Halloween in Madison is more than just a party. It's a phenomenon.
Despite pre-party grumblings from disgruntled veterans, $5 seemed to be a reasonable price to pay for controlled revelry that stopped short of destroying the city itself Saturday night.
The most significant change in the event from previous years, the $5 admission fee, succeeded in capping the crowd at 35,000, but the revamped Halloween was not without critics.
""I think having so many cops on the street was a drawback to the mood of the party,"" said University of Iowa student and long-time Halloween attendee, Max Dulberger. ""I think it was a little less communal and friendly, but people can't ignore all the property destruction from previous years.""
Many revelers could not help but soak up the atmosphere of State Street at Freakfest 2006.
""With all the parties going on I don't think the security or money stopped anyone from having fun,"" UW-Madison freshman Catherine Procknow said.
Late night business thrived during the event as bars were clogged with partiers. A long line which formed at Taco Bell, rather than excessive police presence, appeared to be the true enemy of an army of walking bananas and killer robots.
In fact, Madison police seemed to adopt a firm but permissive stance that allowed the rules to be enforced but did not cause resentment among the crowd by making any unnecessary arrests.
Any ill-advised slaps to the butt of a horse tended to bring about a scolding slap on the wrist rather than an escort to the paddy wagon. A line of police responded to a taunting crowd near the 500 Block of State Street by prodding them toward Gilman Street instead of inducing a rush with pepper spray.
Securing State Street did come at a price, however. Year after year as the drunken crowds proved too irresponsible to police themselves, the city along with local businesses grudgingly footed the bill. But this year, the city sold tickets to enter its most famous street in the hopes of reducing rowdiness.
""I don't think it's right to have to pay to use a public street and the lights detracted from the mood, but we had a good time anyway,"" UW-Madison sophomore Elizabeth Montemurro said. ""You need to see the costumes and get in the crowd.""
