State Street Halloween Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids State Street Halloween Party
State Street Halloween Party, October 2005
Status	Inactive
Date(s)	Varied by year
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Madison, Wisconsin
Years active	1979-2019
Inaugurated	1979
Most recent	2019

The State Street Halloween Party was a yearly Halloween celebration held in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a big event where many people, often dressed in fun Halloween costumes, gathered on State Street in downtown Madison. Most people who attended were students from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and their friends. Others came from different parts of Wisconsin and beyond.

The city of Madison took over the event in 2006. They renamed it Freakfest and started charging money to get in. Before this, the party sometimes had huge crowds of up to 100,000 people.

Freakfest was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of worries about the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the event was cancelled again. This time, it was because there wasn't enough money or support for it. It also did not happen in 2023. However, State Street, which is a popular place for nightlife, still saw many people on Halloween weekend. This meant the Madison Police Department needed to have more officers in the area than usual.

History of the Halloween Party

In 1977, some students from the University of Wisconsin–Madison started a fun block party on Halloween night. It became very popular, so the student government began to help pay for it in 1978. They used it as a way to raise money.

However, rules about who could buy drinks changed in 1986. This meant the students could no longer raise money the same way. Because of this, the student government stopped sponsoring the party. From 1989 until the late 1990s, the number of people attending the party changed each year.

Changes to the Event in the 2000s

By the 2000s, the party grew much larger. Sometimes, with so many people, there were problems like damage to property. This led to many people being arrested. By 2003, the event was causing a lot of discussion in the city government. It was costing the city over $700,000. City leaders were worried about the cost of extra police and protecting local businesses. Some even thought about cancelling the event completely. In 2005, police had to use special methods to control a crowd of 100,000 people. Over 400 arrests happened that year.

In the summer of 2006, the city mayor announced a new plan for Halloween. The plan included blocking off State Street. People had to pay to enter at certain spots. The street was also closed at midnight. After these changes, the event became a much more peaceful festival.

Freakfest: The New Name

In 2006, the city government officially named the event Freakfest. The festival featured movies and live music performances by famous artists. Companies like Mountain Dew helped sponsor the event. People were not allowed to have drinks on the street. However, local bars and restaurants were open for those attending Freakfest.

Event Attendance and Arrests

This table shows how many people attended the event each year and how many arrests were made.

• From 2012 to 2019, the attendance numbers show how many tickets were sold.