This weekend, students from across the campus, city and state will flock to Madison to partake in the annual Mifflin Street Block Party. A historical event birthed from an organized Vietnam War protest in 1969, the block party has evolved into a cornucopia of drunk kids separating from their friends and getting hog-tied in the street. While the event is expected to harbor thousands of individuals sipping from boot flasks and wine disguised in soda cans, this Saturday the party rules have changed … and you can cry if you want too.
After much pleading from the city, particularly from Ald. Mike Verveer, District-4, and concessions to certain stipulations, the block party's sponsorship has shifted from DCNY Pro to the Majestic and Capital Neighborhoods, Inc. Because the event saw a serious jump in attendance from a few thousand in 2001 to 20,000 in 2002, crowd regulation and activities for meandering out-of-state drunkards became not only a necessity but also a business opportunity.
The Majestic agreed to host the party under the condition that open, alcoholic and non-glass containers be allowed on the street for people wearing a 21-and-over wristband. Instead of being confined to gravel alleys and dirt backyards, individuals who are of-age can now take one big step for the plastered college student right onto the sidewalk without getting ticketed.
Not only will this give the of-age crowd the freedom to drink where they please, but it will also redirect more business to vendors, music and beer gardens, since individuals won't have to worry about where they can legally flush down a Dark Horse. It can be argued that lifting the open bottle ordinance could potentially draw in a larger crowd of adults and permit out-of-control behavior, but it's important to note that a decrease in citations and arrests will result in more leeway for students to drink on the street. According to Channel3000, 206 people were arrested at last year's block party, which is up from 164 arrests in 2009—giving credibility to the Majestic's proposal.
The lifted ordinance will undoubtably create business while fostering a safe party environment: a win-win for everyone involved.
But as the years go by, it seems the party's growing success contributes to its increased sponsorship and regulation. While I applaud the Majestic's initiative to make this year's event ticket-free, an increase in police costs paired with a decrease in state funding and citation revenue is bound to be a financial hardship on the city—a situation that closely mirrors Madison's Halloween conundrum. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, police funding for Mifflin rose from $97,000 in 2008 to $107,000 in 2009, while arrests declined. It isn't hard to figure out that someone is going to have to pay the difference, and I doubt Madison taxpayers will rise to the occasion.
It's only a matter of time before the city starts to gate and ticket Mifflin just as they gated and ticketed Freakfest. More popular bands will be selected to play in order to attract larger crowds and soon students will be paying 10 bucks a pop to choke down an octobong only to get zip tied and taken to detox. But hey, at least you got to hear the Smashing Pumpkins or maybe even Vic Ferrari, right?
Yes, the Majestic and Capital Neighborhoods, Inc. did the Madison community a favor by temporarily swaying the city's orthodox views on street drinking, organizing musical venues and recruiting street vendors, but it's important that increased profits and business don't affect the makeup of Mifflin block parties to come. If Mifflin were to fall under the city's complete control, regulation of the event would only lead to more regulation. As the party becomes more structured, turnout and majority opinion of the event will decline.
Unfortunately, students may not have much of a say in the matter. If attendance grows, so does the city's involvement. Students may want Mifflin to be the best party of the year, but like everything it will soon reach its peak. It's important to suck the marrow on Saturday, as this weekend may be our last chance to authentically celebrate Mifflin the way it deserves to be celebrated. Just try not to brown-out.
Samantha Witthuhn is a junior majoring in political science and journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
