal With An Incarcerated Male.” I thought, “Poor guy, prison must be so boring.” I came from a small town. I was 19 or 20, and I never had heard that people write to incarcerated people, like the women who are interested in Ted Bundy. So we wrote back and forth for a while.

And then he asked me for a photograph, and I was not so dumb that I didn’t know what was up. I wrote back and said, “I don’t think we need a photograph to be friends.” And then he wrote back and said, “Don’t write to incarcerated men anymore. You’re too nice.”

Madison author Ann Garvin shares her glee in throwing readers a curveball with her poignant, messy new novel, hitting stores September 8.

 Madison Author Smuggles a Thriller Inside Her Latest Novel

Ann Garvin Has a Surprise in Store For Her Readers

September means that local theater companies are kicking off their 2025-26 seasons, including a couple of world premieres. In the Overture Center Playhouse, Forward Theater Company has the world premiere of the lost-at-sea musical “

Forward Theater, who’s sponsoring our monthly guide this September, is giving City Cast Madison readers the chance to win free tickets to see “Steady She Goes”! 

Just head over to our Instagram page and enter

” (Sept. 17-20), a musical inspired by the collection the Hand Drawn Map Association, to Overture’s Promenade Hall. The Bartell Theatre’s production of “

,” (Sept. 18-26) about a woman who buys a robot version of her late husband, couldn’t be more timely in the age of AI angst. Edgewood University revives Moliere’s French comedy of manners “

It’s been a hard summer in Madison, and on the east side especially. But the neighborhood’s iconic and eccentric 

 (Sept. 19-20) is a chance for the community to get together and get weird. In addition to several stages of live music and lots of food and drink, everybody is invited to dress up and march in the Sunday morning parade.

Good things come in small packages (or small plates) at 

 on the Capitol Square (Sept. 5-6) with over 90 food vendors. 

 (Sept. 26) at Warner Park will feature 17 restaurants and eight bands, including Nashville’s Langhorne Slim headlining.

 (Sept. 12) features live music, food, and drink. But what sets it apart is the opportunity to decorate and personalize a lantern, either to remember a loved one or set an intention for the future, and release it on the water in a healing ceremony. Editor’s note: Water Lantern Festival is also a sponsor of City Cast.

Push yourself to the limit (and support someone who is) at 

 (Sept. 13). Athletes love coming to Madison not just because of the beautiful and challenging course that includes a downtown run, a hilly bike ride, and a swim in the lake, but because of the crowds cheering them on.

 has been in Madison before, but never like this. On Sept. 22 at the Orpheum Theater, Smith will tell stories and play songs inspired by her new memoir “Bread of Angels.” Ticketholders will get a free paperback copy of the book courtesy of A Room of One’s Own.

Discover the best things to do in Madison, Wisconsin, in September 2026! From vibrant fall festivals to concerts and athletic events, plan your perfect autumn with our ultimate local guide.

Your Guide to Madison in September 2026

What To Do in Madison in September 2026

 makes no secret of her love for the Milwaukee Brewers. She and her husband have season tickets, heading to American Family Insurance Field a dozen times a season to see the team play.

she designed a T-shirt to be given away at the Aug. 12, 2025 game

, and even got to throw out the first pitch. Now, she’s turning that T-shirt design, called “Seventh Inning Stretch,” into a mural that’s being unveiled today at 2 p.m. at McKee Farms Park in Fitchburg.

who was on the City Cast Madison podcast in 2024

 talking about the Chappell Roan-themed haunted house she helped create in the neighborhood, is an in-demand Madison artist. She’s created several other murals around town, and was artist-in-residence in the Madison Public Library’s Bubbler.

As she put the finishing touches on the mural last week, she talked about bringing her Brewers love to life:

It’s the same design, just reformatted. The Brewers originally approached me to do a mural, but then we couldn’t find a wall in the area. Then the T-shirt opportunity came up. So I thought, let’s design the T-shirt, but make sure that the design coordinates with the eventual mural.

What was your inspiration for the design? Who are these people?

They’re just fans that I see myself when I go to games. Just kind of vibing with the crowd. You always make friends with the people around you. All the little moments that happen in the crowd.

I like the idea of putting a lot of details in it. Every time you come back, you might notice something new.

Did you have anyone specific in mind for these people?

The person wearing the “Brew Crew” shirt is actually my likeness. I have that sweatshirt. And that’s my husband next to me. We always link arms and sing [“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”]. Interestingly, the two guys sitting next to us look like the two guys who sit next to us in our season tickets. Not intentional.

I usually go to a handful every year. But since I’ve been working with the Brewers, it’s really excited our interest in going to actual games. I’ve always listened to them on the radio. One of my birthday presents this year was this old-school antenna radio. But going to the games has definitely picked up.

Maybe a couple of years? It’ll be here for a while. 

There will be a celebration for this on Aug. 17

. Some Brewers people are going to come, I think a couple of mascots will be here. We’re going to be having some giveaways, including some of the T-shirts. They were only available at that game last year, so this is your chance.

Madison artist Emily Balsley unveils her new "Seventh Inning Stretch" mural at Fitchburg’s McKee Farms Park, inspired by her Brewers T-shirt design.

Milwaukee Brewers Mural Unveiled in Fitchburg

Madison Artist Knocks It Out of the Park With Brewers Mural

Whether it’s bluegill, perch, or walleye on your plate, the fish fry is a hallowed and battered tradition in Wisconsin. In a recent survey by 

, nearly half of respondents said they sit down to a fish fry at least once a month.

It feels like the fish fry has been around since forever – but 

, host Bianca Martin talks to Madison writer Jeff Oloizia about his cover story for 

on how climate change and global economic trends may be threatening our beloved fish fry.

