Freakfest, Madison's annual downtown Halloween party, attracted at least 5,000 fewer people this weekend than in year's past, but still got approval from the event's organizer.

Frank Productions, the company that operates Freakfest, sold 26,000 tickets to Saturday night's event held on State Street. Various factors influenced this year's attendance, but fewer ticket sales don't mean the company will stop running the event, said Charlie Goldstone, of Frank Productions.

"It could eventually (mean that)," Goldstone said. "But it's not even close to that point now. We were really happy with the number of people there, and it's enough to keep us involved."

Many people stayed home to watch the University of Wisconsin Badgers' game on Saturday night, while others went to other parties downtown, he said. Tickets also cost more this year -- up $1 for those purchased in advance and $2 at the gate.

Frank Productions has spent the past five years overhauling the event, adding musical stages and emphasizing costumes instead of the event's sometimes violent past.

"We'll take a smaller, well-behaved crowd than an larger, unruly one," Goldstone said, noting the crowd in 2003 -- before the event was reorganized and rebranded by city officials and Frank Productions as Freakfest -- reached 65,000 and forced police into riot gear to quell violence.

"People wanted to go because they never knew what would happen. Now, Freakfest is a pretty predictable event, which from our aspect is a pretty good thing," he said.

Madison police said arrests fell for a fifth-straight year. Officers arrested 32 people on Saturday, down from nearly 200 in 2007, police records indicate.

"Going into the night, I didn't think we could beat last year in terms of arrest numbers," police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. "We had 44 (arrests) last year and I thought, 'Well, that'll be really tough to beat. But in fact, at the end of the night, we did it."

Police officials cut the size of their presence at Saturday's event, citing the recent improvements. But Madison police officers and the Dane County Sheriff's deputies still walked State Street to maintain order.

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin has pointed to Freakfest's improvements as a reason to keep the event, while voicing concerns with the Mifflin Street Block Party, which saw a spike in violence -- including two stabbings -- in May.