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Halloween in Madison 2016

Sunday, October 23rd, 2016

So how many Ken Bone costumes are we going to see this year? With Halloween falling on a Monday this year, Madison will have a couple more days to party, including:

Wednesday, Oct. 26

Thursday, Oct. 27

  • Buccaneer’s Ball 2016 (free): Hoofers and 100state are joining forces to throw a party that begins at 7 p.m. in the basement of the Argus bar.

Friday, Oct. 28

  • Downtown Trick or Treat (free): If the kiddos didn’t get enough trick-or-treating at State Street businesses on Wednesday, they can head to Middleton and do it all over again from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at dozens of locations.
  • Halloween Spooktacular (free): Yes, this is an egg hunt in October, and it starts at 5:45 p.m. at Winnequah Dream Park in Monona. Afterward, enjoying an outdoor movie with free popcorn.
  • A Freakin’ Halloweekend ($10): The High Noon Saloon hosts this two-day event in which local bands dress up as their favorite “mega-bands.” Examples include the Right Stripes as the White Stripes on Friday and the Scars as the Cars Maneater as Hall & Oates on Saturday. Shows start at 8 p.m.
  • Halloween Party (free): This generically named party commences at 8:30 p.m. at Nau-ti-Gal. Includes a costume contest and performance by Riled Up.

Saturday, Oct. 29

  • Hilldale-o-Ween (free): This is a three-day long celebration. Activities include cookie decorating on Saturday and trick-or-treating on Monday.
  • Spook-tacular Halloween Bash (free): Design your own candy bag from 9:30 a.m. – noon at the DreamBank.
  • Halloween Costume Parade ($10): Starting at 2 p.m. at Library Mall, follow the parade to the Capitol for an event that supports Primates Incorporated.
  • Halloween Karaoke (free): Sing and purchase specific drinks to earn tickets for raffle prizes at Come Back In. Starts at 9:30 p.m.
  • Halloween Bash ($8): Badger Bowl’s final night before it closes for good will feature a performance by Cherry Pie and a costume contest.
  • Freakfest ($10 advance/$15 at the gates): Madison’s official Halloween party takes place from 7 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. on State Street. This year’s headliners include Diane Coffee and Sweet Spirit. If you want to save a few bucks, head to the bars early, before the gates on State Street are erected.
  • Night of the Dead ($15): This annual event at the Barrymore pays homage to the Grateful Dead through Terrapin Flyer and Evergreen Grass Band, starting at 8 p.m.
  • 80s vs. 90s Halloween Costume Ball ($10): The almost-monthly 80s vs. 90s party is always popular, but the Halloween version is always really popular. Dress up as a TV/movie character or music icon to participate in the costume contest. Doors open at 8, and I recommend arriving soon after.

Sunday, Oct. 30

  • Halloween at the Zoo (free): Activities include face painting and a pumpkin decorating contest from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the zoo.

Monday, Oct. 31

  • Baby’s First Halloween (free with admission): Take the little ones to this costume contest and dance from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Madison Children’s Museum.
  • Reel Big Halloween ($22.50/$25): How about some ska on Halloween? Reel Big Fish is performing at 8 p.m. at the Majestic.

Summer bucket list 2016

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016

(This is an update of a previous blog post.)

When you live a northern state like Wisconsin, you have to really take advantage of the seemingly few warm days we have. Madison, like Milwaukee, Chicago and other nearby cities, really crams a lot of events together from May to September.

Here is a list of things I look forward to doing each summer in and around Madison:

  • Community festivals such as Verona Hometown Days
  • Dane County Farmers’ Market, followed by Bloody Marys at Genna’s (which is open at 10 a.m. Saturdays during Farmers’ Market)
  • Concerts on the Square
  • Bike Night at Quaker Steak
  • Boating on Lake Mendota
  • Tubing on the Sugar River
  • Concert at Breese Stevens Field
  • Memorial Union Terrace
  • Governor Nelson State Park
  • Golf outings
  • Sand volleyball
  • Mallards Duck Blind
  • Brewers tailgate
  • Betty Lou Cruise
  • A double-feature at Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre
  • Live on King Street
  • Mad-City Ski Team show
  • Maxwell Street Days
  • Taste of Madison (and Taste of Madison judging)

What’s on your summer to-do list in Madison? Let us know in the comments section.

Memorial Day dining and events 2016

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

This is a re-post and has been updated for 2016.

I love Memorial Day because to me, it signals the start of summer here in the Midwest. If you plan on heading out of town, here are some events, restaurants and bars within a two-hour drive that I suggest checking out:

Lake Geneva area

  • I’ve enjoyed the all-you-can-eat fish fry at Popeye’s On Lake Geneva. Champs Sports Bar and Grill and Hogs & Kisses are some fun places to grab a drink or watch the game. You can find excellent steaks and fine dining at Geneva Chophouse (which is exponentially better than its sister restaurant, Capitol Chophouse) at Grand Geneva Resort.
  • On the other side of the lake is Fontana, which features the Abbey Resort. If you’re looking for a spa, the on-site Avani Spa is definitely the place to go (you may not want to leave!).
  • Not too far from Lake Geneva is Burlington, home of the annual ChocolateFest (Friday-Monday), complete with live music (including Pat McCurdy), chocolate and wine pairings and a chocolate eating contest. It’s a fun event, but I really mean this: there needs to be more chocolate! For example, most of the food vendors don’t sell chocolate.
  • The Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan is a step back in time (very 1950s/60s-esque). Its annual Lakeside Lawn Party and Pig Roast will take place on Sunday.

Galena, Ill.

Kohler/Elkhart Lake

  • Unfortunately, the annual Kohler Festival of Beer moved from May to April. However, the Midwest’s only AAA Five-Diamond Resort, the American Club, is hosting “Shake and Stir Saturdays” this month in which participants make three craft cocktails.
  • Speaking of the American Club, the Horse & Plow is a pub and grill in the same complex that’s open to the public. Sorta has a Boston feel to it.
  • The Osthoff Resort, which will be wedding central this weekend, has its own set of restaurants, but there are plenty of other choices nearby. Enjoy the contemporary feel of Siebkens Resort or the laid-back atmosphere of Barefoot Bay Tiki Bar.

Green Lake

  • If you haven’t been, Green Lake is like Lake Geneva but without the constant gridlock. The place to stay is the Heidel House, which sports a fancy restaurant called Grey Rock and a big bar with live music and outdoor seating called the Boathouse Pub.
  • A fun bar–and basically one of the few in Green Lake–is the Goose Blind. Make sure to try the brick oven pizza.
  • Take a quick, 20-minute trip over to Ripon, where you will find delicious fare at J’s BBQ. The brisket is incredibly tender.

Have a great weekend!

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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