Halloween in AmericaNo. 1391 · The 2026 edition
A history of the Halloween celebration on State Street
Step back in time and discover how State Street became the epicenter of Halloween revelry. From its humble beginnings to the bustling festivities we know today, explore the rich tapestry of traditions
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at badgerherald.com.
This article delves into the fascinating evolution of Halloween on State Street, tracing its origins and highlighting key moments that have defined the celebration over the years. It explores how local traditions, community involvement, and cultural shifts have contributed to the vibrant atmosphere that characterizes the event today.
About this
A Badger Herald News Explainer tracing how Halloween on State Street in Madison evolved from a spontaneous student block party in the late 1970s into the ticketed, barricaded festival known as Freakfest. It covers the era of beer sales, the violent riot years of the early 2000s, and the management overhaul that tamed the event.
The list
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01
Impromptu student block party on State Street 1977
Students started bonfires and drank in the street on Halloween night.
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02
WSA begins sponsoring the event 1979
WSA took out street permits, hired security and sold beer on the street as a fundraiser.
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03
Legal drinking age raised to 21 1986
Ended WSA's ability to sell beer, eliminating its main money-making source.
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04
WSA sponsorship ends 1988
The party continued but without student-government backing.
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05
Waxing and waning years
From 1989 to the late 1990s crowds varied from large to nonexistent.
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06
Crowd reaches more than 60,000 2001
Grew from the thousands in 1998; Friday before Halloween became the official day.
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07
Riot year 2002
65,000 people broke windows and looted stores; only 40 officers; pepper spray then tear gas used; 16 arrested.
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08
Vandalism continues 2003
Property damage and tear gas continued; 170 people, mostly out-of-towners, ticketed.
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09
More than 75,000 attend 2004
Bonfires, property damage and pepper spray; 448 arrests, students 12.8 percent of them. Cieslewicz declared enough was enough.
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10
100,000 people, 447 arrests 2005
Crowd chanted for tear gas; police wore riot gear and used pepper spray a fourth straight year; 447 arrests.
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11
Gating and ticketing introduced 2006
First peaceful year in four; more than 30,000 attended, 230 arrests, limited damage, 32,000 tickets sold, no pepper spray.
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12
Frank Productions sponsors; Freakfest named 2007
Promoter handled food, stages and ticketing; Ad2Madison created the pumpkin logo and Freakfest name; more than 34,000 attended, 175 arrests.
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13
Freakfest continues to calm 2008
More than 38,000 in attendance and only 77 arrested.
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14
Freakfest with Third Eye Blind 2009
Ticketing and barricade policy continued; local and international bands booked including Third Eye Blind.
Facts from the original
- The history of Halloween on State Street begins in the late 1970s, when a crowd of students formed an impromptu block party on Halloween night of 1977, starting bonfires and drinking on the street.
- The Wisconsin Student Association was the student government at the time and the precursor to the current Associated Students of Madison.
- In 1979, the Wisconsin Student Association began to sponsor the event, taking out street permits, hiring security and selling beer on the street.
- When the legal drinking age changed from 18 to 21 in 1986, WSA was unable to sell beer, eliminating their primary money-making source.
- WSA's sponsorship of the party eventually ended in 1988.
- From 1989 until the late 1990s, the celebration waxed and waned, with some years drawing big crowds and others none at all.
- The late 1990s to the early 2000s brought a resurgence for Halloween on State Street, as the Friday before Halloween became the official day of celebration.
- The crowd grew from in the thousands in 1998 to more than 60,000 in 2001.
- In 2002, a crowd of 65,000 broke windows, looted stores and caused thousands of dollars of property damage to half a dozen State Street businesses.
- Only 40 police officers were patrolling the area in 2002.
- Joel Plant, assistant to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said one individual got hit in the head with something and was hurt very badly, and that as police and firefighters tried to get there, people began fighting them.
- At the 2002 event, police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd and try to reach the injured person; when the pepper spray ran out, police used tear gas for the first time in Madison since the Vietnam War riots.
- Sixteen people were arrested in 2002 on charges of looting, disorderly conduct and battery.
- Joel Plant said, 'All in all, 2002 was a disaster.'
