Since the 1970s, goblins, ghouls and Angry Birds alike have descended on Court Street in conjunction with the guile of Halloween spirits.
Jonathan Holmberg, the chairman of the Athens Clean and Safe Halloween Committee, has seen myriad activities during the annual Block Party, including mattress burning, car flipping and fighting.
“One of the wildest Halloweens was the year when it was 80 degrees out … (The city) thought they were going to have a riot,” he said. “That was the same year someone decided to try to set off the fire hydrant.”
Tom Pyle, Athens’ chief of police, said the event has also evolved in terms of crowd size, rowdiness and city involvement.
“The event started as confrontations between the students and police,” he said.
“But it’s now a City of Athens event and it’s more of a festival compared to the way it started in the ’70s, as an illegal takeover.”
Brandon Thompson, an Athens native, has taken to the bricks for every Athens Halloween Block Party since the late ’90s. Based on his experience, Thompson said he believes the party has changed over the years, ultimately calming from the riotous Halloween celebration of 40 years ago.
“It has been quieter, but as far as rowdiness and number, it has weaned a bit,” he said. “I mean, (Halloween) used to be just wild.”
1976: The Beginning
Though the exact origin of the Block Party is unknown, coverage of the extravaganza dates back to 1976.
The event attracted approximately 500 partygoers on a rainy Saturday night, stopping traffic and forcing city officials to close down Court Street for four-and-a-half hours, according to a previous Post article.
“If it was up to me, it wouldn’t be that way. The streets would be cleared,” a police officer told The Post in 1976.
The fest began after 1,000–1,500 costumed students attended an event in the old Baker Center. However, when the center closed, the crowd migrated to Uptown. The journey included firecrackers and broken bottles.
The night ended in the early morning, and highlights included three men sporting their birthday suits on a rooftop, several open-container arrests and a group flipping a parked Volkswagen.
“It was not clear whether the Block Party was a success,” James Hartman, the then-associate dean of students, told The Post in 1976. “I know the people in Baker Center had a good time. I think it was a success in that the students appreciated the bands and dressing-up costume judging. They had a good time.”
As a result of the unruly events, local policeman were reported to be humiliated after then-Mayor Donald Barrett forbade officials from removing disorderly partiers from Court Street.
“When it comes to playing politics in law enforcement, there’s no room for it,” patrolman Chuck Misner told The Post in 1976.
Despite concerns, the mayor did not resign, and instead instated a new set of safety precautions for police.
1977: Sweet Celebration
Dancers and revelers once again flocked Uptown in 1977, drawing a crowd of 7,000. The jubilation marked the first year the city — and university — became involved in planning the event, though it was not yet sanctioned.
Officials were optimistic in the days leading up to the event that the party would remain under control, and they were not mistaken; only 85 students were arrested during the celebration, the majority from out-of-town, even though a fire was spotted as students set the local deli ablaze.
“I think OU students conducted themselves very well under the circumstances,” Mayor Barrett told The Post in ’77.
Entertainment included music, a 4-by-8-foot cake created by Food Services and a Marching 110 performance near the Athens County Courthouse. Students donning tampon and elephant costumes also took action by climbing signs and telephone poles.
As a result, officials were wary of making the Halloween shenanigans an annual affair.
“I don’t even want to think about Halloween for another 11 months,” Hartman told The Post.
The university would later make a point to avoid outside guests in 1978, though its efforts were ineffective as the festival attracted 15,000–20,000 patrons, marking one of the largest block parties in Athens.
1985: Day of Destruction
The 1985 party, known as one of the most destructive years in the history of the Athens Halloween Block Party, saw a Convo fire that caused about $350,000 in damage.
It took crews six hours to tame the flames, and the cause and orientation for the fire were never determined, nor was its association with the Block Party ever proven.
Officials such as Joel Rudy, the dean of students in 1985, were unsure of how a major disaster would be handled if it fell on the same night as the festivities.
“If we ever get hit with a major disaster during Halloween, I hate to think what could happen,” he told The Post in 1985. “We can’t handle it.”
The year’s celebration captured the interests of about 12,000 revelers, and only a total of 102 arrests were reported, 12 of which were OU students.
The Athens Clean and Safe Halloween Committee also became involved in the organization of the festivities. The group comprised 25 local business owners who financed the attempt to help control raucous crowds. Despite its involvement, partiers were as rowdy as in years past, breaking windows and defacing property.
“You can structure it and program it, but the people are coming for a drunken brawl,” Police Chief Ted Jones told The Post. “The only way to make Halloween a positive event is to destroy it and put it back together, keeping in mind the kind of clientele you want to draw.”
Bruce Mitchell, the co-chairman of the committee, had an opposing outlook.
“Tonight reaffirms Halloween is a strong tradition in Athens and a joyous holiday — no deep meaning, but just fun,” he said.
1995: Finally Sanctioned
Marking one of the first years with booked entertainment by the city and additional efforts to make the party a safe endeavor, 1995 brought with it costumes such as Elvis, angels and devils.
Local arrest rates decreased slightly, with only 882 in cuffs compared to the 897 the previous year. Only 17 of those arrested in ’95 were OU students.
The city also put in place a 10-man cleanup crew based on a volunteer program. Beginning at 2 a.m., the committee was responsible for six streets, including Court and Union streets.
Tom Pyle, then a lieutenant with the Athens Police, said the process ran smoothly.
2000: Mellowing Out
With a smaller crowd and a low arrest count, 2000 was known as one of the calmer additions to the Halloween tradition.
Holmberg, then considered the overall event organizer, said the crowd was one of the most mellow he had seen in 20 years.
Overall, only 42 people were arrested on Friday and 86 on Saturday, with about 47 of the offenders actually seeing jail time. The low numbers were attributed to local police efforts to control the party. Vernon Castle, county sheriff at the time, said it was the best-behaved crowd he had seen.
Though the rendezvous was known to be a bit calmer, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Filmmaker Michael Moore showed up for the event, Holmberg said.
2010: Fully Flushed
Just two years ago, the annual party began at 9 p.m. the last Saturday of October.
Though the party was known to be relatively calm, a suspicious fire broke out on the roof of the Athena Grande at 7 p.m., causing about $2,000 worth of damage.
A call was also made in regards to a suicide attempt, and a juvenile was reported to be missing.
Becky Watts, OU’s former chief of staff, told The Post in 2010 that a surprise was also left outside of Scripps Hall — an abandoned toilet that was found at 5:45 a.m.
2012: Back to the Future
Though it is impossible to tell what revelers might have in store for this year’s edition of the Block Party, a few traditions have been brought back from Halloween past.
Holmberg said that, thanks to a Four Loko sponsorship, Saturday night will host a return of the costume contest. And, as usual, the evening will also feature local musicians on the North and South stages.
In addition, Pyle, now Athens’ chief of police, said the department will also be on the lookout for any disorderly patrons or open containers.
— Previous editions of The Post provided all information about past Halloween Block Parties in Athens.
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