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City Cast Madison

Hayley Sperling

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling protecting abortion rights, nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol Building in protest.

The rally was organized by Madison's Socialist Feminist Collective and featured speakers from Freedom Action Now, local politicians, and civil rights activists.

Here's a look at scenes from Friday's protest.

Rob Thomas

“Inhumane.” “Some sort of Soviet gulag.” “A disturbing and alienating Lovecraftian monster.”

And that’s just from the people who LIKE the Mosse Humanities Building.

the grey, brutalist building on the UW-Madison campus

 at 455 N. Park St. nicknamed the “Inhumanities Building” has been a major part of the college experience for generations of students.

 Now that the building’s days may finally be numbered

, Madison artist Doug E.L. Haynes has captured the unique character and history of the building, and the conflicting opinions about it, in his new illustrated book “

The Humanities Building: Do you love it or hate it?

Haynes met me at the building last week to talk about the book and his release party on Oct. 26 at Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè. (In what was perhaps an unwitting tribute to the building’s notorious labyrinthine structure, Haynes and I first spotted each other standing on different levels of the courtyard, and then spent several minutes trying to figure out which set of stairs would connect us.)

“I don't want people to think that I neglected the opinions of people who hate the building,” Haynes said in an interview in a concrete-bunker-like classroom in the building, featuring a row of tiny skylights covered in blackout tape. “But I think I do have some love. Madison is filled with conventional architecture. There’s a lot of buildings that could be anywhere in the world. They’re forgettable.”

The Humanities Building is anything but forgettable. 

Designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese

 (who also designed the original Chazen Museum of Art building next door) but underfunded by the state Legislature, it’s been plagued with maintenance issues almost since it opened in 1969, known for inadequate ventilation, leaking roofs, temperature issues, and crumbling concrete.

Haynes first came to the building as a West High School student taking summer ceramics classes and was immediately fascinated by it. Later, Haynes attended UW-Madison, where his very first class was in the building, and he spent years sketching in its studios, listening to lectures in its classrooms, and otherwise hanging out.

” during the COVID-19 pandemic, Haynes was looking for another Madison artistic project. He knew that the Humanities Building was scheduled for demolition and wanted to document it, wandering over with his materials with drawing supplies in hand. In the end, the book contains over 100 drawings of the building, everything from its temple-like exterior to to its interior rooms and stairwells.

“One hundred is a lot, but it is a massive building,” Haynes said. “There’s a lot to take in.”

For the text in the book, Haynes conducted a survey online to capture people’s reactions and memories of the building – the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

The survey is still active and accepting responses

. Some respondents write about how they grew to love the distinctive building, while others focus more on the formative experiences they had within its concrete walls. Others just plain hated it.

But if the building is ever finally torn down, Haynes predicts that even the haters might miss the Humanities Building more than they expect to.

“I'm guessing absence will make the heart grow fonder,” he said. “You’ll forget about the musty smells or the cockroaches. A lot of it is about the memories. Even if they hated it, they’re like, ‘This is where I met my wife.’”

Discover the history and unique character of UW-Madison’s iconic "Inhumanities Building" in Doug E.L. Haynes’ new illustrated book. Explore generations of student memories, conflicting opinions, and the brutalist legacy of the building before its days are finally numbered.

Madison Artist Documents UW’s Weird Humanities Building

UW-Madison’s ‘Inhumanities Building’ Inspires New Book

Find the best of everything that Madison has to offer.

Madison’s Best

Madison's Best

Jade Iseri-Ramos

The Nov. 3 election is exactly two weeks away, which means 

in-person absentee voting in Wisconsin starts today.

 Do you have a plan to vote? Do you know what you’ll be voting on? This handy-dandy fall election guide is designed to help you through the process.

The big-ticket item on the Nov. 3 ballot for Wisconsin voters is of course the race for governor. It’s an open seat with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers declining to seek a third term. 

 is running as the Republican nominee while 

The candidates’ only debate is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21

, and will air on WKOW. Earlier this year, 

Crowley spoke with the City Cast Madison podcast

 about his hopes for Wisconsin if elected. 

(Tiffany did not respond to multiple requests for interviews.)

In Wisconsin, candidates for lieutenant governor run separately from the governor’s race. 

Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski

In the race for attorney general, it’s a rematch between 

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney

This could also be a pivotal year in the state Legislature, where new legislative maps mean Democrats could be poised to take over one or both chambers after 16 years of uninterrupted Republican rule.

 of all the contested Assembly and Senate races in Dane County. In District 76, which state Rep. Francesca Hong decided to leave for her unsuccessful run for governor, it’s a tale of two Ninas as Democrat Ald. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford runs against Republican Nina Chat. If Rutherford wins, she will be the first openly transgender member of the state Legislature.

