Be safe, healthy, and kind this Halloween

Illuminated carved pumpkin with a W mouth

Students carve pumpkins during a pre-Halloween event held outside Union South.

Halloween is a holiday well celebrated on UW–Madison’s campus. It will be a busy weekend: Students may choose to take part in Halloween festivities across campus (and possibly attend Freakfest), or spend the time enjoying fall colors and activities. Although your Halloween celebration will likely be unique in many ways, one thing that should remain constant is keeping yourself and other Badgers safe during what can be a chaotic time, and being a responsible and respectful community member. Student Affairs, along with campus partners, offer key tips for students to keep Halloween and fall, the safe, fun holiday season it should be. This weekend, keep the following in mind: — Be Safe: With hordes of costumed people crowding the streets, it’s important to keep safety in mind. Refer to the University Health Services (UHS) guide to being an active bystander, and remember that the tools are always relevant, not just on October 31. Read more about being a Badger Bystanders, which includes information about following the 3Ds ­– direct, delegate, and distract. Learn more tips from UHS. — Celebrate Halloweek with Wisconsin Union-sponsored activities. The Wisconsin Union is offering plenty of events to celebrate Halloween all week long. See below for an extensive list. — Look for additional alternative activities. There is a lot of non-Halloween events happening around campus. See below for an extensive list. — Be Aware: Go out with friends. Stay in a group and return home with that group. If a friend can’t walk home, don’t leave them alone. Call 911 if you are uncertain of their condition. Walk in well-lit areas. Check in with each other throughout the night. Remember your friends at SAFEwalk, a service that provides walking escorts throughout the campus. Students work in two-person escort teams to respond to requests for walks, watch for suspicious situations around campus, and answer transportation/safety-related questions. Their service is available each day from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. To request a SAFEwalk, call or text (608) 262-5000. — Be Smart. If you accept a beverage from someone, make sure that you know the person, that you’ve observed the drink’s preparation, and that you never leave it unattended. Exercise caution in any public setting with any beverage. — Cultures are not Costumes: You’re free to dress as you choose, but racist, crude, and culturally insensitive costumes say a lot about the person wearing that costume. It’s important to create a safe and welcoming community, and your choices impact others. Get more insight: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cultural-appropriation-halloween-costume-video — Live Free: Live Free is UW Madison’s student organization that promotes well-being and community integration for students in or seeking recovery from substance abuse disorders and addictive behaviors. Information about their meetings and events can be found here. — Housing Tips: Keep in mind that non-residents will not be allowed in University Housing residence halls. Residents will be asked to show their Wiscard when entering residence hall buildings and while in other public areas of University Housing throughout the weekend. — Join University Recreation and Wellbeing: Facilities will be open late on October 31 if you plan to choose not to participate in activities. More information about facilities and hours can be found here. Play hard, get fit, and live well.
  • Natatorium: closes at midnight
  • Shell: closes at midnight
  • Ogg Fitness Center: closes at 10 p.m.
  • Nielsen Tennis Stadium: closes at 10:30 p.m.
— Additional Tips: Get tips from University Police Depart  (UWPD) on how to stay safe and informed this weekend here. As always – have fun, be safe, and take care of each other. It’s what we do.
List of alternative Halloween activities: Campus Events (Bolded), Madison/Dane County Events (Italicized) (All campus events can be found at today.wisc.edu.)
  • Wednesdays, Oct. 23-Oct. 30, Write your Selfie Obituary, 7 p.m., Memorial Union: Explore the expanding array of styles for contemporary obituaries. You will use in-class exercises and memory recall to draft an obituary for yourself before taking time to honor our lives and enjoy the process of recalling them.
  • October 23, 2019: Pumpkin Carving, 5 p.m., Union South: Carve a pumpkin for free with other community members at Union South.
