A proposal to tame the Mifflin Street Block Party will be considered by the Street Use Staff Team today, as sponsors hope the addition of organized music will lower the amount of police regulation.
The proposal is a plan to restore Mifflin to its previous model back in the early 1990s where one or more stages were erected on the street, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
Verveer said it has been his dream for Mifflin to find a new sponsor for the event after the Mifflin Street Community Co-Op stopped sponsoring the block party nearly 20 years ago. Verveer added he wants to assure students Mifflin will not be a regulated event.
“This dream of mine does not involve Freakfest and would not and does not support blockading off the Mifflin Street Block Party and have it be a ticketed event,” Verveer said. “That is not my motto; that is not my intention.”
At the beginning of February, DCNY PRO, a local music and event production company signed on to sponsor the block party, according to Ny Bass, co-owner of DCNY PRO.
“Living in Madison my whole life, I saw the biggest draw to Madison is the party on Mifflin, and it’s not really regulated and the music is really sporadic and all over the place,” Bass said.
He added there are 90 acts he and his partner David Coleman want to put on stage during the party that include The Nod, Fall Guys and two other bigger bands he did not disclose. Bass said he hopes to have the list of entertainment finalized by the end of the week.
Bass said DCNY PRO is bringing in a wide range of music rock, acoustic guitar and spoken word adding there will be many local bands.
“We’ve discussed the overall details with [Verveer] and with the city, and the city is pretty on board with this,” Bass said. “We really like the idea making Mifflin less of just a drink-fest. … With (an approved) street permit, we can even bring vendors on Mifflin Street to sell food.”
Previously if music could be heard within three doors, police issued a noise citation, Verveer said. With the proposal, Verveer said he wants police to barricade the street instead of blocking them on an emergency basis, adding this will hopefully convince cops to “lighten up.”
“The police have arrested over 400 people for holding open intoxicants of alcohol in streets and sidewalk,” Verveer said. “If (the party is sponsored) we can get the word out to unexpected party goers that the police have zero tolerance approach.”
Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Union Directorate voted to decline sponsoring the Mifflin Street Block Party, claiming lack of time and money prevents it from properly hosting the event.
University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin has said she would be open to the idea of sponsoring the event in the future, said Vice President for Project Management of the Wisconsin Union Dan Cornelius.
He said the Associated Students of Madison has a hearing event this week that would approve the organization’s grants, and he felt uncomfortable adding the party to the budget without assurance it would be sponsored by the university.
