Plus, where to find your cheap thrills in October ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Wednesday, September 30 

Your Daily Guide

Good morning, Madison! It’s the first day of our City Cast Madison Neighbors fall membership campaign! Our goal this time is a big one – 125 new members! But I’m confident we can get there – I’ve heard from so many readers and listeners about how much they value how our podcasts and newsletters inform, illuminate, and celebrate Madison. If that work matters to you – if City Cast Madison makes life in the city a little better for you – please consider directly supporting what we do.

As a thank you, we offer our City Cast Madison Neighbors all sorts of cool perks to connect them more closely to Madison and to each other. That includes our latest (and spookiest) member perk – a private Madison Ghost Walks ghost tour with the City Cast Madison team! I don’t want to scare you, but it’s coming up fast, so become a member today to ensure your spot on the tour. The first invite will go out to members tomorrow! 👻

I want to support City Cast Madison!

Scroll down to the end of the newsletter to learn about another cool membership perk that we’re offering during (and only during) our fall membership drive! 🍂

What Madison's Talking About

A grey building with the words "Global Campus" on it and a sign that lists "Wolf" "Sub Zero" and "Cove."

Fitchburg’s Sub-Zero wants to build an 800,000 square-foot distribution center in Verona. (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison)

🥶 Sub-Zero Planning Massive Warehouse in Verona: Fitchburg-based kitchen appliance retailer Sub-Zero wants to build a mammoth 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Verona. The facility would be almost twice the size of the Kohl Center and take up 80 acres of farmland south of Whalen Road. [🔒WSJ]

🎒UW-Madison Grad Student Enrollment Drops: UW-Madison saw its lowest graduate student enrollment this fall in a decade, with 9,101 graduate students.This news comes as the Trump administration has cut or delayed millions in federal research dollars to the school. International student enrollment also dropped, and undergraduate enrollment was a little down from its fall 2025 peak. [Cap Times, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

🗳️ Kaleem Caire Throws Hat in the Ring For Mayor: The 2027 mayoral campaign has another candidate, as One City Schools founder and CEO Kaleem Caire announced his candidacy Monday. Caire is the sixth announced challenger to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, who is seeking a third term. Other challengers include Syed Abbas, Brian Benford, Jon Hinds, April Kigeya, and Larry Williams. The primary is in February 2027, with the general election in April. [WKOW]

🚨 Committee Unanimously Approves Body Cam Funding: The Madison Finance Committee approved funding for 220 police body-worn cameras Monday. With the help of a $350,000 grant from the Madison Community Foundation, nearly all officers should be wearing the cameras by next summer, Police Chief John Patterson said. [WKOW]

🏫 Two Sexual Assaults Reported at UW-Madison: University officials said they received two separate reports Sunday about students potentially being drugged and sexually assaulted at off-campus fraternities.

  • The university said it has a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and harassment, and offers resources for assault survivors. Reports of student sexual assault should be made to the UW-Madison Police Department at 608-264-2677. Additonally, the RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Madison has a 24-hour hotline. [WMTV, UW-Madison, RCC]

☕ Starbucks on Park Street Closes: The Starbucks coffee shop at 1609 S. Park St. that just opened in 2025 has closed. It was one of 250 underperforming stores nationwide that closed its doors. [🔒WSJ]

👻 Schuster’s Haunted Forest Celebrates 20 Years of Scares: Schuster’s Farm near Deerfield has opened its Haunted Forest for spooky season. The forest, full of actors playing scary creatures, came to life in 2006 after drought conditions made the traditional corn maze impossible.

  • 🧙 Witch things should we do this October? Looking for more cheap thrills? On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin, creative producer Jade Iseri-Ramos, and Madison comedian Emily Winter dish on what they’re looking forward to doing in Madison in October. And don’t be spooked later this afternoon when Jade’s special October Guide newsletter pops up in your inbox! [WMTV, 🎧City Cast Madison]
PODCAST

Your Guide to October 2026 in Madison

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Where Is It?

A T-shaped installation made of t-shirts.

Did last week’s Where Is It fit you to a “T”? (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison)

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

This “T” stands for “Textile,” as in the Textile Arts Center of Madison on Park Street!

🎉 Congratulations to Doug O., Jim E., and Albi S. for being the first three people to guess correctly!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

A mural of a tiger on a brick building.

I want to hear you roar...the answer to where this mural is! (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison)

On what building is this mural located? A few clues:

  • It’s in Monona
  • It’s on a building that has housed several restaurants over the years
  • Give me your “hot” take on where it’s located!
🤔 Where is it?
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What To Do

Wednesday, Sep. 30

Thursday, Oct. 1

More Madison Events
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Savings This Good Deserve to Be Stacked

Our Great Rate Program helps you secure a below-market mortgage rate on select homes. Our $2,000 Moving Credit helps cover moving expenses, and our Lease Liberation Program can help pay up to $7,000 of your remaining apartment lease. Together, they help make your move a little easier and your savings go a little further.

📰 Extra! Extra! That member perk I mentioned at the top of the newsletter? It’s one of our brand-new City Cast Madison “dad hats”! Rep your love of Madison and for City Cast in style! But hurry! They’re only available to new members during this campaign!

I need this 🧢 in my life!

– Rob Thomas

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