Mifflin Street came to life Saturday with the intoxicated, concert-filled revelry of its annual block party, drawing 20,000 to 25,000 people, according to police estimates.
The controversial limit of four kegs per household was largely ignored, students and officials said.
\In terms of the four-keg limit, I would say it was universally ignored-completely ignored, as a matter of fact,"" said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. Verveer said he was glad police did not try to enforce the limit.
Greg Behnke, a UW-Oshkosh student at the Mifflin party, called the keg limit ""irrelevant."" Behnke had made more than 10 tally marks on his arm at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, denoting the number of beers he had consumed.
Some party organizers found creative ways to skirt the keg limit. Beer vendor Ben Arfa, who was working for a concert-promoter friend, said he took advantage of the absence of a limit on cans of beer.
""They were having an ordinance saying you can't have more than four barrels, so we bought 12,000 cans, because we're smart,"" Arfa said.
Madison Police Officer Scott Templeton said despite the keg limit, he did not see a change in the ambience this year compared to last year's party.
""It's the same joyous atmosphere,"" he said.
Though police officers asked many students who were standing in the street to dump out open alcoholic beverages in the early afternoon, by evening officers focused instead on those carrying glass containers or engaging in disorderly conduct. Glass containers were forbidden in the street.
Preliminary police estimates report 190 people cited for offenses including underage drinking and possessing glass containers in the street, according to a statement. Ten people were taken to the Dane County Jail, and at least one person taken to jail was arrested for battery of a police officer, according to a press release.
Verveer said the number of citations this year was higher than in past years due to a ""more sophisticated ticketing procedure.""
""Luckily, there really were no serious incidents. So from my perspective, the 35th annual block party was a success,"" Verveer said.
Several students said they felt police officers were lenient in control of the crowd.
""I think they're being really relaxed,"" UW-Madison senior Sarah Weitz said Saturday evening.
Many students posed for pictures with police officers. Templeton said he had posed for ""literally hundreds"" of pictures.
Weitz said this year's Mifflin party was likely to be her last such experience.
""I'm so over this big party scene,"" Weitz said. ""It's kind of cheesy, I don't know. It's probably like my last big college drinking experience.\
