Chapel Hill businesses pan Halloween celebration

Chapel Hill, N.C. — A new survey paints an unfavorable picture of Chapel Hill's downtown Halloween bash.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce surveyed businesses directly impacted by the annual party, which attracts thousands of people and shuts down Franklin Street.

Twenty-eight percent of downtown businesses said Halloween night had a negative impact on business, compared with 24 percent who reported a boost in revenue.

Forty-five percent of those businesses reported slight damage from the revelry, while another 19 percent reported major damage to their establishments.

Other downtown events got better reviews from business owners, with only 9 percent saying those events were bad for business.

Chamber officials said they would present the findings to town leaders to see what, if any, changes need to be made for Halloween.