The Halloween spirit means different things to different people. Some people want to get the daylights scared out of them. Others just want to eat candy. Hopefully this list of spooky-themed activities and events in and around Madison will hit your Halloween sweet spot.
🎃 Dance the Fright Away
With Freakfest gone, the way to show off your Sexy Beetlejuice costume on State Street on Halloween is to go to “Murder at the Dance Floor,” a dance party at the Orpheum Theater on Oct. 31 hosted by DJ Femme Noir.
If you’d rather mope than boogie, “Emo Halloween” drapes the Majestic Theatre in black on Oct. 26. Or check out some of Madison’s top musicians masquerading as their favorite bands at “Freakin’ Halloweekend” at High Noon Saloon on Oct. 26.
☠️ Want To See Something Really Scary?
All of Madison’s movie theaters are programming horror movies this October, with Flix Brewhouse Madison at East Towne Mall offering 17 different classics, from “The Shining” to “Hotel Transylvania” to a brunch screening of “Practical Magic.”
The Bartell Theatre has started showing movies, with an Oct. 26 showing of the director’s cut of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “Psycho” and the family friendly “Hocus Pocus.” And the UW Cinematheque isn’t for the faint of heart with the controversial “Cannibal Holocaust” on Oct. 25 and “Dark Harvest” and “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” on Oct. 26.
👻 Go Bust Some Ghosts
US Ghost Adventures will take the supernaturally curious on a tour of Madison’s haunted hotspots, with hourlong tours nightly that tell the secret spooky stories of the city’s downtown.
👀 Hear a Real-Life Ghost Story
Madison author Mike Bass will present his chilling (and gorgeous) book on folk horror, “Frightful Folklore of North America,” this Thursday at A Room of One’s Own bookstore. From the “ghost moose” of Maine to Chicago’s Resurrection Mary ghost, it’s all here.
🧟 It’s Alive ... Alive!
The art collective Manual Cinema mixes shadow puppets, live music, and immersive sound to tell the story of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” onstage at the Wisconsin Union Theater on Oct. 17.
🔮 Visit a Haunted House
Head up to Wisconsin Dells to check out the Haunted Mansion, a spooky attraction that’s safe for even the youngest ghostbuster in your family.
🐈⬛ Scare Away the Calories
If you want to get some exercise (or practice running from monsters), the Haunted Hustle will bring together runners of all abilities for a fun run on Oct. 19 in Middleton. Everything from a half-marathon to a 1K Kids Run is offered.