How the Climate Is Changing Wisconsin Fish Fry

For now, at least, the fish fry is thriving in the Madison area. Here are some of our favorites around town. If we missed your Friday favorite, email us at 

 and let us know why your fish fry rules!

Oloizia spent time in the east side pub studying its wildly popular fish fry while reporting for his article, and with good reason. Honored as “Madison’s Best Fish Fry” by both 

, Dexter’s serves up wild-caught North American fish in non-GMO sunflower oil, with Madison Sourdough rye bread on the side. If you just can’t wait until Friday, they have a limited fish fry on Wednesdays, too.

It’s like having fish fry out on the farm in this historic Fitchburg location. Not only can you get fish fry in the elegant Stone House restaurant or rustic Stable Grill, but on Friday nights they have an outdoor fish fry under the Paddock Tent.

Come out to this restored 19th-century farmhouse in Middleton and indulge in cod (battered or unbreaded), perch (beer-battered or breaded), or walleye (beer battered or hashbrown encrusted) on Friday nights, with a long list of “standard” and “premium” sides to choose from.

This favorite on East Washington Avenue offers fish fry on Tuesdays and Fridays. Drink specials include $8 sangria on Tuesdays and $8 Old Fashioneds on Fridays. Cheers!

Fish fry isn’t just for Friday at Oakcrest. This west side classic serves fried perch and cod dinners (including kids’ menu versions) Wednesday through Friday. The baked cod dinner, however, is just on Friday.

The food at this Regent Street institution is all really good, so it’s no surprise that the fish fry would punch above its weight too. The 

 rhapsodized about the breaded bluegill, but there’s also walleye, perch, cod, and Cajun shrimp, and you can get a great fish sandwich too.

This north side dive bar (complimentary) is famous for its fish fry, serving up perfectly breaded and seasoned fish with potato or fries, cole slaw, and a dinner roll.

Why wouldn’t a high-end seafood restaurant get in on the fish fry game? Tempest serves mouth-watering walleye or yellow perch (or whatever is fresh) along with house-cut fries and homemade tartar sauce. A step up, but worth treating yourself.

What’s your favorite Madison fish fry?

Friday fish fries are a tradition in Wisconsin, and Madison has lots of options. Here are some of our favorites, including Dexter’s Pub, Quivey’s Grove and Tempest Oyster Bar.

Madison’s Best Fish Fries

The Best Fish Fries in Madison

The local LGBTQ+ nonprofit OutReach will hold its annual 

 at Warner Park. You can expect drag performances, rainbow swag, and tons of vendors. Plus, we’ll have a tent so come say hi and grab a sticker!

. There will be more than 25 shows across nine venues featuring local and touring comedians, and all ticket prices are $15 (plus fees) or less. It’s a great way to see all the comedy gold the city has to offer.

🍻 Pregame the Great Taste of the Midwest

I’ve never been motivated enough to snag tickets to the Great Taste of the Midwest, but it’s a big deal. Tickets for the 

event are long sold out, but don’t fret because several local spots are hosting 

. There are seriously so many parties that I’m not going to even try to list them!

Olbrich Botanical Garden will undergo a sonic transformation for 

. The installation is curated by composer JG Everest and organized by the community curation project LAB^4 at Arts + Literature Laboratory. Small speakers will be placed throughout the garden, each playing a different portion of the same song while musicians from the Free Range Orchestra roam through the garden and play along. This is a free event, though there are 

a few workshops that require registration.

When he’s not dispatching bad guys as John Wick or traveling through time as one-half of Bill & Ted, Keanu Reeves plays bass with his band Dogstar. 

Dogstar is coming to Madison to play The Sylvee

Summers in Madison are full of neighborhood festivals and the fun continues into August. This weekend is the bluegrass-centered 

 at Lake Farm County Park. The weekend of 

“Trevor: The Musical” is an LGBTQ+-themed musical about Trevor Nelson, navigating life at a suburban high school in 1981 while dreaming of a life in showbiz. 

Music Theatre of Madison is putting on the Wisconsin premiere of the play

 in the Overture Center Playhouse, MTM’s first-ever Overture show in its 20 years.

For even more events, you can always keep up with what’s going on in Madison with 

If you’re a Neighbor, you get a special events newsletter every week!

Discover the best events, festivals, and activities in Madison this August 2026. Don't miss out on the ultimate summer highlights—plan your perfect month today!

August 2026 in Madison: Your Ultimate Guide to Summer Fun

Madison’s Best: Your Guide To August 2026 in Madison

Bryan M. Vance

! The legendary band is bringing their “Power Up” tour to Camp Randall this Sunday. While the stadium hosted Coldplay and Morgan Wallen last summer, these Aussie rock gods are delivering the only summer concert at Camp Randall this year.

If you’re ready to rock with Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Stevie Young, and the rest of the crew live in Madison, we’ve got some tips for you – including how to get tickets and where to find a pre-show tailgate!

The Young brothers ignited AC/DC in Sydney, Australia, over half a century ago, turning into one of the best-selling bands of all-time. Fun fact: their electrifying name was actually inspired by the label on a sewing machine’s power adaptor. Down under, fans lovingly call them “Acca Dacca,” and they even have their own street — 

 — a legendary cobblestone alley in the heart of Melbourne’s business district.

Still need to score your passes to the show? 

. Standard tickets are currently available starting around $100. If you want to get thunderstruck from a prime vantage point, there are a handful of platinum seats going for $333 each.

AC/DC fans know how to party, and Madison is ready to deliver. If you’re looking to pregame the show with fellow metalheads, 

Get all the details for the AC/DC Power Up Tour at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison! Discover how to get tickets, show times, and where to tailgate.

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