City officials, the Madison Police Department and Frank Productions have finalized the plans for this year’s Freakfest celebration, which is expected to draw up to 45,000 people.
As Frank Productions announced earlier this semester Mac Miller and Big Gigantic will headline the event. The company’s spokesperson Charlie Goldstone said Frank Productions, which sponsors the event, spent more money on talent this year than previous years and therefore expects to draw larger crowds.
Goldstone said tickets cost $8 if purchased Friday and $12 if purchased Saturday.The tickets are offered at various stores and ticket booths in the State Street area.
He said tickets are available for $35 that offer ticket-holders a dedicated viewing area, guaranteeing them a spot next to the stage. He added there are also private bathrooms and free soft drinks, such as Mountain Dew and Monster Energy Drinks, available in the VIP areas.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said tickets will also be for sale during the event at the point of entrance.
Verveer said each of the residents and employees of State Street receive complimentary tickets. He said residents who have not received a free ticket should bring proof of residency to the event.
The city has prohibited glass containers at the event after 9:30 p.m. in the State Street area. Verveer said this rule is in place because in previous years on Halloween weekend, there was a lot of broken glass on the street.
Frank Productions anticipates 35,000 to 45,000 will attend the event Saturday, Goldstone said. He said in 2011, the crowd was just short of 30,000 people, and he has seen as many as 43,000 attend.
“Our ticket sales are significantly ahead of last year and it’s tracking to be one of our biggest years,” Golstone said.
He attributed this increased crowd to the improved talent lineup, Homecoming weekend and the Homecoming football game. He said last year at Freakfest, there was an away Badgers football game.
There will be numerous traffic detours Saturday due to all the events, Verveer said.
Verveer said extra police officers will be working Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Saturday during the day. He said students will be heavily protected both inside and outside the gated areas of Freakfest.
MPD Capt. Carl Gloede said the Freakfest event officers will come in at 5 p.m., and the area will consist of more than 150 MPD officers in the event zone. He added State Patrol personnel and Dane County sheriffs will also be present. The University of Wisconsin Police Department will have officers on university property, he added.
Gloede said police will process arrests at the City County Building rather than on the street. He said last year, only 30 or 40 citations were issued, which is extremely low for this type of event.
“On one hand, Freakfest has been problem-free with very few arrests, but on the other hand, we do expect increased crowds, so the cops decided to err on the side of caution and keep the amount of cops we’ve had in previous years,” Verveer said.
Since the city created Freakfest several years ago, the safety concerns have been very minimal, according to Verveer.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin in 2005 was the last year tear gas was used to end Freakfest. He said at last year’s event, people were more compatible with police officers and did not cause as much trouble as in the past.
