Halloween Trivia

Halloween conjures up images of small people dressed as ghosts and goblins traveling from house to house in search of candy.

The tradition of trick-or-treating was actually brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants escaping the Great Potato Famine. On Halloween, Irish peasants begged the wealthy for food and played tricks on those who refused them. To avoid being tricked, the wealthy handed out treats - a practice that is now our present day trick-or-treating.

The Irish can also be credited with Jack-o-lanterns. An old Irish tale tells of a man named Stingy Jack. He was unable to enter heaven due to his stingy ways and wandered the world looking for a resting place. On his journey, Jack used a piece of burning coal in a hallowed out turnip - our modern day jack-o-lantern. The turnip carving turned into pumpkin carving when the Irish tradition reached America.

Who knew the Irish played such a significant role in our current day traditions. Today, Halloween has become a tradition enjoyed by young and old, no matter your nationality. Happy Halloween!

Youth Hockey Fundraiser

Did you ever wonder just how spirits are distilled?  Beyond the grain and vats, what's the secret to distilling fine spirits?  Here's your chance to take a peek beyond the bottle! The West Madison Polar Caps are holding a fundraiser at Death's Door Distillery in Middleton beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday October 18th.  The distillery is headed by a Polar Cap hockey dad, who will be hosting the event.  Attendees can tour the State's largest craft distillery, learn how their award winning spirits are made, enjoy fresh local cocktails and great food and help the Polar Caps at the same time. This fun night out will take place on Thursday, October 18th. Tours and tastings start at 6:30pm. Tickets are just $15, and get you one cocktail and food, plus a distillery tour. Additional cocktails can be purchased for $5 and non-alcoholic options are offered at no cost. Roman Candle will also be providing a variety of food for the night.  Tickets will be available at the door or by clicking the link below (tickets available to print). Not a hockey family, no problem...we are a friendly bunch!  It should be a fun night!  Join us! Click to Purchase Tickets

Number 1 Titles

You and I both know Madison is a great place to live!  Well, it seems others agree!  We've all heard that Madison is ranked number 1 for "this" and number 1 for "that", so I did a little search to find out just how many number 1's Madison has accumlated.  Hang on, the list is long (but I may have missed some)!


Madison Ranked #1 City to Raise a Family
24/7 Wall St. Wire, January 2012

Madison Ranked #2 in Overall Health
Men’s Health Magazine, 2012

Madison Ranked 3rd Best-Run City
24/7 Wall St. Wire, January 2012

Madison Ranked #5 Most Bikeable City
Walkscore.com, May 2012

Madison in Top 12 for Water Conservation
Wyland Foundation, May 2012

Madison Ranked as One of Top Retirement Cities in the Midwest
Where to Retire Magazine, 2012

Madison Ranked 8th Best Music Scene
Livability.com, March 2012

Madison Ranked 3rd Healthiest City for Women
Huffington Post, January 2012

Madison Ranked #7 Best Place to Find a Date
TheDailyBeast.com, 2012

Madison in Top 12 Places to Work and Live as a Young Entrepreneur
Under30CEO.com, 2012

Madison Ranked #15 Greenest City in America TheDailyBeast.com, April 2012

Madison Ranked #2 Best City for Men to Live
Men’s Health Magazine, December 2011

Madison Children’s Museum Ranked 5th Best Children’s Museum in the Nation
Parent’s Magazine, February 2011
Madison Ranked Best City for an Active Retirement
Forbes Magazine, February 2011 


Madison in Top Ten for Greatest Cycling Cities
USA Today, 2011
Madison has 6th Most Dog Parks


It's no wonder Madison is such a great place.  The biggest problem is that the secrets out.  But then, you and I have known all along!

Gates & Brovi Opening

The sign is up, the tables are dressed and the long anticipated opening of the new restaurant Gates & Brovi is only a few short days away. 

The new restaurant, located at 3502 Monroe St. at the new Parman Place complex at the corner of Glenway St. and Monroe St. is slated to open on Tuesday October 9, according to Phillip Hurley, a co-owner of the restaurant along with John Gadau.  The two are also owners of the popular Sardine and Marigold restaurants.

The new restaurant is expected to be a family friendly, neighborhood establishment.  Gates & Brovi will be open for lunch and dinner.  Hours of service are Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-midnight.  It will be closed on Mondays.

Check it out!  I plan to!

World Dairy Expo

In the middle of Madison, a small "country" city all it's own has grown and will live at the Alliant Energy Center for the next few days.  Of course, I'm talking about World Dairy Expo (WDE).

This premiere dairy industry trade show has a long and rich history in Madison.  The first WDE was held in 1967 at the new coliseum, a state-of the-art exposition center at the time it was built.  Today, WDE has grown and prospered to include more than 810 companies from 28 countries, 43 U.S. states and 6 Canadian provinces. The Dairy Cattle Show continues to attract elite show cattle fans from around the globe. A record 2,587 head of dairy cattle were exhibited by 1,130 exhibitors. They converged to the show site from 37 states and seven Canadian Provinces to vie for the coveted Grand Champion and Supreme Champion titles.

It may seem odd that Madison would be the host of such an agricultural-based event, but considering Wisconsin is the dairy state and Madison is it's capital, it makes perfect sense.  And in a time when the population is becoming more and more removed from the farm, it's a wonderful tradition to have such a prestigious event grace our city.

I hope to get the World Dairy Expo in the coming days.  I have found it's a wonderful experience and great exposure to an industry with roots that run deep in all of us, no matter how far removed we may be from the farm!