For some people, the Halloween fun kicks off on Thursday and several bars and restaurants in the Tampa Bay area are preparing for a busy weekend.
Saturday night is expected to be the biggest night of the weekend as hundreds of people make their way to the SoHo district in South Tampa.
A portion of Howard Avenue will be blocked off to traffic at night.
The Grove SoHo has been planning for this weekend for the last three months.
“Halloween is going to be a rager,” Manager Stephanie Quiroz said. “I’m sure along the whole block you’re going to see thousands of people through the whole weekend.”
MacDinton’s Irish Pub built a chain-link fence around the parking lot to handle the massive crowds expected. However, those who live nearby are also preparing for the crowds and what could be left behind after the weekend of partying winds down.
“There’s definitely a good amount of trash on Thursdays through Sunday,” Victor Demello said.
Demello avoids walking his dogs along portions of Howard Avenue where the bars are located because of the trash left behind.
“I would definitely like to walk them on that street, that’s a big reason why I moved here,” he said. “But I can’t. I absolutely cannot.”
However, others have become familiar with the trash that builds up through the weekend.
“It’s inevitable when you have a bustling city,” Brian Burford said. “I’m just used to that. The trash never makes its way into my apartment complex so it’s never really that much of a problem.”
Quiroz said she’s taking the community’s concerns into consideration and offering reassurance about their plan to clean up once the weekend comes to an end.
“We make sure that our staff cleans the street,” Quiroz said. “That’s what we do for our community. We’ll clean up our side of the street and any trash that we can.”
Tampa police officers have been meeting throughout the week as they prepare for their “Safe Halloween Operation” this weekend.
There will be an increased police presence throughout several areas of the city.
Source: News Channel8
