Halloween on Franklin Street

Halloween on Franklin Street is an annual street celebration in Chapel Hill where the road fills with costumed crowds from evening onward. Local shops and restaurants stay open late to serve the visitors who move continuously through the downtown area.

The celebration began in the 1980s as a small gathering of local residents and University of North Carolina students on Franklin Street. Over time it expanded into a major event that draws thousands from surrounding areas.

The celebration draws students, families, and visitors who dress up and move through downtown, making the street a shared costume showcase. People of all ages walk side by side, creating a collective experience where costumes and the street itself become part of the festive identity.

Franklin Street closes to car traffic in the early evening, and police presence increases throughout the area. Walking is the only practical way to move through the celebration, so arrive early to experience calmer conditions.

One edition of the celebration drew around 80,000 participants, far exceeding the city population at that time and prompting new crowd control measures. This unexpected scale revealed how the event had grown beyond its original neighborhood roots.

Location: North Carolina

GPS coordinates: 35.91300,-79.05500

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:21