The first of a two-night epic that is Halloween 2008 in Madison played out peacefully Friday night and early today, with moderately large crowds, mild weather and a fair amount of hilarity Downtown.

At about 2 a.m., Madison police estimated the crowd on and around State Street peaked at about 10,000, most in costume and most well behaved. The center of action was the 500 and 600 blocks of State Street, where some bars had long lines for much of the night.

Authorities said two State Troopers received minor injuries while making an arrest outside a State Street tavern. And one person was taken to a hospital after falling off a second-story roof on University Avenue.

Police said the crowd was comparable to the Friday night before last year's Freakfest party and to the Downtown crowds surrounding the recent University of Wisconsin night football games at Camp Randall Stadium.

Police arrested 56 people, most of them for minor offenses such as disorderly conduct, and no major problems were reported. On last year's Freakfest eve, police made 55 arrests in the area.

"All is well," Madison Police public information officer Joel DeSpain said.

The crowds had thinned enought that street sweepers were clearing debris by 2 a.m. today.

Tonight, all eyes will be on the weekend's main event, Freakfest, for which promoters have printed 50,000 tickets.

With popular band O.A.R. headlining the concerts, Ticketmaster has reported sales ahead of Freakfest 2007.

Students who tried to put together a free counter-Freakfest party on Mifflin Street backed away from the idea Thursday.

Mayoral spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson said Friday that those who'd been promoting the illegal block party were at least partially dissuaded by concerns from Mifflin Street residents, some of whom voiced their dismay on Facebook pages set up to promote the party.

Madison police have advertised an intricate traffic plan for Freakfest to avert logjams as people head to State Street and to the University of Wisconsin men's basketball game at the Kohl Center.

Traffic police will be filtering cars that enter Downtown from the east, giving some motorists access to their homes or the Kohl Center, according to Madison Police Lt. Joe Balles, the department's lead planner.

In addition to the 200 or so officers from local law enforcement agencies assigned to patrol State Street, Central District Capt. Mary Schauf said, 24 officers will patrol side streets for the ubiquitous house parties and another 40 to 50 will handle traffic.

— State Journal reporters Nick Heynen and Quinn Craugh contributed to this report.