Halloween revelers not deterred by rain

Franklin Street might see a different kind of flooding tonight as costume-adorned students flock to the popular Halloween spot.

Despite the recent cold weather, students say they still plan to head to Franklin Street for people-watching.

“Usually a lot of people come out and if the weather is bad, maybe people will only go out for a minute to see what’s going on,” said sophomore Robert Register.

But local officials are once again hoping to curb the celebration — which peaked at a crowd of 80,000 in 2007 — through the fifth Homegrown Halloween.

Freshman Hannah Goulding, who is going as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, said she is excited for her first Halloween in Chapel Hill.

“We are just adapting to the weather,” she said. “We are all just planning to dress warmer.”

And town officials have readied themselves for the influx of crowds on Franklin Street.

At a press conference last week, Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the town’s Homegrown Halloween event will once again help curb crowds and keep students safe.

“It’s smaller, more fun, more festive, but most importantly it’s more safe,” said Kleinschmidt.

Roughly 300 law enforcement officers from the Triangle area will staff the event.

“All hands are on deck,” said Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue.

Kleinschmidt said he is proud of the progress Homegrown Halloween has made since its inception in 2008.

Halloween in Chapel Hill used to draw visitors and students from all across the state to Franklin Street.

But the crowd also sparked concern about safety. In 2007, 20 people were arrested over the course of the night.

Since the town implemented Homegrown Halloween — which limits access to Franklin Street — crowd size has decreased dramatically.

In 2011, there were roughly 27,000 people and only 3 arrests on Franklin Street.

Kleinschmidt said since Halloween is on a Wednesday, it might discourage people from flocking to Franklin.

Bars and restaurants will shut their doors to new customers beginning at 1 a.m., and all will charge a $5 cover.

“It makes sure everyone stays safe,” said Top of the Hill owner Scott Maitland, who represented the business community at the press conference.

But students said the limited access to the bars won’t stop them from celebrating.

Freshman Blake Aldridge said he plans to spend his Halloween on Franklin Street.

“I’ve heard pretty cool things,” he said. “I heard it gets pretty wild.”

Contact the desk editor at

city@dailytarheel.com.