With an exam early Tuesday morning, freshman Seth Rose will be scaling back his first Halloween in Chapel Hill.
“If it were on a Saturday night, I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said. “But since it’s on a Monday, I might have to play the sidelines instead of staying out late.”
With Halloween three days away, students say town regulations and its Monday night date have them less excited about the event than in the past. What used to be one of the largest annual events in Chapel Hill has declined in size in the past few years.
Following the holiday in 2007, when more than 80,000 people celebrated on Franklin Street, the town began implementing restrictions to keep the crowd-size manageable. Since then, the event has averaged 40,000 attendees.
According to the town’s website, the Homegrown Halloween initiative, which limits access to downtown, has positively correlated with a decrease in EMS calls and has fostered a safer environment.
Randy Young, the spokesman for the UNC Department of Public Safety, said law enforcement is focused and prepared for Halloween.
But with an exhibition basketball game and the Homecoming football game, the rest of the weekend also requires much of its attention, he said.
“We’re going to be well-engaged throughout the weekend, beginning on Friday,” he said. “Halloween will definitely be a focus for us, but without Monday night, it would still be a very big weekend.”
Halloween will fall on a weeknight this year, which has some students worried about classes the next day.
