We missed this for breakfast links, but thought it was worth noting. TIME Magazine has an interesting article about the fate of Halloween on State Street in Madison:

Neither Fred Frank, president of Frank Productions, nor city officials would comment on just how much the city has paid to tame the event — officials said audit reports would take weeks to finalize. But taxpayers from Madison to Green Bay have been footing much of the costs for the police and cleanup over the past tumultuous years. George Twigg, a public information officer for Madison's mayor, says the city expects to get at least $200,000 in ticket sales, which he says will help ease the financial burden. Tickets cost $5 if purchased early and $7 for those who bought them on Saturday.