Jul 22, 2008 3:28 pm US/Pacific
SF Halloween Party Moved To SoMa Behind AT&T Park
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―
The city of San Francisco plans to stage its official Halloween celebration in the lot behind AT&T Park this year while promoting smaller gatherings around town to keep crowd sizes manageable and safe.
The city asked businesses in the Castro to close on one of the most lucrative nights of last year to avoid a repeat of 2006 when nine people were injured by gunfire during the street party.
Finding a suitable replacement for what started as an impromptu street fair and had grown over the years into a city-sponsored event attracting up to 100,000 revelers was not easy.
Supervisor Bevan Dufty, whose district includes the Castro, said the complaints about last year have been heard, loud and clear.
"They were glad that things were safe, but they thought that the city ought to be able to do a better job, that San Francisco ought to be able to have a Halloween that would be safe and fun for people," he said.
He said the city does not want any one neighborhood to have to bear such a massive amount of people. An outside events manager will work out details such as whether to sell alcohol outside the ballpark.
Dufty said many of the details have yet to be worked out, but Castro businesses will not be asked to close this year. The city plans to roll out a big promotional campaign in August.
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