In non-pandemic years, there has been a longstanding tradition in Chapel Hill to dress up in costume and traverse East Franklin Street Halloween night.

This year, however, the Town of Chapel Hill announced it will not preemptively block off the the busy downtown street. Town representatives cited financial costs and the desire to keep Franklin Street open for emergency vehicles as two reasonings behind this decision.

“Our goal this year is to encourage our community to find safe ways to celebrate Halloween that don’t include gathering in our downtown,“ said Chapel Hill Police Chief and Executive Director for Community Safety Chris Blue.

While the portion of the street closest to McCorkle Place and extending onto West Franklin is usually blocked off and staffed with Chapel Hill Police on the 31st, the Halloween gathering downtown is not a town-sponsored event.

If enough people do show up on Franklin Halloween night to warrant blocking off a portion of the road, a Chapel Hill press release said the town will officially clear the street of people by 9:30 p.m.

“Should crowd sizes become large enough that keeping Franklin Street, Columbia Street, or any other downtown roads open to motor-vehicle traffic becomes unsafe, the roads will be closed,” read the town press release. “That closure will not begin before 8 p.m., and it will conclude no later than 9:30 p.m.”

The town said law enforcement officers will be present downtown, whether or not the road is closed, looking for prohibited items such as open containers of alcohol, weapons, or items that look like they could be used as weapons.

Both the Town of Chapel Hill and the Orange County Health Department are encouraging residents to avoid gathering in large crowds—regardless of vaccination status. The health department has developed a guide of safer alternatives for this year’s celebrations here.

Some alternatives include carving or decorating pumpkins with your household, creating a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt or hosting a Halloween movie night.

In 2020, the Town of Chapel Hill chose to not close down Franklin Street due to coronavirus and public safety concerns. At the time, statewide and local limits mass gathering limits were still in place.

 

Lead photo via Town of Chapel Hill. 

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