With Drew being in the midst of fall and Halloween fast approaching, Drew students are bound to be looking for some fun ways to pass the time. Fortunately, Madison has the situation well-covered, with a variety of enjoyable, enriching and otherwise enticing activities for students to enjoy.

First off, the Madison Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting Halloween Hoopla 2017, a series of events celebrating the coming holiday. On Friday, October 27 at the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building, there will be a Pumpkin Illumination, where people can drop off their own personally carved pumpkins for illumination, creating a ghoulishly good spectacle for passersby.

Students can also go around back for an early start on trick-or-treating, or rather, trunk-or-treating. Cars around the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building will be laden with candy, and for the low cost of $10 per car to benefit the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps, students can pick and choose as they will.

The following day, Saturday, October 28, there will be a Halloween parade beginning at the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building starting at 12:30 p.m., which is sure to be a fun spectacle to watch and to take part in. There will also be an accompanying magic show at Waverly & Lincoln at 1:30 p.m., and local businesses will be handing out candy for visitors.

That day, Dewey’s Comic City, located right near Sitterly, will be holding a Spooktacular Sale, with 25% off practically all of their merchandise. This includes graphic novels, toys, trade paperbacks, games and more. Additionally, artist Fernando Ruiz of “Archie” and “Die Kitty Die” will be doing autograph signing and free sketches from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., so don’t miss out.

For those who want something a little bit outside of the season, there are the musical performances at Shanghai Jazz. The restaurant is always featuring great artists and, from October 24 to October 25, musician John Pizzarelli will be performing. A famous and world-renowned jazz guitarist, Pizzarelli is one of the prime modern interpreters of the Great American Songbook, and his music is incredible.

Performances are $89 for full dinner and a show at 6 p. m. and 8:30 p.m. both nights, but if that’s too much, Shanghai Jazz has performances six nights a week for a regular meal price, all with fantastic performers. It’s a great way to unwind after a stressful week and a fun way to celebrate the fall season.

And for those who want to like outdoors activities, Heroes for Kids Cancer will be holding a Walk and 5K run to benefit research for a cure on Sunday, October 22. There will be a picnic lunch, live music, a balloon artist and the top fundraisers will win prizes, so go and help raise money to find a cure.

Lastly, Drew University will be hosting a trip to Alstede Farms for apple and pumpkin picking also Sunday, October 22. Running from 10a.m. to 1p.m. with students gathering in the EC parking lot at 9:45 a.m. It’s sure to be a lot of fun. Only 20 spots are available, so sign up today to try to guarantee a spot.

There are plenty more activities in and around campus that aren’t listed here. So go exploring and find the ones that suit your taste. Whatever your interests are, fall is a season meant to be enjoyed, so enjoy it as much as you can.