It was a heck of a run. From 1983 until 1999, Freaknik — the college picnic that morphed into a sprawling street party — tormented, titillated and drove Atlanta to the brink.

At its peak in 1994 and 1995, more than 200,000 mostly black college students would flock to Atlanta, causing massive traffic jams as men would literally get out of their cars to taunt, videotape or grope women.

File (ENLARGE)

A sea of people floods Auburn Avenue during Freaknik in 1999. 'It changed when it became something other than a college event,' says a founder.

File (ENLARGE)

When traffic gridlocked, people got out of their cars, like Eric Smith (left) and Shawn Fagan of the University of North Texas.

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But by the time it ended in 1999, politicians and police had made movement in Atlanta so restrictive that for the students, Freaknik was hardly worth it anymore.

"I was disappointed by what it became," said Sharon Toomer, one of the founders of Freaknik. "Its original purpose was to be an annual event to encourage camaraderie between historically black colleges. It was a rare opportunity for black college students to get together."

During the 1982-1983 school year, Toomer was a freshman at Spelman College and a member of the D.C. Metro Club.

Toomer said that as spring break approached the club planned a small picnic on campus for students who could not afford to go home. About 50 people showed up and enjoyed barbecue chicken, Go Go music and Parliament Funkadelic.

"It was very innocent," Toomer said. "Even the name. Throughout the year, we had this thing about the Freak. There was a dance called "The Freak," Rick James had a song out called "Super Freak," and Chic had "Le Freak." So we named it Freaknik. That was it. It was a sign of the music at the time."

The picnic moved to Piedmont Park and then to John A. White Park. As it grew, students from all over the country started coming to the party. When Freaknik outgrew parks, it spilled into the streets and the vibe changed.

"It didn't register on most radars, until it spilled out," said Angelo Fuster, who worked as a spokesman and deputy chief of staff for former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell in the 1990s.

The first-ever mention of the event in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution came in October 1990 in a preview story about area colleges. In the Morehouse section of the story, "Freak-nic," was listed as the "Best party of the year."

But it became a roving and unwieldy street party, rife with images of sex, violence, drinking and aggression. Thousands of cars would cram into the streets. Stuck in traffic, revelers would simply crank up their music and party in the streets.

Peachtree, Cascade, Piedmont and Monroe were favored destinations. Sometimes it was Greenbriar, Underground or Lenox Square. By 1994, 200,000 people were showing up.

In 1995, police reported more than 2,000 crimes, from indecent exposure to looting to rape. The Rich's at Greenbriar was looted.

"It started to get out of hand in 1994 and '95," Fuster said. "It got to be a major headache. The traffic then spun other issues, like lewdness."

Fuster said Freaknik became a logistical nightmare. He said traffic jams prevented people from getting to weddings, proms and even the hospital. Some attributed the rise in crime to people who had no affiliation with colleges at all.

"It changed when it became something other than a college event. There is no reason that a 50-year-old man needed to be at Freaknik," said Toomer, who graduated from Spelman in 1986. "The crime, violence and degradation of women had gotten out of hand. I was disappointed on many fronts."

Efforts to reform Freaknik (remember the attempted name change to Black College Weekend) never worked either. A job fair drew some potential employees, but efforts to throw concerts or parties never went anywhere.

By 1999, the crackdown had become a blitzkrieg. Police arrested 350 people and towed 400 cars. The city paid more than $1 million in overtime to police officers — mostly for traffic control.

In 2000, nobody showed up. Students went to Galveston, Texas, or Daytona Beach, Fla.

"Freaknik was funny, silly and, at times, frustrating and scary," Fuster said. "I do not have terrible memories of it. In the right place, in the right venue, it would have been a great party."

Toomer, who said it was a coincidence that she moved away from Atlanta in 1999 — the same year that Freaknik died — has no regrets.

"I thought it was time. It wasn't good anymore," said Toomer, who now runs the news Web site www.blackandbrownnews.com. "But I still have fond memories. I am still glad that we created it. I am glad that it had the lifespan that it did. But I am disappointed that it turned out to be what ultimately squashed it."

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