For every garden variety Superwoman or Batman, there was an imaginative costume, like the one worn by Athea Weingard, 22. Weingard, who was attending Freakfest for the first time, said she came dressed as “the evil side of my spirit.” Her dramatic and detailed makeup and straw-colored wig paired with the cabin-in-the-woods vibe of her clothing.

She and Ryan Sorensen, 32, had driven about an hour from Delavan to take part in Madison’s annual Halloween celebration. Sorensen went as a “Wisconsin murderer,” a kind of crazy-looking lumberjack turned killer. Neither was deterred by the rain.

“It’s worth it because people actually have scary costumes,” Weingard said.

With street lights and beer signs reflecting off the wet pavement and hip-hop beats booming from the top of State Street, the crowds grew steadily as the evening progressed. Frank Productions, the concert promotion company that puts on the event, reported selling about 14,800 tickets by 8 p.m., ahead of last year’s pace by 2,000 tickets.

Many people lingered underneath awnings to stay out of the rain, while others wore trash bags or were simply resigned to getting wet. Young women walking with their arms wrapped tightly around their torsos was a common sight. Passersby included a swamp monster, a prison inmate, a ghoul with glowing green eyes, a group of trolls with wild multi-colored hair, a pack of ninja turtles and Jesus Christ walking under an umbrella.

The rain added to the ambiance for Heather Walker, a 47-year-old amateur photographer who was shooting the event for a personal project. She said Halloween is her favorite holiday because it doesn’t come with the baggage of Thanksgiving or Christmas.

“It’s not a religious holiday and there are no family gatherings,” she said. “It’s not like we have to get together with family even though I don’t like Uncle Roger or whatever. I just think it’s a fun night, whether you’re in costume or enjoying the costumes.”

One of the creepiest was an 8-foot-tall clown wearing a sign that read, “Free hugs.” The clown was adamant about hugging people as they walked by.

“Good job today,” the clown whispered while hugging a man dressed as a newspaper reporter.

This year’s festival had musical acts on three stages, including headliner Lil Yachty, an Atlanta rapper who specializes in “bubblegum trap.” Gin Blossoms, a platinum-selling rock band best known for a handful of hits in the 1990s, was also among the scheduled performers.

Freakfest has been gated and ticketed since 2006, when the city asked Frank Productions to tame the out-of-control partying and rioting that plagued the Halloween celebration for several years.

Madison police were expecting another low-key event after 13 years without a major incident inside the gated area.

“Since it’s been Freakfest, and it started concentrating more on music instead of drinking, we’ve really had no issues,” said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. “It’s gone from an event that was sort of a black eye, at least in the later years, to something that most people in the city are proud of.”

More than 100 private security staff and hundreds of police officers were working in uniform at the event. Police asked people not to bring fake weapons as part of their costume to avoid giving fellow attendees a real scare. Alcohol, glass and backpacks were prohibited.

Downtown streets blocked off for the event were scheduled to reopen by 3 a.m.

Photos: Freakfest 2019

Photos: A look back at Halloween in Madison.