The best Halloween events in Madison

All the events. All the music. All the scary movies.

Hi there!

Yes, Freakfest is cancelled this year. There's still a lot going on, though.

Looking to celebrate a sober holiday? Check out the trivia event at the zoo on Friday.

Looking for kid-friendly stuff? We've got you covered. Keep scrolling for more.

- Sam

Multi-day

• UW Homecoming week through Saturday. Virtual and in-person events. Trivia, flamingo fundraisers, presentations, and a parade.
• Lieutenant Governor’s conference on small business. Monday and Tuesday. Classes and presentations for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Virtual. Free.
• Best of the Midwest Comedy Showcase at Comedy on State. 7:30 p.m. Thursday: $5 students, $15 regular. Friday: $18.
• Sylvan Esso at The Sylvee. Friday and Saturday shows. $35 general admission.

Monday, Oct. 25

• Madison school board meeting. Virtual. Starts at 6 p.m.
• Matt Costa and David Ramierez at High Noon Saloon. Doors 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. $20.
• Daniel Donato at Memorial Union Terrace. 7 p.m. Free.
• “That Dead Men Rise Up Never (and other stories)” with Falconbridge Players. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:00 p.m. Free.

Tuesday, Oct. 26

• “Tricky Treats” cooking class for kids with Willy Street Co-op. 5 p.m. Virtual. Best for ages 9-12. $10 for owners, $20 for non-owners.
• Adam Melchor at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15.
• Halloween-themed trivia at The Rigby. 7- 9 p.m.
• Presentation: “Re-Indigenizing the UW–Madison Campus” hosted by UW Arboretum. 7 p.m. Virtual.

Wednesday, Oct. 27

• Panel: Clean Air, climate, and equity organized by the Wisconsin Energy Institute. Learn about the major sources of air pollution in Wisconsin, the communities most affected, and the potential for a multi-solving approach to address air quality, climate, and equity concerns. 4:30 p.m. Virtual. Free.
• “Casper” screening on the 100 Block of State Street. 5:30 p.m. Free.
• “Decoding the News” with David Wallace, former business/tech reporter. Learn how to go beyond the headlines and skip the bias, hype and noise with effective tools and tactics. Hosted by Dreambank. 6-7:30 p.m. Free.
• Mad City Story Slam at State Line Distillery. A night of drinks and spooky stories. 6 p.m. Free.
• Public Information Meeting: Fire Station 6 Remodel and Addition. 6 p.m. Virtual.
• Bleachers at The Sylvee. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show: 8:00 p.m.Tickets start at $36.
• Speaker: David Brooks of The New York Times hosted by the La Follette School of Public Affairs. 7 p.m. In-person tickets sold out. Virtual option available for free.

Thursday, Oct. 28

• Rooftop happy hour with Loverboy at Camp Trippalindee. 4:40-6:30 p.m. $10.
• “Descended” film screening at Hamel Music center. The film is an abstract ghost story inspired by the life and work of Lafcadio Hearn, an overlooked 19th-century writer and cultural preservationist. 5:30 p.m. Free.
• Storytelling During the Abortion Access Crisis, presented by Planned Parenthood. “At a time when abortion rights across the country are being stripped and Roe is in danger, join us to learn about how to effectively tell your Planned Parenthood story.” 6 p.m.
• Bus Rapid Transit 30% Design - Downtown with Metro Transit. Learn more about the downtown segment of the upcoming bus rapid transit line including station locations. 6 p.m. Virtual. Free.
• Selies at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $10.
• Paul Dietrich at North Street Cabaret. 8 p.m. $10.
• Schlock and Awe at The Rigby. Comedians do commentary over 1985 Italian horror classic “Demons” (which is about demons). 9 p.m. Free show, donations welcome.

Friday, Oct. 29

• Stroller Parade through Henry Vilas Zoo. "Our animals love to see your costumes! Join us and show of your best costumes to our giraffe, rhino, camels and flamingos!" 11 a.m.
• Main Street Trick or Treat in Verona. Shops and local businesses are waiting for you with treats and goodies.  3:30-5 p.m. Free.
• Happy Hour Jazz with Five Points Jazz Collective at Leopold's Books Bar Caffè. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free.
• Adult Trivia Night at Henry Vilas Zoo. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Alcohol-free, 18+ event. $25.
• Emo Halloween at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tributes to My Chemical Romance and others. Tickets start at $10.
• Armchair Boogie at the Majestic. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show. $12 advance, $15 at door.
• “The Little Girl Who Sold the Sun” screening with UW Cinematheque at Vilas Hall. From IMDb: “A girl sells copies of Soleil, the government paper.” 7 p.m. Free.

Saturday, Oct. 30

• Badger Bash: Wisconsin vs. Iowa tailgate at Union South. 8:30-11 a.m. Free.
• Solidarity Saturdays: “Climate Injustice: How are Racism and Climate Change Connected?” at Tenney Park. Organized by 350 Madison, Allies for Black Lives - Madison, and Families for Justice and Groundwork. 11 a.m. Free.
• UW-Madison football vs Iowa at Camp Randall. Kickoff at 11 a.m. Tickets start at $90.
• Badger Halloween Tailgate at the Wisco. Costumes, pumpkin carving contest, outdoor TVs. Starts at 11 a.m.
• Madison-Area Filipino Poets Read live at Room of One’s Own. Featuring Rodlyn-mae Banting, Kabel Mishka Ligot, Hannah Keziah Agustin, and John Paul Martinez. 4 p.m.
• Forward Madison FC vs Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at Breese Stevens Field. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $18.
• Freakin’ Halloweekend at High Noon Saloon. Featuring tributes to Bob Dylan, The Cranberries, The Blues Brothers, David Bowie, and The Strokes. Music by tons of local bands. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $10.
• “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” screening with UW Cinematheque at Vilas Hall. From IMDb: “Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.” 7 p.m. Free.
• The Grasshoppers 2.0 at Harmony Bar & Grill. 8 p.m. $10.
• Samheim celebration at Robinia Courtyard. Music and dance. Starts at 9 p.m.
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Live Shadow Cast at Memorial Union. Doors at 9:15 p.m. Free.

Sunday, Oct. 31

• Monroe Street Dog Costume Parade. Proceeds benefit Dane County Humane Society.  $15 for entry. 1 p.m.
• Howl-o-Ween dog costume contest at Wisconsin Brewing Company in Verona. 1-3 p.m.
• Night of the Dead, a Grateful Dead tribute, at High Noon Saloon. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $10.

💡 Oh no we're post repeaters. I'm sharing this post again because the last day for the GLEAM light installation show at Olbrich Botanical Gardens is Saturday.

Tickets are $11 for Olbrich members, $15 for non-members, $7 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under.

✋ But wait... there's more!

We're not the only ones rounding up interesting events for you. Here are some more guides from other organizations in town:

• Madison Magazine has a list of 23 fall activities and events to "get you in the Halloween spirit this October." They published this a couple of weeks ago, but there's some great suggestions here -- especially if you're up for a bit of a drive.
• The Downtown Madison Family Halloween Guide has details on a bunch of events happening in the downtown area this week.

👋 Goodbye from the Berry Boys (me and Phillip last Halloween). If you take cute Halloween pictures this year, email them to us at contact@madisonminutes.com! Maybe we could put a few in the newsletter?