- In 2003, vandalism and property damage continued, as did the use of tear gas, and 170 people, mostly out-of-towners, were ticketed.
- In 2004, State Street saw more than 75,000 people, with bonfires, property damage and the use of pepper spray again common; a total of 448 arrests were made, with students representing 12.8 percent of the arrests.
- On Sunday, Oct. 31, 2004, Cieslewicz held a press conference saying enough was enough, stating the city had two options: cancel the event or a complete revamp of management.
- Cieslewicz said the city had to ask whether it should try to manage the event in the future or try to discourage it actively.
- In 2005, 100,000 people came to State Street, some chanting 'We want tear gas' and 'Ole! Ole! Ole!', causing police to wear riot gear and use pepper spray for the fourth year in a row; police made 447 arrests for open intoxicants, underage drinking, disorderly conduct, public urination and more.
- After four years of riots, pepper spray, vandalism and chaos, the city decided to make radical changes to the way Halloween would be organized in 2006.
- According to Plant, the mayor and other city officials began searching for alternatives in 2005, looking at examples nationally and internationally to find a solution to the nearly $750,000 Halloween was costing the city every year.
- After consulting private companies, community members and business owners, the solution of ticketing and barricading State Street was conceived.
- Plant said the community got entirely behind gating and ticketing the event and letting those enjoying the event pay part of the cost.
- In 2006, Halloween celebrations ended peacefully for the first time in four years, attendance was more than 30,000, arrests were down to 230 between Friday and Saturday night, there was limited property damage, the 32,000 tickets sold covered quite a bit of the cost, and no pepper spray was needed for crowd control.
- Madison concert promoter Frank Productions took notice of the success of Halloween 2006 and offered to sponsor the event in 2007, taking care of everything from food to entertainment stages to ticketing.
- Ad2Madison was hired by the city to market and advertise the event, creating the pumpkin logo and coining the event name Freakfest.
- Dave Maynard, vice-president of Frank Productions, said they had a desire to create something to entertain people and make it an event everyone could be proud of and the community could take ownership of, and that they had tried to put something for everyone there.
- Freakfest 2007 was a bigger success than 2006, with more than 34,000 people in attendance and only 175 arrests.
- Freakfest 2008 had more than 38,000 people in attendance and only 77 arrested.
- Freakfest 2009 was expected to continue Frank Productions' ticketing and barricade policy of State Street while bringing local and international bands, including Third Eye Blind, for a fun and safe night.
- Freakfest occurs on the Saturday closest to Halloween.
- Each year, students and community members flood by the tens of thousands to State Street, donning every costume imaginable to celebrate Halloween, and people from around the country also come to celebrate.
- Since the late 1970s, the celebration of Halloween on State Street has changed dramatically.
From the original
The story of Halloween on State Street starts in the late 1970s, when students gathered for an impromptu block party on Halloween night 1977, lighting bonfires and drinking in the street. The Wisconsin Student Association, the student government of the day and forerunner of the modern Associated Students of Madison, saw a fundraising opening. Beginning in 1979 the WSA sponsored the gathering, pulling street permits, paying for security and selling beer on the street. When Wisconsin raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in 1986, that beer revenue vanished, and WSA's sponsorship ended in 1988. Through the late 1980s and 1990s the celebration fluctuated, sometimes drawing huge crowds and sometimes none. The late 1990s and early 2000s brought a resurgence centered on the Friday before Halloween, but also violence: crowds climbed from the thousands in 1998 past 60,000 by 2001. In 2002, roughly 65,000 people broke windows, looted stores and caused thousands of dollars in damage to half a dozen State Street businesses while only 40 officers patrolled; pepper spray was used, then tear gas for the first time in Madison since the Vietnam War riots, and 16 people were arrested. Chaos continued in 2003, 2004 and 2005, culminating in 100,000 people, riot gear and 447 arrests. After four years of disorder and an annual cost near $750,000, the city adopted ticketing and barricades in 2006. Attendance dropped to just over 30,000, arrests fell to 230 and no pepper spray was needed. Frank Productions took over sponsorship in 2007 and Ad2Madison branded the event Freakfest, complete with a pumpkin logo; attendance and arrests settled into a peaceful pattern through 2009, when Third Eye Blind was slated to perform.
