For the third year in a row, Madison's Freakfest Halloween bash ended riot-free. "I saw a lot families, particularly early on, and then a very mixed crowd into the night," said Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "Those my age, people in their fifties and sixties, all the way down to the college students, and all were seemingly having a very good time."
The celebrations on State Street ended without a riot — and with far fewer arrests than in previous years. "Somewhere in the ballpark of 75 arrests," by 3:00 am, according to DeSpain, a number well below last year, which in turn was much lower than in 2005.
There were a few fights, but DeSpain said that's to be expected. For the past three years the city has tried to make Freakfest more of a concert venue, blocking off State Street and charging admission. It also helped that there were more than 500 police officers and security guards.