  • 24, 2019: Free Showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with Live Shadow Cast, 10 p.m., Memorial Union: Join the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee, the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee, and live shadow cast Velvet Darkness for a one-night only special presentation of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) at Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall.
  • October 24, 2019: Demo Kitchen: Chef Sean Fogarty, 4:30 p.m., Union South: Attend a free event featuring Sean Fogarty, the executive chef of Steenbock’s on Orchard during which Sean will share his techniques of improvisational cooking – the art of cooking with random ingredients and no recipes!
  • October 24, 2019: Campus Farmers Market, 10 a.m., Union South: Check out products from area vendors outside of Union South at the corner of North Orchard Street and West Johnson Street. Vendors include Bloom Bake Shop, Chrysalis Pops, Munchkey Apples, Parrfection Produce, Porchlight Products and Savory Accents.
  • October 25-27, 2019: Hamel Music Center Opening Weekend Celebration
  • October 25-27, 2019: Wizard World Madison, Alliant Energy Center
  • October 25, 2019: Ultimate Duets: Arturo Sandoval with vocalist Jane Monheit, 8 p.m., Shannon Hall: Enjoy a performance by trumpeter, pianist and composer extraordinaire Arturo Sandoval and jazz vocalist Jane Monheit.
  • October 25, 2019: Five Painters Art Show, All Day, 4th Floor Sterling Hall
  • October 25, 2019: Telling 100 Stories: Italian History and Culture in Special Collections, 9 a.m. -5 p.m., 976 Memorial Library
  • October 25-26, 2019: Intersections: Indigenous Textiles of the Americas, 10 a.m. -4 p.m., Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery in Nancy Nicholas Hall
  • October 25, 2019: CCE Annual Winter Clothes Shopping Trip to The Outlets at the Dells, 4-9 p.m., Sign up by October 18
  • October 25, 2019: Leadership Improv! 12-1:15 p.m., TITU Union South
  • October 25, 2019: Chef’s Table Series: Sushi 101, 6-7 p.m., Four Lakes Market @ Dejope Hall
  • October 25, 2019: Ultimate Duets: Arturo Sandoval w. Vocalist Jane Monheit, 8PM Shannon Hall
  • October 25, 2019: Schuster’s Farm: Haunted Forest & Bonfire, Bus departs at 6:15 p.m. and expected to return at 10:30 p.m., RSVP here
  • October 25, 2019: Black Violin – Impossible Tour, 8 p.m., Overture Center for the Arts
  • October 25, 2019: GLEAM, Art in a New Light 2019, 6:30 p.m., Olbrich Botanical Gardens
  • October 25, 2019: T-Shirt Decorating with Girl Wonderful, 7 p.m., Revel (Downtown Madison)
  • October 25, 2019: Fall Fest, 5:30 p.m., Aldo Leopold Nature Center (Monona, WI)
  • October 25, 2019: Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, 7 p.m., Children’s Theater of Madison
  • 25, 2019: Free Art Friday, 5 p.m., Wheelhouse Studios at Memorial Union: Join Wheelhouse Studios for free art-making.
  • October 26, 2019: Public Tour of Heartland Farm Sanctuary, 1 p.m., (Verona, WI)
  • October 26, 2019: Halloween at The Farm, 5 p.m., Schumacher Farm Park (Waunakee, WI)
  • October 26, 2019: Theme Skate Night: Spooky Songs, 7-8:30 p.m., Camp Randall Sports Center
  • October 27, 2019: Collins Fellows Concert, 1 p.m., Mead Witter School of Music
  • October 27, 2019: BOO! At the Zoo, 9:30 a.m., Henry Vilas Zoo
  • Tuesdays, October 29, 2019 – November 19, 2019: Samba Fitness, 6 p.m., Memorial Union: Learn Brazilian Samba, and get a high-energy dynamic cardio workout with live Brazilian percussion accompaniment.
  • 30, 2019: Open Mic Night, 7:45 p.m., der Rathskeller, Memorial Union: Showcase your talent on the der Rath stage, or come by to enjoy a night of free, live music. This event is brought to you by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee.
  • October 31, 2019: Screen Printing Workshop, 6:30-9:30 p.m. ,Wheelhouse Studio G at Memorial Union
  • October 31, 2019: UW Cinematheque “Shoes – Manohla Dargis in Person!” 7 p.m. , 4070 Vilas Hall
  • October 31, 2019: Flight, Peggy Choy Dance Concert, 8 p.m. ,Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space Lathrop Hall
  • October 31, 2019: Gamehole Con, Alliant Energy Center
  • October 31, 2019: CC on The Move: Sett Takeover. 9 p.m.-12 a.m., Union South, The Sett
  • November 1, 2019: Pilobolus: Shadowland, The New Adventure, 8 p.m., Shannon Hall: Enjoy a performance of Pilobolus’s “Shadowland, The New Adventure,” which uses mixed media to tell a love story about two people and their quixotic quest to save an imaginary bird.