Did you vote yet?

The scariest thing this week may not be Halloween-related; it's Isthmus Picks for Oct. 29-Nov. 5

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The print version of Isthmus remains on hiatus as we reconfigure ourselves as a nonprofit news organization. We hope it's handy for you to find the Picks in a single weekly post. Of course, the individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

Tandem Press Virtual Tour, Thursday, Oct. 29, 11 am: Having toured the Tandem Press headquarters on Commercial Avenue IRL, we can vouch for the fact that it's a worthy nook to explore. This virtual studio visit includes chats with artist Jeffrey Gibson (pictured, right, with master printer Patrick Smyczek), director Paula Panczenko, and others associated with this printmaking powerhouse. The tour of the gallery will include a discussion of works in the IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair. Free but registration is required to receive the Zoom link.

Breese Screamins Field, Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 29-31, Breese Stevens Field, 6:30-10 pm: Usually October is a time for frights not related to current events. Big Top Baseball President Vern Stenman reports that "there are definitely spirits of Madison’s past at Breese," and Big Top is showing off the historic landmark's ghosts with a socially distanced haunted house-style event on weekends through Halloween. Ticket sales are online only for time slots each half hour, and all participants must wear a mask. For those worried about both frights and COVID-19, know that the haunters and the haunted will be on opposite sides of a glass enclosure.

Wisconsin People & Ideas contest reading, Thursday, Oct. 29, 5 pm: We don't say this to be negative at all, but a fiction and poetry reading is the kind of event that translates very well to a Crowdcast-type environment, as opposed to, say, a virtual tour through an art gallery, or a nature hike. You're getting all the words, and the author's personality comes through pretty well unscathed! Tune in, log on and bliss out with this reading from winners of this year's statewide Wisconsin People & Ideas fiction and poetry contests. Readings include Jacquelyn Thomas of Dodgeville reading her first-place story, "Junk Shed"; Jennifer Morales of Viroqua reading her second-place story, "Wiseacres"; and poetry readings from first-, second- and third-place winners Susan Martell Huebner (pictured) of Mukwonago, Kathryn Gahl of Appleton, and Dominic W. Holt of Monona. It's a great time to listen to the voices of our neighbors near and far. Join the event here.

Politics and Policy, Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 pm: With just days to go before the election, the La Follette School of Public Affairs is presenting an hour long livestreamed event with New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who will talk about what it's like to cover President Trump. Haberman, previously with Politico and The New York Post, joined the Times in 2015, where she was among a team of reporters who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its reporting on Trump's advisors and their connections to Russia. Registration for the event is required: RSVP here.

Under the Ghost Light, Thursday, Oct. 29, 8 pm: Theaters are always haunted, it seems, and Overture is no exception. This interactive virtual event is more than just spooky stories. You will experience apparitions, cold spots, unexplained creaks, energy, movements and otherworldly Overture lore — like the story of booking agent Timothy Hergor, who died in the Capitol Theater in the 1920s. Is he the one turning on the ghost light? Tickets are $10 per household, and all sales benefit Overture Center as it continues through an extended intermission due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommended for those 16 and older.

Food Truck Fridays, Friday, Oct. 30, Alliant Energy Center-Willow Island, 4-8 pm: Food Truck Fridays at the Alliant Energy Center were a bright spot in an otherwise tough year for food carts. These gatherings on Willow Island capitalized on what makes the carts good for pandemic dining: they're used to doing carryout and they are all outdoors. Nine food carts will be in residence for the final event: Jolly Frog, Just Veggiez, Pancho's Tacos, Toast, LT's Aloha Wagon, Taiwan Little Eats, Banzo, JD's and Happy Kitchen. Parking is free. Bring your own chairs and blankets if you want to eat there.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet, Friday, Oct. 30, 6 pm: In a special concert filmed in September, an ensemble drawn from the Jazz at Lincoln Center big band premieres "The Democracy Suite," a new work by trumpeter and orchestra director Wynton Marsalis (pictured). “In this moment a lot of us feel overwhelmed and demoralized by what we see going on in the world,” Marsalis says in a video introduction to the work. "It’s just wearying, but now is not the time to get tired." Read more about the concert in our preview by Michael Muckian; ticket sales benefit Overture Center for the Arts.

Dress-Up Your Fear, Friday-Saturday, Oct. 30-31, Communication, 6-10 pm: Communication is offering appointments for viewing "Into the Deep: Exploring Fear," an exhibit of paintings and woodcuts by Smere Tactics (aka Sara Meredith), with social distancing in mind. Appointments for 4-6 people (within the same family group or bubble) are available, with a $5 suggested donation that goes to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. There will be special lighting to show the glow in the dark features of the work, and the exhibit also features outdoor projections of experimental video by Heidi E. Johnson. Attendees are also invited to wear a costume or "dress up your mask." Visit here to make an appointment.

Disq + Alexander Kain, Friday, Oct. 30, 7 pm: The Wisconsin Union Directorate's first Rise Up Week (an events series focusing on activism, social justice and election issues) concludes with a "Rock the Vote" livestream concert. Performing will be breakout Madison rockers Disq (pictured), whose album Collector garnered a lot of buzz despite their release tour being postponed by the pandemic; and hip-hop artist Alexander Kain, a UW-Madison student who also took the stage at Freakfest in 2019. Following the music will be info on voting in the Nov. 3 election.

