Word on the street: Students and community members celebrate Halloween

This year marks the fourth year in a row that Franklin Street has not closed down for Halloween after the Chapel Hill Police Department — which had previously said it would be closing downtown streets — decided there was not enough pedestrian traffic to warrant a closure.

Halloween on Franklin Street has been a Chapel Hill tradition for years, and community members still showed up in costume on downtown sidewalks. Staff writer Defne Önal asked people about their Halloween experiences.

Lindsey Gorman, Durham resident

“Me and my boyfriend came out to Franklin Street. We met up with some of our friends to Still Life."

“It was crazy in Franklin Street — you could barely walk anywhere. It's just like a crowd of people. So it's like really crazy trying to get past everyone and walk over to Still Life, but Still Life wasn't super crowded, actually. But the other bars had humongous lines, so that's why we went there, because there wasn't a big line."

“There's a lot of good costumes and stuff. So it was cool to see what everyone was wearing and kind of what everyone was doing because I know it hasn't been super big since COVID. So it's cool to see everyone out again."

Joseph England, UNC first-year English and comparative literature and central European studies major

“I’m having a party at one of my friend's dorms — I guess it's just like a little party — with my friends and their friends. It'll be nice. We're having rotisserie chicken and cake.”

Tess McDaniel, UNC junior peace, war and defense and global studies major 

“It was a lot of fun. My roommates and I dressed up as Kiss. It was fun because every time we would walk by a group of people, they would go, ‘It’s Kiss!’”

“I would say it was enthusiastic, but also there were a lot of people who weren’t, I think, super outgoing.”

Jazzy Parker, UNC junior dramatic art major

“I feel like I did more on the Halloween weekend than the Halloween day since it was a Tuesday. I mean, it was definitely fun. I feel like the weekend was more fun because there were more parties and stuff going on.”

Lalith Challari, UNC first-year biology major

“I went out with my friends for the weekend and Still Life, hanging around with them.”

“It was really fun. It was lively.”

Rachel Winfrey, UNC first-year public policy major 

“I felt like it was really overhyped — like on Halloween day — but Halloweekend was better.”

Emma Hobbs, UNC sophomore communication and women’s and gender studies major

“I was Queen of Hearts and my friend was Alice. We were really cold and we went to frat court.”

“It was a lot better than last year, because last year I got sick on Friday and I didn't make it through.”

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