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Halloween in Madison

Sunday, October 26th, 2014

It’s time again to put on your costumes–some sexy, some creative, some half-assed–drink, party and riot–oh wait, we don’t do that anymore in Madison. Yep, I’m talking about Halloween, and for the first time since 2008, it’s on a Friday. Here’s a rundown of Halloween events going on in Madison this week:

Sunday, Oct. 26

  • Halloween at the Zoo (suggested donation of $2): An evolution of the former “Tunnel of Terror.” Bring the family to Vilas Zoo from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and enjoy trick-or-treating, a costume contest, an activity tent and the Klement’s Racing Sausages. Friends of the Zoo may enter at 9 a.m.
  • Haunted Hustle ($50.98-$98.45): As mentioned in a previous blog post, Madison’s got a LOT of themed races. The half-marathon and marathon begin at 9 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively, with the route located in Middleton. It can’t be easy to run in a costume!

Wednesday, Oct. 29

  • Family Halloween (free): Three days before downtown turns into a big party scene, kids rule State Street and the Capitol Square from 3-6 p.m. Activities include hay rides, a corn maze and trick-0r-treating at participating businesses.

Thursday, Oct. 30

  • The Lube Trick or Treat (free): Quaker Steak & Lube is hosting a costume contest and a “scary-oke” singing contest, starting at 9 p.m. Food and drink specials, too.

Friday, Oct. 31

  • DMBA Trick or Treat (free): If the kiddos didn’t get enough trick-or-treating at businesses on Wednesday, they can head to Middleton and do it all over again from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 44 local locations.
  • A Freakin’ Halloweekend ($8): The High Noon Saloon hosts this two-day event in which local bands dress up as their favorite “mega-bands.” Examples include The Shirley Manson family as Garbage on Friday and Blink One Eighty Boo as Blink-182 on Saturday. Shows start at 8 p.m.
  • Halloween Block Party Bash (free): A DJ will be performing at the Up North, Mike Schneider at the Essen Haus and The Lower Fifth at Come Back In. Plus, the requisite costume contest runs from 6-9 p.m.
  • Halloween Bash ($8): Badger Bowl’s party run from 9:15 p.m. – 1:15 a.m. and features a performance by the Charm School Rejects and a costume contest. Prizes include a 40″ LED flat screen TV.

Saturday, Nov. 1

  • Beakers and Broomsticks ($8): If for some reason you want to play with some bugs, heading to the Madison Children’s Museum starting at 9:30 a.m. UW Insect Ambassadors will be on hand, and Ken Lonnquist will be performing as well.
  • Freakfest ($8 advance/$12 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 are Atmosphere and the American Authors. The people-watching alone is worth the price of admission. If you want to save a few bucks, head to the bars early, before the gates on State Street are erected.
  • 80s vs. 90s Halloween Costume Ball ($5): 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 9, and I recommend arriving soon after.

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Madison Capitols hockey

Sunday, October 19th, 2014

Can the Madison Capitols replicate the Madison Mallards’ success?

If they can even achieve half, then that would be a “win,” according to Tom Garrity, who heads the Capitols’ ownership group. Garrity, a Wisconsin native, is joined by several former hockey players, including ex-Badger and Madison native Ryan Suter, in bringing USHL hockey back to Madison.

For those unfamiliar, the Capitols are in the Eastern conference of the 17-team USHL, which is the top junior hockey league (players are 16-20 years-old) in the country. Since players maintain their amateur status, they are eligible to play in NCAA hockey.

According to Wikipedia, Madison has previously seen the Blues (1973-74) and an earlier incarnation of the Capitols (1985-95) represent the city in the USHL. As a kid, I enjoyed attending the games of the fight-prone Madison Monsters (1995-99), who played in the UHL.

On Saturday, the Caps made their home debut at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Fans were treated to giveways (rally towels), in-arena promotions (trivia) and both indoor and outdoor fireworks. A kids area had a bouncy castle and a place to shoot pucks.