Farmers' Markets, various dates and locations: Frost has come, even snow. Many area farmers' markets are shutting down for the season, but there are still options for buying fresh local produce and other goods, and supporting our local farmers. The Dane County Farmers’ Market will continue outdoors through Saturday, Nov. 21, with both its Wednesday and Saturday "local food pick-ups" and the Saturday walk-up market on Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center. The Eastside market on Tuesdays runs for another few weeks, Nov. 3-17, at the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center parking lot, with a limited selection of vendors from 4-7 pm. The Westside Community Market on Saturday mornings will run through Nov. 7 at 750 University Row. The Hilldale market has one more go-round, from 8 am to 1 pm on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Sun Prairie market is planning on going all winter in a new location, Saturdays from 9 am-noon, Nov. 7-April 24, at Buck & Honey’s-Sun Prairie.

Green Thumb Gardening, Mondays, Nov. 2-16 & 30, 6 pm: Dane County UW Extension often offers classes in the fall and winter to keep area gardeners prepared for when green and growing things can once again flourish outdoors. As with most everything else currently, the next couple series (at least) will take place virtually, with a first round of classes this month including discussions of composting, colorful woody plants, ornamental grasses and spring bulbs. Register here for the series or individual classes.

Fall Election, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 am-8 pm: So, here we are, four years on...and, for many, the intervening time has felt like 400 years. If you haven't already done your part in 2020 by using any of the options to cast your vote ahead of Election Day, grab a mask and head to the polls Tuesday between 7 am and 8 pm. See your local clerk's web page to find the most up-to-date information on polling places and requirements; other good references for information are myvote.wi.gov (where you can check if your absentee ballot has been received) and the League of Women Voters of Dane County website (including its Candidates' Answers questionnaire for local races). If you received an absentee ballot in the mail and did not return it, it can still be turned in at your polling place on Election Day (or at any in-person absentee voting location, through Nov. 1). Need a way to get to the polls? Get a free ride from Union Cab (call 608-242-2000) or ride a BCycle (promo code 110320 for a free pass). If you've voted, settle in, remain calm, and don't panic if the results aren't known for a couple days.

#iVoted, Tuesday, Nov. 3, various times: Watching the election results after the polls close may be a tradition for many, but knowing the final result the night of seems unlikely. Avoid the question entirely by finding some livestream concerts to watch via ivotedconcerts.com, which is offering performances by literally hundreds of bands on election night. Wisconsin favorites on the list include Dead Horses (pictured), GGOOLLDD, Disq, Lords of the Trident, Jeffrey Foucault, Peter Mulvey, and several more, along with a wide range of up-and-comers and legends from around the country. Note: See the website for registration options, most of which involve selfies.

Visiting Artist Colloquium, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 5 pm: The UW Art Department is inviting everyone to its virtual "Visiting Artist" colloquia, and tonight's speaker, Shannon Stratton, should be an interesting one. Stratton combines the role of artist and curator, and works in many genres, rethinking "institutional orthodoxy." Stratton is interested in collaborative works that address such topics as climate change, labor rights and economic justice, as well as the power of grassroots activism. Join the lecture here.

Ibram X. Kendi, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6:30 pm: This online talk by Ibram X. Kendi is part of Madison College's powerful series on confronting systemic racism in our society. And few people are better qualified to speak to the issue than the author of the bestselling book How to be an Antiracist. Kendi is a masterful storyteller, deep thinker, and tremendous force for dismantling the ideas and systems that hold the U.S. in the grip of white supremacy. He is a professor in the humanities at Boston University and founding director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. We can't imagine a better place to be the day after the presidential election.

Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, 6:30 pm: Sure, a discussion about food is always better if you are at the lecture in person (samples, people, samples!) but CHEW is taking the high road and has moved its monthly presentations about Wisconsin food to Zoom. This month's talk is "Wisconsin Grapes: A tasting flight of history, present trends, and culinary opportunities," presented by Nick Smith, owner of NSmith Wines and an enologist and fermentation instructor at UW-Madison. Smith started as a homebrewer two decades ago and went on to study fermentation science at Oregon State University and he describes himself as "part mad scientist, part wine rebel." Find Zoom login information at chewwisconsin.com.

Black Arts Matter Festival, Thursdays, Nov. 5, 12 and 19: This year's virtual edition of the Black Arts Matter Festival kicks off at 6 pm on Nov. 5 with a pre-recorded performance by spoken word performer Ebony Stewart of her one-woman show, Ocean, exploring womanhood and motherhood. A live Q&A with Stewart follows. The festival continues at 6 pm on Nov. 12 with a concert and lesson on creating music using looper technology by saxophonist and vocalist Braxton Cook. And the event wraps up on Nov. 19 at 7 pm with a nationwide poetry slam. The events are co-produced by Shasparay Irvin, an interdisciplinary artist, slam poet and UW-Madison alum, and the Wisconsin Union Theater.

Talking Spirits Cemetery Tours launch, through 2020: There are many interesting people buried at Madison’s Forest Hill Cemetery, including veterans. For more than 20 years, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum has been keeping their stories alive by hosting guided tours of the cemetery. This year the action is virtual but no less riveting. You’ll learn about Hettie Pierce, who was born into slavery in 1829 but eventually made her way to Madison, and Thomas "Bud” Truax, a graduate of UW who went on to become an Army Air Corps aviator and for whom Truax Field is named. Museum director Chris Kolakowski says the virtual tour actually presents an opportunity: “Using virtual technologies to show you the cemetery, we can take you to remote locations on the grounds and provide you with more stories and details which we haven’t been able to tell on previous tours." The tour launched on Oct. 15 and will be viewable through at least the end of 2020; read more at MadisonCemeteryTours.com.