Halloween on Franklin Street: What roads will close, what not to bring, and family events
Chapel Hill will close streets around downtown Tuesday ahead of what could be the biggest Halloween-night crowd since 2019.
Weekend events for families and older party-goers are also planned in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
The town’s annual Halloween gathering is legendary for attracting 60,000 or more in the past to the quarter-mile strip of East Franklin Street, between Henderson and North Columbia streets.
In 2008, the town acted to rein in the crowds with a “Homegrown Halloween” event aimed at residents and UNC-Chapel Hill students. In 2020, the event was canceled for the first time in decades because of COVID, and it was discouraged in 2021, resulting in fewer crowds.
Last year, the party returned, but with smaller numbers after a storm kept many people away. The revelers stayed on the sidewalks, leaving the streets open for traffic.
This year, the weather will be chilly, dropping from the upper 50s to 35 degrees overnight.
What roads will be closed?
The town anticipates closing multiple streets to traffic between 8 and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to protect pedestrians and cyclists:
▪ Franklin Street, from Raleigh Street to Church Street
▪ Columbia Street, from Rosemary Street to Cameron Avenue
▪ Roads feeding into those streets may also be closed
What not to bring to Franklin Street
Law enforcement from several local agencies, including the Chapel Hill, Carrboro and UNC police departments and Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies, will help with crowd control.
They are asking spooks and goblins to leave these items at home, or face being turned back or having these items confiscated:
▪ Open containers of alcohol
▪ Weapons, or items that look like or could be used as weapons
▪ Drones
Fun events for the family
The towns of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro also will have fun, family-friendly events leading up to Halloween night. The mostly free events will be held outdoors and are subject to weather.
▪ Halloween Carnival: Free games, prizes and fun for all ages from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, at the Town Commons, located next to Carrboro Town Hall at 301 W. Main St. Treats also will be available for purchase, including popcorn, sodas, hot chocolate, apple cider and coffee.
▪ Hillsborough Halloween Spirit’s Tour: The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and The Orange Community Players will host the annual Spirit’s Tours beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, and 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28.
The hourlong tours featuring spooky tales and ghostly residents from town history will leave from the Hillsborough Visitors Center, 150 E. King St., every 20 minutes, with the last tour leaving at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for senior adults and students, and $8 for children ages 5-12. Find more information and tickets at tinyurl.com/5n7t9vvp.
▪ Halloween in Hillsborough: The town’s Last Friday and Art Walk events combine to create a Halloween event in downtown Hillsborough, featuring trick-or-treating with local merchants from 3 to 6 p.m., a maker’s market, and pumpkin carving and a Glow Walk hosted by the Colonial Inn. Bring your own materials for the pumpkin carving.
The event also honors Día de los Muertos with puppetry, visual arts, music, and a pop-up dance performance at sunset by the Living Ofrenda and the Aztec dance group, Danza Guerreros Quetzacoatl de Durham on Court Street. Hosted by local portrait photographer Monica Meyer and Sol Ramirez, founder & director of 1,2,3 Puppetry.
▪ Haunted Hill: Begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Chapel Hill Community Center, 120 S. Estes Drive. A Trunk-or-Treat from 5 to 6:30 p.m. will give children the opportunity to trick-or-treat for pre-packaged Halloween candy, play games and join other activities. Anyone interested in hosting a candy-filled trunk should register online.
At 7 p.m., the Movie in the Park program will host a showing of “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Parking is free, and also available at the nearby Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Post Office, and Wells Fargo Bank buildings.
▪ Halloween Party: Partygoers must register in advance for the Specialized Recreation program’s Halloween Party at the Carrboro Century Center. Participants ages 15 and older can dress in costumes and bring their favorite CDs or iPod. Refreshments and a photo booth will be provided. The party costs $3 per person and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, at 100 N. Greensboro St. Register online at tinyurl.com/2p8v3rht.
