[media-credit name=’BEN CLASSON/Herald photo)’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]After thousands roamed the streets in bizarre costumes until the wee hours of Sunday morning, Madison’s Halloween celebration has come and gone.

Over 34,000 tickets were sold for this year’s Freakfest, up from 32,000 last year. Attendees ranged from University of Wisconsin students to students from other universities, as well as adults and children.

Saturday night’s event opened at 7:30 p.m., with RTM Security checking for glass, weapons and other unauthorized objects. The overall mood in the beginning was relatively calm, with several families roaming the streets with their costumed children.

Steve Davis, a freshman from Winona State University, was one of the many out-of-town students who drove to Madison for the renowned event.

"It’s a little calmer than I thought it was going to be," Davis said. "I was hoping to see it a little more packed on State Street."

As the night progressed, however, more students began to pack the streets wearing a variety of costumes including Tetris pieces, the Justice League, Spartan warriors and a group of chickens. There were also many older adults dressed in costume, enjoying the celebration with the students.

The bands Frank Productions lined up for the event drew significant crowds, as from the very beginning of the night, people gathered around the three stages to listen to bands, DJs and more.

The Onion and Milio’s Stage, located next to Pizzeria Uno on Gorham Street, hosted such bands as DJ Papi Love, Rob DZ and Natty Nation.

The new Isthmus Stage, located at Peace Park, was coordinated by the Associated Students of Madison. The Gomers played an early concert at this stage, followed by a costume contest. The headliner was the homecoming Battle of the Bands winner Raw Fury, who drew a significant crowd.

The most crowded stage, however, was the Mountain Dew stage located at the end of State Street near the Capitol. Bands such as The Mighty Short Bus, Matt Wertz and David Barnes and headliner Lifehouse played at the stage.

While initial student reactions to the event were mixed, UW freshman Nora Sheehan said she enjoyed herself at Freakfest this year.

"We walked around, looked at people’s costumes and froze," Sheehan said. "I had a fantastic time. It was definitely worth the $5, and I will definitely go back next year."

There were also a variety of vendors located throughout State Street selling food and drinks. The two main vendors — who were also the event’s sponsors — were Mountain Dew and Milio’s.

Also, many restaurants and bars located on State Street were also open for business, including Ian’s Pizza, where many found shelter from the cold with a slice of warm pizza.

Some prominent figures also came to support the event they worked to create, including Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and City Council President Mike Verveer.

"It’s going pretty well so far," Cieslewicz said as he walked down State Street at 11 p.m. Saturday. "So far people seem to be in a good mood, and there are lots of costumes."

Following the 12:20 a.m. Lifehouse performance, which ended at 1:30 a.m., police began to shut down State Street one block at a time, dispersing crowds and trafficking people out of the fenced area. By 2:30 a.m., the entire area was cleared and the long and involved clean-up process began.

Due to a reporting error, the October 26 article “State braces for Freakfest” and this article should have cited Ra Fury, not Raw Fury. We regret the errors.