Madison Central BID: Downtown Madison Family Halloween set for Friday, October 26

Madison, Wis. — Enjoy spooky, zany family fun at the Downtown Madison Family Halloween, State Street and the Capitol Square, Friday, October 26, 2012, from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. Activities for families and kids 12 and under include Halloween magic shows, musical performances, spooky stories and jokes, hayrides around the Capitol Square, craft projects (making bats, ghosts, masks and even a giant fish!), festive Halloween family portraits, trick or treating at participating businesses, and more. Stay into the evening for “Beakers and Broomsticks” at the Madison Children’s Museum. Information is at visitdowntownmadison.com/FamilyHalloween or at (608) 512-1342.

A list and map of activities and trick or treat locations will be available for download from visitdowntownmadison.com/FamilyHalloween. On the day of the event, copies can be picked up at the activity locations below plus at the Downtown Visitor Center (452 State St.).

Activities and locations to include:

1) Capitol Kids

8 S. Carroll St – On The Capitol Square (608) 280-0744

The famous bat Stella Luna will greet you outside of Capitol Kids where you can make your own bat craft to take home. Work on your bat project while waiting for hayrides, or just come on by as you Trick or Treat. 2:00 -5:00 pm (Free). Rain location inside Capitol Kids.

MadCAP Company M Fundraiser hosted by Capitol Kids

Hot Cider & Cool Water. MadCAP Company M will be selling hot apple cider and cold water at a table outside of Capitol Kids as a fundraiser to help fund a concert and workshop tour in February 2013. MadCAP strives to make sure that all interested students can participate in activities, and fundraisers like this help make it happen. Join our colorful crew of costumed characters for a refreshing beverage and zany Halloween fun! 2:00 – 5:00 pm ($1/drink)

2) Halloween photos at IsthmusParents.com

101 King St. (608) 251-5627

IsthmusParents.com will take pictures of kids in costume in front of a Halloween scene, and post them online. 2:00 – 5:00 pm. (Free) Rain location inside building foyer.

3) Madison Children’s Museum

100 N. Hamilton St. (608) 256-6445

-Fishing for Treats. 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Free).

Help complete a giant fish sculpture in the stage area outside of the Museum, and visit our fishing pond to fish for your treats

-MadCAP performing “Go Fish!” hosted by Madison Children’s Museum

On the terrace outside the museum

Under the sea adventures for friends of all shapes and sizes! Please join me in welcoming a crew of fishy friends performing a MadCAP favorite, the musical “Go Fish!”. Decorate your own fishy mask to sport as an audience member, and bop along with up-tempo songs, fishy-fin jokes, and a slightly scary shark crew! 3:30 pm (Free).

-Stay into the evening for Beakers & Broomsticks (ticketed event) at Madison Children’s Museum, 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Spooky science, zany Halloween antics, and more for ages 0-12. Purchase tickets and find additional event information at http://www.MadisonChildrensMuseum.org or (608) 256-6445.

In the event of rain, “Fishing for Treats” will move indoors to the Community Concourse (free admission), and the MadCAP “Go Fish” performance will take place in the Art Studio on the second floor of the museum (regular MCM admission fee required to enter).

4) Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA)

227 State St. (608) 257-0158

Pick up a MMoCAkids ArtPack activity to explore extraordinary watercolor paintings of fantastic masked creatures. Use the template provided to make your own mask at home. And don’t forget to take an ‘I love art’ tattoo! 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Admission to MMoCA is free.)

5) Madison Parks Hayrides

Pickup Location: 8 S. Carroll St., near Capitol Kids

Hay rides around the Capitol Square, pulled by tractor, leaving approx. every 20 minutes. Call (608) 266-4711 or see http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/hayrides.html for more information. 2:00 – 5:00 pm. ($2.00/person, no reservations required.)

6) Overture Center for the Arts

201 State St. (608) 258-4141

-Halloween Magic Shows with Tim Glander Magic in Overture’s Rotunda Stage. Kids of all ages will enjoy mystery, comedy, storytelling, and just good fun. Shows at 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 pm. (Free)

-Ghastly Giggles and Ghost-making: Join Madison Public Library staff in the Overture Center Rotunda Lobby (201 State St.) as they share spooky jokes and make ghosts to haunt your home, perfect for children ages 0-12. 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Free)

7) Wisconsin Historical Museum

30 N. Carroll St. (608) 264-6555 (Admission by donation)

Halloween Fun. Enjoy a Museum Scavenger hunt, colorful character appearances and Paul Bunyan-inspired crafts. 10:00 am–3:00 pm.

Stories of Wisconsin, Join Storyteller Joni Hahn for interactive musical folk stories. Participate with props, percussion instruments and a guitar sing-along. 2:00 – 3:00 pm

8) Downtown Trick or Treat. Families and children ages 12 and under can trick or treat at participating businesses on State Street and the Capitol Square from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. (Free)

These Halloween family fun events are presented by Madison’s Central Business Improvement District (BID), with support from the Greater State Street Business Association, IsthmusParents.com, and The University Book Store.

Programming partners include Capitol Kids, MadCAP, Madison Children’s Museum, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison Parks, Madison’s Central Library, Overture Center for the Arts and the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Downtown Madison Family Halloween activities: Mary Carbine, Madison Central BID, (608) 512-1340, mcarbine@visitdowntownmadison.com

Madison Parks Hayrides: Laura Whitmore, Madison Parks, (608) 266-5949, LWhitmore@cityofmadison.com

Madison Children’s Museum Beakers & Broomsticks: Kia Karlen, Madison Children’s Museum, (608) 354-0541, kkarlen@madisonchildrensmuseum.org