An old saying exists in life - if it ain't broke, don't fix it"" - and that is exactly what city officials plan to do for ""Freakfest 2007 brought to you by Mountain Dew.""
At a press conference Thursday, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Madison Police Chief Noble Wray both said little would change this year, as last year was so successful.
With 50,000 potential partiers planned to fill State Street this Saturday, the Madison Police Department is ready to deploy nearly 300 officers to the street. Cieslewicz said they will not be alone though, as University police, Dane County authorities and some State troopers will be in the area.
Wray said police will essentially use the same strategy as in 2006, but hopes the crowd will disperse on its own at 1:30 Sunday morning.
According to Cieslewicz, the lowest point in the event's 30 year history came in 2002. That year has been remembered for the looting, fires and vandalism of several shops on State Street. He said the evolution in the five years since has been gradual, until last year when the city event took a ""quantum leap.""
""[Quantum leap] means it has progressed to the point where sponsors want to put their name on the event,"" Cieslewicz said, adding Frank Productions played a key role in recruiting and signing such corporate sponsors as Pepsi and Milios.
Frank Productions is also responsible for the three stages and the music at each of them. Dave Maynard, a Frank Productions representative, said Lifehouse is playing the ""Mountain Dew Stage"" just after midnight this weekend.
Maynard also said this year's ticket sales pace is similar to the 2006 pace. He estimated more than 7,500 tickets have been sold. Last year, the city sold close to 35,000 tickets by the end of the event.
Cieslewicz, who bought his ticket already and joked about going as police chief Wray, said the crowd size depends on the weather and people's willingness to withstand the cold.
Maynard said he has not checked the weather for the weekend, but thinks the fact that homecoming coincides with the event will bring out a good crowd for Freakfest.
""I don't know if it's going to 80 and sunny,"" Maynard said.
According to the Weather Channel, Saturday's forecast shows a high of 50 degrees, but lows dipping into the 30s that night with winds whipping at 20 to 30 miles per hour.
