The leaves are on the ground and November is here! So what does our city have going on this month? From markets and celebrations, to fun runs and donations, the City Cast Madison team has your back with our recommendations.If you’re new around here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Madison community. Mentioned on the show:Great Midwest Crane FestFall 2024 Midwest Vintage FleaNative Art Market 2024Madison Roller Derby 20 year anniversaryMadison Roller Derby 20th [City Cast Madison]Dexter’s 17th anniversary partyGoodman Community Center Thanksgiving Basket DriveWayForward ResourcesMadison Turkey TrotBirdie DerbyMurder GirlIt’s a Wonderful Life musical& JulietNapoleon Dynamite liveWanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 31st episode here: BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come election day the city has a big ask — a $22 million ask to be exact. Madison is facing a budget deficit and to plug the holes, the city is turning to voters in hopes of passing a property tax referendum. But not everyone is on board with the idea. So how did we get here and what will the money be used for if the referendum passes? Host Bianca Martin sat down with Isthmus reporter Liam Beran to find out. You can listen to City Cast Madison’s past conversations with Madison Common Council President Yannette Figueroa Cole and Madison’s Finance Director Dave Schmiedicke about the budget for more insight on the city’s budget woes.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 30th episode here: BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCASTLooking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Tis the season for spooky, scary, campy, and vampy. If you’re looking for a fright with a side of delight, gather your ghouls and head to the Dudgeon Monroe neighborhood where a group of residents have dreamed up and built a haunted yard extravaganza. Last year’s event drew more than 500 people and this year’s Chappell Roan-themed haunting is sure scary good. To get the scoop on this year’s frights, host Bianca Martin caught up with organizers Jinger Schroeder and Emily Balsley.Looking for more scary fun? Check out the Spooky Spaces of Madison Instagram account.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 29th episode here:BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCAST Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madison has its fair share of poltergeists, lingering spirits, and maybe even a few lake monsters. You just need to know where to look. We’re revisiting a conversation Bianca Martin had last year with Lisa Van Buskirk and Mike Huberty from Madison Ghost Walks about the city’s scary side. Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Learn more about the sponsor of this October 28th episode here: BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCASTLooking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The City Cast Madison team is here to round up the news of the week. Host Bianca Martin and newsletter editor Rob Thomas recap this Tuesday’s massive start to in-person absentee voting and the Democratic Party’s big “Get Out the Vote” rally, as well as a groundbreaking UW-Madison study on Alzheimer’s and dementia onset. Later in the episode, Rob Chappell, executive editor at Madison 365 and co-host of Forward Madison FC podcast Talkin' Flock, joins us team to talk about the soccer team’s historic playoff run.Mentioned on the show:U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin Makes Her Case to Wisconsin Voters [City Cast Madison]In-Person Absentee Voting Hours and Locations [City of Madison]Wisconsin Sees High Turnout in First Day of Absentee Voting [ 🔒 WSJ] Obama, Walz Rally Early Wisconsin Voters in Madison [WPR]Obama, Walz Hold Madison Rally on First Day of Early Voting in Wisconsin [Badger Herald]Common Election Misconceptions [City of Madison]UW-Madison Leads Nationwide Study Into Causes of Alzheimer’s, Dementia in Different Communities [Channel 3000]Talkin’ Flock PodcastTalkin’ Flock Substack NewsletterStreet Closures-UW Homecoming Parade [City of Madison]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Thursday, which means we’re talking food and drink. Cozy season is upon us, and for many of us, fall means getting into the kitchen and baking some of our favorite recipes. Cap Times food and culture editor Lindsay Christians talks with Bianca Martin about some of her favorite things to make, including apple cake and banana bread, and some tips and tricks for both experienced and newbie bakers. Plus, if you don’t want to bake yourself, we offer recommendations for top spots to buy seasonal baked goods.Join us every Thursday as we explore Madison's food culture, from the brewers and bakers to the chefs and cheesemakers.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret that Americans are becoming less religious. Rev. Mark Elsdon, temporary co-director and outgoing executive director of the Pres House Presbyterian campus ministry, predicts that the Madison area could lose a third of all churches in the area. Many congregations are shrinking and re-evaluating whether they need their large buildings anymore. Madison’s pressed for housing, and more churches are considering selling or moving to make way. Rev. Elsdon says this could mean a real loss of “third spaces” in Madison — free gathering places you can go outside of home and work. We’re revisiting our conversation from earlier this year with him to talk about what this coming wave means for our city.Rev. Elsdon’s book is Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tammy Baldwin has represented Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate race since 2013. In her quest for a third term, she is locked in a close (and expensive) race with Republican businessman Eric Hovde. A Madison native, Baldwin talks with Bianca Martin about why she’s running for re-election, the key issues that distinguish her from her opponent, and why representing the state is “the honor of my life.”Mentioned on the show:MyVote WisconsinMadison In-Person Absentee Voting Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. 🎉 Become a City Cast Madison Member today!Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 21st episode here: Libro.fm - use code MADISON to get 3 audiobooks for the price of one with your first month of membership  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Madison Metropolitan School District has a big ask of voters come November. A $607 million dollar ask to be more precise. But what exactly will all that money be used for and does the district truly need it? Executive producer Hayley Sperling caught up with Cap Times K-12 education reporter Kayla Huynh to get the scoop on two MMSD referendum questions voters will sound off on this November.Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! You can get more Madison news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. 🎉 Become a City Cast Madison Member today!Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve reached the end of the week, which means it’s time for a good old fashioned Friday news roundup! This week, City Cast Madison’s Bianca Martin, Hayley Sperling, and Rob Thomas are talking about the election. Former President Barack Obama and current VP nominee Tim Walz will be in town Oct. 22, which also happens to be the first day of in-person absentee voting in Madison. The team also digs further into what’s on the ballot, dives into the city’s budgetary questions, and get ready to say goodbye to the iconic Memorial Union Terrace chairs. Mentioned on the show:In-Person Absentee Voting Hours and Locations [City of Madison]Your Ballot Breakdown: State & Fed Legislative Races, Plus a Constitutional Amendment! [🎧 City Cast Madison]Melissa Agard’s Pitch for Dane County Executive [🎧 City Cast Madison]Dana Pellebon’s Pitch for Dane County Executive [🎧 City Cast Madison]Madison mayor's proposed budget cut shocks police oversight monitor [Cap Times]Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 608-318-3367 or email madison@citycast.fm. We’re also on Instagram! Want more Madison news delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to the Madison Minutes morning newsletter. 🎉 Become a City Cast Madison Member today!Looking to advertise on City Cast Madison? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 18th episode here:Wisconsin Science FestivalLibro.fm - use code MADISON to get 3 audiobooks for the price of one with your first month of membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices