More than 1,000 Halloween tickets have been sold since sales began last Monday, according to the Madison Parks Department.
The city plans to make 80,000 tickets available for the event, and is selling them primarily out of a trailer near Library Mall. The Parks Department is also selling the $5 tickets at its offices in the City County Building, 215 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's office has dubbed this year's event FreakFest"" after working with City Council members, leaders of the business community and UW-Madison students to rebrand Halloween. According to students Tom Wangard and Brandon Sivret, who initially led opposition to the mayor's plan but later joined Cieslewicz, Halloween will be better in 2006 than in years past.
Junior Amanda Lee said she does not plan to buy a ticket to Halloween 2006. She said the $5 charge would only fuel the groups of people responsible for recent rowdiness.
""I don't think the $5 will change anything, it will probably be the same,"" Lee said. ""And if there were people who started riots when it was free, they'll probably want to get their money's worth if they have to pay.
