Mifflin Street Block Party facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mifflin Street Block Party |
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Revelers and police officers at the Mifflin Street Block Party in 2007
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| Date(s) | Last Saturday in April |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Mifflin Street |
| Inaugurated | 1969 |
| Participants | varies |
The Mifflin Street Block Party is an annual block party celebration held on Mifflin Street in Madison, Wisconsin. The party is held on the last Saturday of April and attended predominantly by students attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Originally a political protest, it has since become more focused on socializing before final exams.
The party has typically featured local and out-of-state musical acts playing on house porches, balconies and backyard stages. The party has not had city sponsorship since 2012. Efforts by the university and the city to create competing events have been unsuccessful. It is one of two large parties held in Madison, the other being the Freakfest Halloween party on State Street.
Contents
History
The Mifflin Street Block Party began in 1969 as a street protest, which involved dancing in protest against the Vietnam War. Its original date, May 3, was set to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the French student rebellion. Anti-war sentiments had accelerated in Madison since the 1967 Dow Chemical protest in which thousands of students occupied and were violently expelled from Ingraham Hall. The original event arose as part of a continuing conflict between students and police, centered on Mifflin Street. Police refused to allow permission for the street dance and when they entered the area in response to a noise complaint, a confrontation ensued that lasted three nights and spread into the surrounding student areas. Students threw stones at the police and constructed barricades to defend themselves. The police responded with tear gas and billy clubs. At the end, 70 people were injured and more than 100 arrested, including future mayor, Paul Soglin.
The event continued annually for the duration of the war, despite the effects of the nearby Sterling Hall bombing. In an attempt to control the event, the city created "Mifflin on the Mall" in 1979 with music and concessions on State Street Mall. By 1982, however, students had once again taken to Mifflin Street. Under sponsorship from the Mifflin Co-op, the block party was often used as a community fundraiser for various political or social causes. The co-op dropped its greater involvement in 1991.
By 1990, police had decided to not have any officers patrol the event and removed any official presence from the party. Despite crowds in excess of 10,000 no major problems occurred until a riot in 1996. Following this event, the city and police took more control in planning. They now effectively dictate the terms of the party, spending in excess of $80,000 on policing.
On May 4, 1996, a riot broke out when a crowd of several thousand people threw bottles at a fire truck that had come to put out a bonfire started by the crowd to combat the cold weather. Police used riot gear to retake the block. The riots resulted in thousands of dollars of damage. The 1997 event was planned very carefully but attracted few people due to poor weather. No major riots have occurred since 1996.
21st century
The block party occurred on the first Saturday of May every year until 2005 when students lobbied to have the date changed to the last Saturday in April to avoid conflicts with final exams. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz refused the date change at first, citing the additional cost and strain it would place on the police. After students vowed to throw a large celebration both weekends, the mayor agreed to move the date of the block party with a promise from student leaders that they would discourage celebrations in the first week in May. However, the mayor requested that the Associated Students of Madison pay for the additional costs of moving the date. The block party was scheduled for Saturday, April 29 by city officials in 2006.
In 2009 the city allowed local promotional group DCNY Pro to officially sponsor the event. This would be the first time in over a decade the city had allowed a sponsor. With support from WSUM radio station they produced one live music stage at the intersection of Bassett and Mifflin street.
In 2020, the party was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Police were seen patrolling the streets throughout the day. Houses that were playing music that was audible from the street were given a police warning to turn it off or else they would be in violation of a new city ordinance. The street was historically quiet for the day.
On April 25, 2021, thousands of students gathered for the block party despite the city's ongoing COVID-19 protocols. Despite the controversy, Madison police reported that only four people were ticketed during the event. However, a group of students vandalized a university staff member's vehicle.
Police control
Between 1998 and 2002, attendance ranged from several hundred to a couple thousand. In 2002, however, an unexpected 20,000 people showed up for the event. That same year, a riot during Madison's Halloween festivities prompted police to begin systematically clamping down on the Mifflin event. The city has consistently refused proposals by students to close the street and revive the block party under student control. A Madison police lieutenant was quoted as saying, "Quite frankly, we wish this event would go away." Since 2002, there have been an increased number of arrests and a decrease in attendance.
See also
- La Fete de Marquette
- State Street Halloween Party