The ballot will also include three constitutional amendment questions approved by the state Legislature. We took a deep dive into these questions earlier this year, and you can 

learn more about the Republican-backed proposals here

Where and when can I vote on Election Day? 

Polls are open on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m to 8 p.m. (If you’re in line by 8 p.m., state law says you have to be allowed to vote – so stay in line!) You can find your polling place at 

What do I need to bring with me to vote? 

If you are already registered to vote, all you need to bring with you is a 

. If you aren’t registered to vote or have moved since the last election, you will also need to bring 

, such as a lease, utility bill, or bank statement to fill out your registration forms. Same-day registration is allowed!

In-person absentee voting starts today and runs through Oct. 31. If you live in Madison, you can vote at any of the 

, which includes libraries, churches, and the Madison Municipal Building. (For voters outside of Madison city limits, early polling locations can be found on 

.) Make sure you bring ID and proof of residence if needed!

anyone can request an absentee ballot up until the Thursday before Election Day

. However, it’s recommended to make the request as soon as possible to leave ample time for delivery and return. Absentee ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted. In addition to returning your ballot by mail, you can drop it in a 

 or take it to an early polling location. On Election Day, you can return it to your assigned polling place.

The big-ticket item on the Nov. 3 ballot for Wisconsin voters is of course the race for governor.

What To Know About the Nov. 3 Wisconsin Election

Your Guide to the Fall 2026 Election in Madison

What Madisonians have been wondering. We break down why things in Madison are the way they are and how they work.

Madison, Explained

Newcomers might be a little confused that 

UW-Madison students are charged $100 if they want to have a guest in their dorms

But the policy likely has its roots in the rowdy annual Halloween parties that took over downtown Madison for years, sometimes with violent results. While Freakfest vanished with the COVID-19 pandemic, its ghosts continue to haunt Madison to this day. Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Halloween on State Street.

started as a small block party on State Street in 1977

 when students and others would parade up and down the pedestrian street in their wildest costumes. Seeing that the idea was catching on, UW-Madison student government, then called the Wisconsin Students Association, officially sponsored the event as Halloween on State Street as a fundraiser.

When the drinking age went up in Wisconsin from 18 to 21 in 1986, the student government could no longer sell beer to raise money, and withdrew their involvement. But people kept coming to State Street every Halloween to party in the 1990s, although attendance went up and down from one year to the next. [Badger Herald]

It was in the late ‘90s when crowds, including lots of out-of-towners, began swarming Halloween on State Street. While roughly thousands of costumed revelers attended in 1998, 

an estimated 60,000 people filled the streets by 2001

. To put that into context, UW’s total fall enrollment was 51,822 in 2025.

Things started to get out of hand in 2002

, when a crowd of 65,000 included vandals who broke windows, assaulted others, looted stores, and caused property damage to State Street businesses.

Every year until 2005, when 100,000 people stormed State Street, the event ended with Madison police using tear gas to disperse the crowd. City officials agreed that something needed to change.

In 2006, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz declared that the State Street Halloween celebration would be renamed Freakfest and would become an organized, controlled event. Fencing was put up around State Street, entrants were charged admission, and Frank Productions booked bands like 

bemoaned the tamer, more controlled nature of Freakfest

, the event was a big hit by every measure, with big crowds and relatively few arrests. [Cap Times, Fox47, Isthmus]

Freakfest was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 

was never resurrected due to a lack of funding and support

. But with Halloween being on a Saturday this weekend, if you head down to State Street I’ll bet you’ll see plenty of costumed partiers, ghosts of the old days. [Badger Herald]

Madison's Freakfest event ended several years ago, but its ghosts continue to haunt the city to this day. Here’s a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Halloween on State Street.

Remembering When State Street Went Wild on Halloween

Digging Up the Spooky History of Freakfest

, you’ll feel soft felt lining the underside of the bar. Owner Garth Beyer put that felt there to muffle noise bouncing up from the concrete floor, so it’s easier to have a conversation.

That wasn’t Beyer’s idea. That was yours.

Before he opened the Monroe Street bar in 2019, he surveyed over 200 people about what they’d like to see in a craft beer bar, and reduced noise was high on the list. And now, seven years later, he’s going back to the people to find out what they think of Madison’s beer scene.

“I thought it was time to reignite the Madison community about what beer ought to be,” Beyer said over a pint recently. “Especially post-pandemic, everybody got really reserved, and brewers weren’t reaching out to the community to ask what they wanted. They were brewing what they needed to brew to be able to survive.”

over 350 people responded to a new, detailed survey Beyer created

, answering specific questions about everything from what kind of beers they want to see to what they like (or don’t like) in a bar.

