Fells Point Restaurants, Bars Will Stay Open Halloween Night
BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) — Many Fells Point restaurants and bars have decided to give Halloween night another go.
This comes one year after they decided to shut their doors early in response to a string of violent incidents in the area of the last couple of years.
In 2016, three people in the bar district were stabbed in a street fight. In another incident, a 22-year-old woman was shot int he foot just north of the main hub of bars.
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As a result, Thames St. closed down at 5 p.m. on Halloween, and other areas closed down to avoid the chaos of the holiday.
In 2015, a man was founded armed with a loaded gun after shots were fired during Halloween activities in the area.
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But this year, they're going to give it another try.
"We've really learned a lot from the last two years," said Beth Hawks, with Zelda's Zen. "It was painful to see this neighborhood shut down the past two years,"
The decision comes after business owners met and agreed to chip in to ensure everyone's safety during the holiday.
"It's time to come back and enjoy the Halloween spirit in Fells Point," said Gail Furman, with Max's Taphouse.
Property and business owners are going as far as agreeing earlier this year to pay out of pocket for private security to make sure people feel safe.
"You come here on the weekends people are out and about all night long," Furman said.
Councilman Zeke Cohen, who oversees Fells Point said it's a trend he and business owners will make sure continues.
"Anyone who comes to do violence, we do not want that there and people are going to be held accountable," Cohen said.
But they warned if neighborhood activity appears to get too rowdy, they will close.
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