Similar to the Mallards, the Caps are promoting group outings, with all-you-can-eat packages in the North Nest, the South Nest, the Rinkside Suite and luxury suites.

Garrity said that the Capitols aren’t trying to compete against the Badgers, and after attending a game, I saw how the fan experience is different: no crazy cheers from the audience (meaning, no student section), no pep band and the welcome sight of beer (Miller, Bud, PBR and Leinie’s products were available).

I’ll be back for more games this season, but I hope to see the following improvements:

  • Speed up the Will Call lines. In addition to many ticket snafus, especially for season-ticket and package holders, only one person was handling Will Call tickets. The staff should create separate lines for Season/Package, A-F, G-L, M-R and S-Z.
  • Add beer-only stands. The concessions lines were long all game, mostly due to people wanting to buy beer.
  • Add more food stands. Gigi’s Cupcakes, Rocky Rococo and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream were represented, but more food vendors, especially on the upper level, would have been nice.
  • Fix the audio. It was hard to hear the music, and the in-arena promotions also were hard to hear with the mic level too low.

Most games take place on Fridays and Saturdays, with the occasional blip on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Tickets cost $13-$43.50, and parking is $7.

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Potosi Brewing Company

Sunday, September 14th, 2014

I was fortunate to have gotten a behind-the-scenes tour of the Potosi Brewing Company, which houses a restaurant and the National Brewery Museum, shortly before it opened in 2008. Six years later, it’s nice to see a redeveloped corridor that includes a winery, a banquet hall, a bar and a general store, all thanks to the brewery. It’s an easy day trip from Madison, about an hour-and-a-half drive.

Let’s talk about the restaurant first. I was curious why reservations are encouraged, but I realized it’s because the inside space is fairly small and a lot of groups (8+) eat there. You’ll also find a large, arcing bar with big, fat stools and a beer garden for those nice summer days.

I started my meal with the steak fingers ($7.95), which are strips of steak breaded, deep-fried and served with a side of Sriracha ranch dressing. The fingers, which aren’t much to look at, tasted like Salisbury steak, heightened by a super-peppery breading that was complemented by the spicy-tangy sauce. I’d definitely get these again. Other unique apps included fried green beans ($6.95) and pulled-pork nachos ($10.95).

I’m a sucker for reubens, and the Rock House Reuben Sandwich ($9.95) did not disappoint. Although it was a little light on the meat, the corned beef was very tender and the marble rye had a buttery goodness to it. Also enjoyable was the BBQ Pulled Pork ($9.95), which is braised in Potosi Cave Ale and piled high on a pretzel roll. The bread does an excellent job of soaking in the juiciness of the pulled pork.

The burgers and sandwiches come with your choice of side, such as seasoned kettle chips and chef’s vegetables, although you can’t go wrong with the sweet potato fries. Meanwhile, five flatbread pizzas, three salads and seven entrees comprise the balance of the menu.

Lest I forget to mention the beers, if you haven’t tried any of them, let me recommend the Good Old Potosi (golden ale), the Potosi Pilsener (Czech pilsner) and the Wee Stein Wit (witbier). I also sampled the barrel-aged beer, which was strong and tasted like wine.

Admission to the three-level museum is only $5 (under 18 is free, 60+ is $3), which includes a beer after your self-guided tour. It’s amazing to think that tiny Potosi (population of 688) beat Milwaukee and St. Louis for the rights to house the National Brewery Museum. Note: the first level also contains the Potosi Brewing Company Transportation Museum.

Inside, you’ll find beer memorabilia primarily from the American Breweriana Association, although some are on loan from private collectors. I was fascinated by how many more breweries once existed than are around today. You’ll also see–but not go in–the cave in which beers were once stored.

The restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner while the museum has seasonal hours.

***

See more photos in our Potosi Brewing Company Flickr album.

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