In addition to giving him some tips on how he can improve his own namesake bar, he hopes the survey can be a resource for other bars, craft brewers, and even imbibers to work together to make the kind of local beer scene they want.

Here are a few takeaways that Beyer gleaned from the results, 

Madison drinkers want to see more classic beer varieties such as Extra Special Bitters and pilsners on the tap list. “I think in Madison we got into the notion of ‘Let’s just make some hazy variants, and produce more of what’s selling.’ But Madison’s been speaking up that they want more things like ESBs. I think of bars like Vintage that are able to knock it out of the park having a slew of different classic beers.”

Beer drinkers responded that they want to see some sort of beer festival in Madison that’s not as massive as Great Taste of the Midwest, but bigger than a local brewery’s in-house event. Madison had a citywide Craft Beer Week for years, but that ended with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Folks are really missing that,” Beyer said.

The noise complaints that Beyer heard when he installed the felt in 2018 haven’t gone away. “I'd say this (concern) is probably even deeper now, post pandemic. People finally feel like going out isn't just going out and being rambunctious. It's going out and having meaningful conversations, and (noisy environments) hurt a lot of folks.”

The ubiquitous brew ranked high on the list of beers that drinkers think are overdone – but also pretty high on the list of beers that drinkers want to see more of. “Everybody loves them, but everybody loves hating on them as well. People are having this internal conundrum with themselves.”

Beyer said lagers, pilsners, and other lighter beers are in big demand right now – but not just the average lawnmower beers. “I think this is a direct reflection of the demand that's happening not just nationally but locally as well. They're wanting more variety. I think Working Draft is a great example of somebody who's taken a lager and then created multiple variations of it. What's the Italian pils? What's the French pilsner? What's the Czech style?”

Brewery owner Garth Beyer surveyed over 350 people about their beer and bar preferences. These are his takeaways about Madison's beer scene.

Surveying the State of Madison’s Beer Scene

What Do Madison Beer Drinkers Really Want? 

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Madison. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Madison Food & Drink

Food & Drink

One thing’s for sure, you won’t walk away from the 

Wisconsin Book Festival’s 25th annual Fall Celebration

 Oct. 15-18 without something new to read.

The festival’s annual event, put on at the Madison Public Library and its foundation at the Central Branch and a few other locations, offers something for every kind of reader. Whether you want the hottest new literary fiction, the most thought-provoking nonfiction, some new bedtime stories to read to the kids, or even some tips for your own writing project, they’ve got you covered. And it’s all free.

, host Bianca Martin is joined by festival Director Jane Rotonda and Madison writer Jeff Oloizia, 

host of the “Writing Forward” podcast

 that just launched its second season. They talk about highlights of this year’s festival, Wisconsin’s literary tradition, and the books that every Madisonian should read.

An Insider’s Guide to Madison’s Writing and Literary Scene. Plus, Books Every Madisonian Needs

Here’s a few recommendations for every kind of book lover to enjoy at the fest. As a note, the Madison Public Library is a sponsor of City Cast Madison (you’ve probably seen their ads in this newsletter!). But this article is produced with 100% editorial independence.

Sweating about the upcoming midterms? Former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler has the prescription for progressive angst in his new book “

This Is The Plan: How To End America’s Meltdown and Save Democracy

.” Wikler offers a hopeful and specific list of action items for individuals and small groups to get the country back on track. Can’t wait? Wikler was on the City Cast Madison podcast last year 

to talk about the future of Wisconsin’s Democratic party

. (6 p.m. Oct. 17, Madison Central Library)

It’s hard to believe that the Strokes’ debut album “Is This It” was released a quarter-century ago, ushering in a new era of guitar rock in the ‘00s that included bands like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. In his new book “

Is This It: The Never Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes (and Rock ‘n Roll

,” rock critic Steven Hyden chronicles the band, and how their career shows the ever-changing impact of rock music on popular culture. (6 p.m. Oct. 16, Madison Central Library)

The book festival always coincides with the Wisconsin Science Festival, and sponsors several collabs of science-related books. Check out Siri Carpenter’s anthology “

The Best Science Stories and How They Work

,” which looks at 11 stories by science journalists, with Carpenter’s commentaries on what makes them compelling. (4:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Discovery Building)

Téa Obreht’s 2019 novel “Inland” was a thrilling and ambitious novel that challenged the stereotypes of the Old West. She rides a similar trail in “

