Costume-clad partygoers were out fulfilling their pop-culture fantasies by dressing as current celebrities and icons at Athens' biggest block party of the year.
I'll make all your wildest dreams come true
said Ohio University sophomore Justin Fourman quoting Napolean Dynamite while dressed as the coolest geek to grace the silver screen this year.
Halloween in Athens was certainly a sign of the times with Napolean, the Hilton sisters, Jeopardy superstar Ken Jennings and the Arby's oven mitt parading up and down Court Street.
Michael Koch, a first-year OU student earning his doctorate degree, dressed as Boston Red Sox player Johnny Damon. I hadn't cut or shaved my hair. That's actually what made it fun -people have recognized it he said.
Some OU students say homemade costumes are the best.
You have a chance to get all the details
like real Wendy's bags and cups
said OU senior Libby Willig, dressed as Wendy, from the popular restaurant chain.
OU graduate student Emily Burhans made her giraffe costume, which was 9 feet tall. I wanted to go vertical
she said.
Other students chose to purchase costumes, and local businesses profited from from their sales.
We love it every year. It's hard -we're really busy
but we have fun
said Tony Santone, owner of Banana Road, an Uptown store that specializes in costumes and accessories for Halloween. This was Santone's 26th Halloween in Athens.
Not everyone Uptown was there to take part in the festivities, however.
OU President Roderick McDavis and his wife, Deborah, observed the scene for most of the night. Mrs. McDavis said she and her husband were going to pull an all-nighter.
People seem to be having a good time
acting responsibly
President McDavis said. That's all we want.
Jill Harris, director of Athens County Emergency Management Agency, said she did not see any major safety hazards despite the crowds. A major concern safety teams look for is an excess of people filling the balconies above Court Street, she said.
Religious activists used the gathering as an opportunity to reach out to the masses.
Our main goal is to show God's love. We come out because Jesus came out. What we see is needy people who need the lord
said Rebecca Sammons, while standing with a cross on Court Street. Sammons came to Athens as a representative of the Nazarene Church in Waterford, Ohio.
The Halloween bash draws thousands of people from out of town each year and some consider it a must-see event.
Everybody should come here at least once
