City officials successfully thwarted a student-driven plan for an alternative Freakfest party on Mifflin Street Thursday after two days of negotiations ended with student organizers withdrawing their support of the event.
Student organizers of the Halloween on Mifflin Street event met with officials from the Madison Police Department, Mayor's Office and downtown alders to discuss the Saturday night block party they put together in hopes for an unregulated Halloween celebration.
The students opted to pull the plug on the event amid safety concerns, but organizer Alex Kaufer, a UW-Madison sophomore, said they will continue working with city officials to make Freakfest the way students really want it to be"" and avoid another outcry for an alternative event.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, acknowledged that Mifflin Halloween supporters weren't alone in their dislike of Freakfest's admission cost and entertainment acts, but said working together to improve the event is better than creating an unofficial alternative.
""We have to strive each and every year to try to get more and more student input [and] more and more student buy-in into Freakfest,"" Verveer said.
UW-Madison junior and Mifflin Street resident Dave Spitz said he already had his own alternative to Freakfest planned - a small house party with his friends and roommates. Spitz went door to door on his block Thursday afternoon collecting signatures of residents opposing a large bash in their neighborhood.
""There's no need for transplanting hundreds of people into the street [and] attracting police attention,"" Spitz said, adding that he was pleased with the event's cancellation.
Despite the bump in the road to Freakfest 2008, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said he was still confident Saturday's city-sanctioned event would be enjoyed by partygoers.
""We always want an event that is going to be fun and safe, and everybody's definition of fun sometimes isn't the same,"" Cieslewicz said. ""But I think that this year - especially given O.A.R. and given some of the bands we've got - I think the vast majority of people are really looking forward to it.