,” which follows three different characters in three different timelines a century apart who arrive at the same Wyoming town. (6 p.m. Oct. 17, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art)

Fans of the literary magazine The New Yorker have enjoyed the squiggly, funny cartoons of Roz Chast for years. Chast comes to Madison with her new book, “

,” co-written with Jason Adam Katzenstein, which explores the darker, funnier corners of both their food prep spaces. (7:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Madison Central Library)

In addition to being the unmistakable voice of National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition, Scott Simon is also an animal lover. In his illustrated memoir, “

,” Simon celebrates the animals that changed him over his lifetime, from the family dog growing up to a delinquent hamster named Bagel. (12 p.m. Oct. 18, Madison Central Library)

Discover your next great read at the 25th annual Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration, Oct. 15-18. Enjoy free author events for all ages at Madison Public Library.

Wisconsin Book Festival Tips For Every Kind of Reader

Practice Shelf-Care at the Wisconsin Book Festival 

We’re in the middle of our fall membership campaign this week (have you heard?), and one thing we keep stressing is the importance of community, of meeting your Madison neighbors out in the world and building community together. The City Cast Madison team who makes the newsletter, makes the podcast, makes the social media posts – we all live here too!

In that spirit, every time somebody signs up for the City Cast Madison newsletter, we send them a welcome message and ask them this question: 

What’s your favorite place in your neighborhood and what makes it special?

Here are some of the answers we received – it seems everybody has a different favorite spot to get together. 

We hope City Cast Madison has become one of those favorite spots for you, too

you’ll consider supporting us as a City Cast Madison neighbor

. “It’s a city park flower garden maintained by volunteers. Magical!”

. “I love to get my exercise there. It’s peaceful, beautiful and safe to enjoy alone. It doesn’t feel like you are in the middle of a city.”

. “Super friendly and authentic/great food.”

(located across the street from Gloria’s!). “The owners are super friendly and the food is incredible. They offer different Korean dishes (bulgogi, bibimbap, japche, soondubu) but I always get the same thing (pork japche Level 1 spicy) because it’s so tasty!”

! “A little fancy bar near the corner of Park St and Fish Hatchery. It's a cool, dimly lit place with great cocktails (especially their espresso martini), the bartenders are super cool, and my favorite part: they allow dogs! My pup and I frequent there. They've started doing drag karaoke there every other Wednesday which is always a really great time (but I'm obsessed with karaoke so I'm biased).”

City Cast Madison Neighbors share their favorite places in Madison.


Readers Share Their Favorite Neighborhood Spots in Madison

Your Favorite Spots To Meet Your Neighbors in Madison

Over 9,100 miles separates the UW-Madison campus from the 

 at the South Pole, but there’s a strong connection between the two. On Tuesday, 

UW-Madison professor Francis Halzen received a Nobel Prize in physics

 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm for pioneering the telescope.

“The success of this project involved some luck,” Halzen said in a statement. “I was fortunate to be at UW, where unconventional ideas can thrive and where I had the support of a remarkable community.”

Here’s the backstory on Halzen and the scientific breakthroughs that have made IceCube such a hot topic in physics and astronomy. [UW-Madison News]

 joined the faculty at UW-Madison in 1972

 and has received multiple awards for research over the last half-century. He began researching deep Antarctic ice and in 1987 started the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array, known as AMANDA, which is considered an ancestor of the IceCube project. [ 🔒WSJ]

IceCube is not a traditional telescope like you’d peer through at 

. Instead, it’s embedded deep within a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, using thousands of light sensors to survey the universe for ghostly particles called high-energy neutrinos.

, if a neutrino passes through the Earth and interacts with the ice, it will produce a flash of light that IceCube’s sensors will pick up. Before IceCube, there was no way to monitor neutrinos, but Halzen’s research has created the field of “neutrino astronomy,” and other telescopes (including an underwater telescope) have since been created.

The telescope was completed in 2011 and is operated by a team of 400 scientists around the world, including at UW-Madison. [Washburn Observatory, 🔒NYT]

Neutrinos are nearly massless particles that rarely interact with other forms of matter, and the neutral variety of neutrinos are everywhere. But much rarer are what is called “high-energy neutrinos,” which can provide valuable information on supermassive black holes, galaxies and other objects in the universe.

In addition to bragging rights for UW-Madison, Halzen will be awarded $1.2 million from the committee. The prize for physics is one of six issued by the academy each year.

Discover the backstory behind UW-Madison professor Francis Halzen's Nobel Prize in physics for pioneering the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole.

How UW Professor Won a Nobel Prize

UW-Madison Professor Receives Nobel Prize in Physics

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, 

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.

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