Many years ago they cracked down on the Halloween parties. They decided to roll with it, shut down a bunch of streets, book bands, etc and make in an organized “Freakfest” event . Security was very tight, damn near strip searched to get in. Tons of cops, even the police horses patrolling ready to start thumping skulls and launching tear gas.
Crowds were pretty thick at first. It was impossible to get drunk there. 30+ min wait just to get in a bar and another 30 minutes to order a drink.
Now I’m too old for this stuff and haven't kept up on it.