With a home football game occurring the same day and ticket sales already ahead of last year, city officials met with business owners Tuesday to discuss the plan for this year’s Freakfest.
The businesses in the Downtown Business Improvement District met with representatives from police, fire and park divisions along with a representative from the Mayor’s office to ask questions and define protocol for State Street the night of Freakfest.
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Freakfest, sponsored by Frank Productions, began in 2006, after Halloween celebrations on State Street got out of control several years in a row, Mary Carbine, executive director of BID, said. In 2005, the there were over 500 arrests during the spontaneous downtown Halloween celebrations, Carbine said. Last year, there were only two arrests.
“Freakfest has grown into a fantastic event, but it isn’t just a fun event that the city puts on to celebrate Halloween,” Carbine said. “This is really a way of controlling riots and the disorder that has proven to be successful.”
Although Freakfest can provide challenges in terms of customers getting to State Street businesses, most businesses are glad to be involved with Freakfest because they recognize how much safer it is compared to previous celebrations, Tag Evers, promotion coordinator for Freakfest, said.
Still, it can be difficult to get well-established businesses to sponsor Freakfest, due to the long-standing idea that State Street can be a dangerous place to be on Halloween weekend.
“Some people still have this idea that you have to stay away from State Street on Halloween,” Evers said. “But if you come to Freakfest, you have nothing to worry about. It’s a safe, fun event.”
Ticket sales are currently ahead of last year’s sales, Evers said. Ticket sales typically average around 30,000-35,000, with the majority of those tickets sold on the day of the event, he said.
Responding to some criticisms Frank Productions received in the past pertaining to the selected bands, Evers put the emphasis on creating an event that can be enjoyed by everyone from families with young children to college students.
“We have to remember that we are appealing to a wide range of age groups. It solves a very difficult problem for the city and the emphasis is on safety,” Evers said. “It’s an event that is good for the entire community.”
Several additional events occurring the day of Freakfest have complicated the planning process for city officials. A home football game, a men’s hockey game and a performance of Wicked at the Overture Center will all be occurring the same day, Carl Gloede, Central District Captain of Police, said. The Traffic Engineering Department has developed a plan to accommodate the traffic and parking problems posed by the event.
A greater police presence will be present in the State Street area on Halloween. Between 150-200 officers will be working Freakfest to ensure that attendees stay safe, Gloede said.
Additionally, two ambulances will be positioned on either side of State Street, with teams of responders and fire inspectors patrolling the area, Ron Schwenn, division chief for the City of Madison Fire Department, said. Inspectors will be checking capacity at the stages as well as buildings in the State Street area.
“We can’t be happier with how this event is handled now, compared with the history of Halloween here,” Schwenn said. “This is business as usual for this event, and we don’t foresee any problems.”
