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Madison officials finalized plans Wednesday for Freakfest 2008, the city’s largest party of the fall, which will have four entertainment areas featuring nationally known bands, local music acts and walk-up movies.

“We’re trying to have a combination of interaction entertainment and great live performances,” said Dave Maynard, vice president of Frank Productions, the company hired to organize the event.

The Mountain Dew Amp/Z104 stage, located at the top of State Street near Capitol Square, will be home to headlining band O.A.R. and opening acts Donavon Frankenreiter, The Hard Lessons, Thriving Ivory and The Dollyrots.

Shows will begin at various locations between 7:30 and 8 p.m. on Nov. 1, according to Mary Carbine, executive director of Madison’s Central Business Improvement District.

“The biggest Freakfest preparation is for O.A.R.,” said Madison Police Department Lt. Joe Balles. “Last year we had about 35,000 people. This year we are anticipating a larger crowd of over 40,000 people. This means that there will be more advanced ticket sales.”

A new stage has been added near the intersection of Gilman and State streets, Carbine said.

“The location was very off-track,” Carbine said. “We needed to have a stage near the people.”

The new stage will host local bands until 1 a.m. and will be filmed and aired on My Madison TV and WISC-TV, Maynard said, adding Gilman Street will be closed all day in preparation.

Continuing Halloween tradition, the Frances Street stage will be in the same location as last year, between State Street Brats and University Inn. DJ Calder will be manning the stage and hosting the costume contest finals.

New to the Freakfest scene is the addition of an inflatable movie screen. This “walk-up movie [screen]” will be showing Halloween classics like Beetle Juice, Psycho and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which will have a live troop from Milwaukee performing in front of the screen.

“Over the 30-minute period, the two main thoroughfares, Johnson Street and Gorham Street, will be closed to traffic and detour routes will be put up,” Balles said. “Traffic will be redirected to John Nolan Drive.”

Carbine said the detour plan will only go into effect if traffic is too extensive to manage.

The multiple entrances available at the top of State Street will also be new to Freakfest.

“Both gates at Capitol Square are both entrances and exists,” Carbine said.

Frances Street will be closed off, and residents are encouraged to enter through the gate on Lake Street.

“The goal is to have people police themselves,” Balles said. There will be several hundred policemen and private security from Milwaukee on duty throughout the weekend.