What a difference five years makes. It seems like only yesterday that Madison?s Halloween celebration drew 100,000 revelers from the four corners of the nation to get drunk, pepper sprayed and arrested….The 35,000 who attended this year made the attendance consistent with past Freakfests. But the arrest tally is down: a paltry 44 compared to 61 last year and 181 in 2007. Not only were there fewer people than ever arrested, but they also were significantly less drunk.
….In a university town notorious for its alcohol overconsumption, no one’s saying that the drunken Halloween monster has been slayed. But (Madison Police Central District Capt. Mary) Schauf notes that “I am very pleased with the overall direction of this event.”