If you’ve had the privilege of experiencing spooky season in the cozy town of Franklin, NC, then you probably know that Bidwell Street is the place to be on Halloween night.
Over the years, Bidwell has gained popularity due to the extravagant decorations and festivities from neighborhood residents, becoming known as a cherished Halloween landmark for residents of Franklin.
Halloween in Franklin is quite unique compared to other towns; Bidwell is the sole dedicated street for trick-or-treating.
This year, trick or treaters of all ages lined up as early as 4 PM to enjoy the festivities.
If you went trick or treating this year, or even just drove by, you would’ve seen that all of the neighboring parking lots (Sunset Restaurant, Franklin Fire Department, the old Ingles, etc.) were completely filled with people planning to walk up Bidwell.
At around 6:30 PM, already well into the celebration, I showed up to trick or treat with friends and admire the decorations. During my time on Bidwell, I was able to not only soak in the festivities, but to get some insight on what Halloween is like for the residents of Bidwell street.
When asked about his favorite part of Halloween on Bidwell, resident of 16 years John Pippio humorously said, “Probably packing it up.”
Walking through the crowd, it seemed that some of the most popular costumes of the night were characters from the hit Netflix movie K-pop demon hunters, as well as pairs dressed as a six and a seven in honor of the viral 67 meme.
Joanna Vazquez, who is a junior at FHS, said, “I like trick or treating on Bidwell because you get to see everyone and their costumes.”
From the cherished childhood memories to a strong sense of community, Halloween on Bidwell will be a tradition that prospers for generations to come.
As Marley Dillard, Grade 11, said, “Trick or treating on Bidwell is always a blast.”
