Athens Ohio Halloween Block Party facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athens Halloween Block Party |
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View of the crowd from the stage facing South Union Street at the height of Echo Mecca's set during 2015's Halloween Block Party
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| Genre | Block party |
| Date(s) | Saturday falling closest to October 31st |
| Begins | 1:00P.M. (EST) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Athens, Ohio United States |
| Inaugurated | October 31, 1974 |
| Participants | Athens County residents Ohio University students, college students statewide |
| Attendance | ~10,000-36,000 |
| Website | http://www.athenshalloween.com/ |
Halloween in Athens, Ohio is a huge yearly party held in Uptown Athens, Ohio. Even though it's called a "block party," the fun spreads across many streets. You can also find smaller parties happening all over the city.
Every year, on the Saturday closest to Halloween, between 10,000 and 30,000 people come to Athens. Most of them are dressed in awesome costumes! Ohio University and the City of Athens work together to make sure everyone stays safe. They bring in extra helpers to manage the large crowds.
History of the Athens Halloween Party
The big Halloween party in Athens, Ohio started way back in 1974. That year, people in costumes stopped traffic on Court Street for two hours on Halloween night.
In 1975, the party didn't happen in the same way. But by 1976, the crowds were back on Court Street. In 1977, the Athens City Council made it official. They decided to close Court Street to cars for a proper Halloween celebration.
Ohio University also helped plan fun activities. These included a costume contest, live music, and even a giant cake for everyone to enjoy!
In 1978, the city and university supported the party again. However, because of some challenges that year, they decided to pause their official support in 1979. Even without official help, the party still went on!
The event kept growing through the 1980s and 1990s. Then, in 1990, the City of Athens officially recognized the block party once more.
The Party Today
The Halloween Block Party in Athens continues to be a popular yearly event. Both Ohio University and the City of Athens keep working on ways to manage the large crowds. Over the past few years, their safety plans have been very successful.
See Also
- Halloween
- Block party
