State Street Halloween Party

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State Street Halloween Party
Halloween on State Street.JPG
State Street Halloween Party, Madison, WI
Date(s)Varies by year
Begins7:00 pm
Ends1:30 am
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)State Street
Inaugurated1979[1][2]
Participantsvaries

The State Street Halloween Party, renamed Freakfest in 2006, is an annual city-sponsored Halloween festival in Madison, Wisconsin. It is considered the largest Halloween festival in the Midwest.[3]

Freakfest is a gathering place for tens of thousands of party-goers, many dressed in Halloween costumes.[4] Most attendees are students from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and their guests, but others come from across Wisconsin and elsewhere. Before the city began charging admission, the festival saw crowds of up to 100,000 and a plethora of riotous behavior; but in recent years the crowds have been a fraction that size and have remained largely peaceful.[5][6]

History[]

In 1977, a group of UW Madison students started a block party on Halloween night. As it would come to be known, the State Street Halloween Party consisted of thousands of costumed partygoers packing the streets and consuming alcohol. The student government began to sponsor the event as a fundraiser in 1979. However, when the legal drinking age changed in 1986, the fundraising ceased as their primary money-making source was gone, leading to the eventual end of student government's sponsorship. From 1989 until the late 1990s, crowd size varied.[7]

By the 2000s, the event's size grew significantly and largely culminated in rioting resulting in vandalism, theft, property damage, arson, and assault; resulting in hundreds of arrests costing the city of Madison thousands of dollars.[8] By 2003, the event became a point of contention in local government and was costing the city over $700,000. The cost of additional police, the potential of damage to local businesses, and the protection of the city's reputation prompted the concern of Madison leaders, some of whom suggested canceling the event altogether. In 2005, riot police used tear gas to disperse the riotous crowd of 100,000 and over 400 arrests occurred.[9]

In the summer of 2006, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz unveiled the city's plan for the upcoming Halloween events. The plan at its core consisted of blocking off State Street, charging five dollars for admission from select points of entry, and closing off the street at midnight.[10] As a result, the riotous behavior ceased as the event became a largely peaceful city sanctioned festival.[11]

Freakfest today[]

As of 2006, the city government officially calls the party "Freakfest." The festival includes films and live performances by nationally known musical artists and in recent years has been sponsored by Mountain Dew.[12] Alcohol possession and consumption on the street are prohibited but local bars and restaurants serve patrons and Freakfest attendees.[13]

Freakfest was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Attendance and arrest rates[]

Year Attendance Arrests
2001 60,000 to 120,000[15] 0[16]
2002 65,000[17]
2003 65,000 Fri; 40,000 Sat[18] 350 (180 Fri, 170 Sat)[18]
2004 80,000[19]
2005 100,000[20] 334[21] to 566[22][20]
City government took control of the event
2006 32,000 148[21] to 230[22]
2007 34,000 181 (55 Fri, 126 Sat)[23]
2008 38,000 77
2009 44,000 47[24][25]
2010 35,000 43[26]
2011 25,000 30[27]
2012 35,000 36[28]
2013 31,000 28
2014 35,000 46
2015 37,000 9
2016 32,000 13
2017 19,000[29] 11
2018 20,000[30] 12
2019 20,000[31] 2
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 0

*2012-2019 data is tickets sold.

References[]

  1. ^ "Dane 101". Archived from the original on 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  2. ^ "Madison's halloween history".
  3. ^ "FREAKFEST MADISON". concoursehotel.com. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  4. ^ Hart, John (28 October 2018). "Photos: Freakfest 2018". madison.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  5. ^ Channel 3000 Archived 2009-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ The Daily Page Archived 2011-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Brousseau, Alex (28 October 2009). "A history of the Halloween celebration on State Street". Badger Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Throwback photos: See 4 decades of Halloween celebrations on State Street". Wisconsin State Journal. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ^ Krause Hathaway, Wendy (26 October 2011). "History of Halloween at UW-Madison". Wisconsin Alumni Association. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ^ Channel 3000 Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Rivedal, Karen (28 October 2016). "Different mindset, new tools tame Halloween on State Street". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  12. ^ "freakfestmadison". Twitter.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  13. ^ Hardee, Howard (27 October 2019). "They only come out at night: Costumed revelers descend on State Street for Freakfest". madison.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Freakfest 2020 Cancelled, Residents Reminded to Avoid Halloween Gatherings". cityofmadison.com. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Halloween, Homecoming relatively tame".
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2009-11-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "Police 'will not take sole ownership' for Halloween Riot".
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2009-11-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "Officials revisit Halloween nights".
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b http://www.dailycardinal.com/article/17691
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Arrests down for 2nd year in a row".
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b "Success! Far fewer arrests, no pepper spray give city reason to celebrate".
  23. ^ "One day later: Police itemize Halloween crimes".
  24. ^ "Wisc-Tv".
  25. ^ "44,000 attend Freakfest in Madison".
  26. ^ "Wisc-Tv".
  27. ^ "Fewer Arrests at Freakfest This Year".
  28. ^ "Freakfest FAQ".
  29. ^ Rolain, Connor (30 October 2017). "Freakfest Attendance Drops; MPD Reports No Serious Incidents". The Daily Cardinal. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  30. ^ "What to know ahead of "Freakfest" this Saturday". NBC. WMTV. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  31. ^ Devore, Molly (27 October 2019). "20,000 tickets sold for Madison's 2019 Freakfest". Badger Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

Coordinates: 43°4′29.4″N 89°23′34″W / 43.074833°N 89.39278°W / 43.074833; -89.39278

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