Partygoers at the Mifflin Street Block Party may see more bands and fewer police officers if the Majestic Theater and Associated Students of Madison decide to sponsor the event.
But part of that decision hangs on University of Wisconsin students, who will have a chance to decide whether ASM should further plans to sponsor the party.
The initiative comes after a record number of arrests during the 2008 party, when Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said police would like to see someone step up and sponsor the event.
Scott Leslie, co-owner of the Majestic, said they hope to be involved as the promoter and organizer of the party, putting their name on the street permit in addition to organizing live music.
“Our goal was to bring large, national-level talents to the Mifflin Street Block Party,” Leslie said. “But from our perspective, we don’t want to do anything if the students don’t want it.”
Leslie said the Majestic has no interest in charging admission for the event, making it different from the Halloween celebration on State Street.
Joel Plant, assistant to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the rules regarding drinking would not change, but a sponsor could influence partygoers’ attitude to change.
“The last few years the focus has been on the police control of Mifflin,” Plant said. “What I’d like to see is the partygoers in control of the event.”
ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand said UW’s student government plans to put out a survey early in the fall semester to determine if the students want the event sponsored and how much they would be willing to pay.
“I think it would have to be more than just a simple majority,” Wiegand said. “We’d have to have overwhelming student support.”
The estimated cost of the party would be $80,000 to $100,000 in segregated fees, about $1.80 per student, depending on what students want in terms of the number of bands and their popularity, according to Wiegand.
“Ultimately it’s their fees paying for it,” Leslie said.
Leslie said the Majestic has looked into various ways to allow drinking on the streets, including wristbands or marking off designated beer garden areas, which he said could eliminate a “lot of work for the police.”
Jeff Wright, Student Council representative for the College of Letters and Sciences, said there are a lot of unknowns with the event sponsorship and ASM is “lending the skeptical eye to things.”
Wright said he did not think students would be supportive of changing Mifflin in any way and would not support any increase in segregated fees.
“I don’t think people are frustrated with how Mifflin is conducted right now,” Wright said. “In some ways, it would be commercializing an event that is historically not really about that.”
Leslie said as a sponsor the Majestic wants Mifflin to be open to all ages and does not want to stop the house parties.
“We hope it all coexists,” Leslie said. “We’ll see if that’s possible — it may not be. Unless we have overwhelming student support, we’re not interested.”
