Are you ready for Halloween? Ghouls and ghostly apparitions abound this time of year and if you need any help getting into the spirit Madison Ghost Tours has you covered.

For the last several years the group has organized tour groups around Capitol Square. From their website: "Discover the haunted history of Madison, Wisconsin with our 90-minute ghost walk around the state’s capitol. You can expect to meet the colorful characters, vengeful spirits, monsters, and stories of the people who love Madison so much that even death can’t stop them from staying in the city!"

The tour will take you from the Great Dane on Doty St., full of stories passed from former employees and management, past the Majestic Theatre where a strange figure has frequented the

Have you ever wanted a glimpse of what goes on in the science labs at the University of Wisconsin? This weekend, the UW is opening its doors to demonstrate what its faculty and students are doing everyday. And the best part? It's free and designed as a kid-friendly, hands-on experience.

The Wisconsin Science Festival kicks off with more than 89 locations offering science activities. At the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, visitors are told to bring their curiosity and enjoy more than 20 hands-on experiments. Schools from all over the region are attending Thursday and Friday. The weekend includes two days of activities open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to build working robots, collect, stain and view their

As stores pull out their fall merchandise, Halloween costumes and decorations, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is offering its own twist on the season. This week, the museum is hosting tours of historic Forest Hill Cemetery, complete with actors portraying the dead buried there. During the week, the tours are limited to school groups, accommodating more than 2,000 students with reserved spots. The rest of us can visit Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon.

Called "Talking Spirits," guests are sure to enjoy the professional actors they meet at selected grave sites. In between these visits, tour guides will point out cemetery art, prominent people buried in the cemetery and share the story of Madison's deep connection to Civil War history. The museum has

Madison is home to all kinds of non-profits and charities. The generous spirit of the city means more than 6,100 nonprofits exist, just within Dane County. From causes helping animals and the environment to victim advocacy and empowerment, there is no shortage of ways to give back. This weekend, we highlight two opportunities for giving, right in town.

Dogtoberfest

In true Wisconsin fashion, raising money for the Dane County Humane Society includes a beer at a local brewery. Bring your dog to Capital Brewery on Sunday afternoon. Dogtoberfest attracts about 500 guests and their four legged companions. Event organizers ask that animals be friendly and remain leashed throughout the event. Admission is a $10 donation at the door, and Capital Brewery's

Who is ready for some good eating? The Labor Day weekend brings a welcome break to many and, in Madison, that also means a break from cooking. Just grab your favorite foodies and head downtown to the 34th annual "Taste of Madison."  The event circles the Capitol Square, and includes more than 80 restaurants, 200 menu items, and 3 concert venues. And, since the Badgers play on Saturday, WKOW-TV and TDS are hosting "Wisconsin's Largest Tailgate Party" on West Washington Avenue beginning at 2:30. The game will be broadcast on a giant screen. Admission to the Taste of Madison, and all the associated entertainment venues is free of charge.

I see a few great things about Taste of Madison:

It's affordable:  Every item is priced between $1 and $4, so it's

One of the great things about Madison is the variety of parks, walking paths and bike trails located throughout the city. Even better, the city continues to create new outdoor environments for residents to enjoy. One example is the new walking path that runs along the southern edge of Owen Conservation Park, connecting the Faircrest and Crestwood neighborhoods. This is a relatively unknown path that offers a scenic route through the west side of the city. 

Photos from my West Side Walking Tour

The dog and I recently entered the path along Inner Drive in the Faircrest neighborhood. This setting feels much more like a state park, with native plantings and stands of old oaks surrounding the path on both sides. 

The path narrows and becomes more

This weekend, more than 200,000 people with head downtown, and enjoy browsing and buying fine art. The 58th annual Art Fair on the Square is run by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMOCA), and is a successful fundraiser for the museum. The Art Fair is well-respected and has earned a national following. More than 1,400 artists compete for the coveted 458 available spots on the Capitol Square. Artists are selected by a jury process, and categories are broad (The online resource guide includes ceramics, digital art, fibers/leather, furniture, glass, jewelry, medal works, mixed media 2-D, painting, photography, sculpture and 3-D mixed media, wood, and print-making, graphics, and drawing).  The vendors will be on all sides of the Capitol Square, and the

If there is one thing that’s always appealed to me about the summer, it's fireworks. Maybe it started as a little kid with an affinity for loud noises, bright lights, and surprises. Or growing up in the metro Detroit area where we take the yearly firework celebration, launched from barges in the Detroit River, pretty seriously. I’d like to think that my tastes have matured as I’ve aged but truly, with Shake the Lake this Saturday and the prospect of watching colorful explosions reflect off of beautiful Lake Monona, I’m feeling just as novel as I was the first time I headed to the roof of a parking structure in downtown Detroit.

Madison’s summers were something that were talked up to me since I began considering my move here. So far, although not

You've lost your passport, and don't remember the previous night. Or, you suspect your boss is a spy, and you only have an hour to find their hidden files before they return. A mad scientist needs to be stopped- but you need to steal the evidence first. Each of these scenarios are possible to live out in Madison- as part of an escape room experience.  At least four escape-themed businesses have opened in Madison. All are offering a one-hour challenge, where participants attempt to use clues, unlock codes, and escape the room before the time runs out. A typical room hosts 6-8 people comfortably, and participants are watched, via camera, by staff. If participants get stuck on a clue, they can ask for help, and the employee can send a clue, through a closed

This weekend, fire up your grill, enjoy brats and live music at the World's Largest Brat Fest, and then on Monday, take some time to visit downtown Monona. The city is hosting it's 61st annual Memorial Day Parade, the largest parade in Wisconsin. The event begins at 10 a.m. at the 4400 block of Monona Drive.

The parade is an annual tradition, and includes floats, bands, and entertainment, along with the opportunity to honor our military, both past and present. "It's important to honor veterans for many reasons," says parade organizer, Kelly Slack. "Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedom. It is also important to recognize those individuals who have made the choice to serve our country and protect what America stands