Celebration in City of Athens to take place Oct. 26

On Saturday, Oct. 26, an annual Halloween celebration will take over the uptown area in Athens. The City of Athens will close off the uptown area to vehicular traffic from Saturday, Oct. 26 starting at 10 a.m.; however, some sections of uptown Athens will be closed by 6 a.m. on Oct. 26, including W. Union between Congress and Court, and Court between State and Carpenter. The streets will open once again to vehicular traffic at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27. 

The annual street party includes live music and an opportunity for partygoers to display their creative costumes. There will be family-oriented activities taking place in the uptown area between 1 and 6 p.m. on Oct. 26, including the Honey for the Heart parade, which starts at 6 p.m. and features larger than life puppets created by a local group.

In preparation for Halloween weekend Ohio University’s Transportation and Parking Services will begin placing signage on Friday, Oct. 25, however parking lots will still be open and operating under the standard parameters. Parking restrictions will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26. Specific restrictions will be indicated on each parking lot sign as well.

Although not a school-sanctioned event, Ohio University recognizes that this is an event in which many students participate; the following guidelines and safety information (PDF) are aimed at keeping everyone as safe as possible.