This Halloween, thousands of children will flock to Bidwell Street, the trick or treat capital of Macon County.
Bidwell Street has gone all out for Halloween for longer than most residents can remember. Neighbors put up elaborate displays in their yards, assemble a mountain of candy and welcome trick-or-treaters by the busload.
Bidwell Street resident Andrew Raby said it’s one of Franklin’s longest-standing holiday traditions.
“I grew up in Franklin, and I remember trick or treating on Bidwell Street as a kid,” said Raby, who is 33 years old and moved to the street five years ago. “My parents remember trick-or-treating on Bidwell Street. It’s a big deal here.”
The celebration may have started decades ago, but the first organizers probably never imagined how much it would flourish today. Last year, 10-year resident John Pippio recorded 2,000 trick-or-treaters by the end of the night. That’s an exhausting total for the Pippio family, who also host a costume contest in their house, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We’ve seen entire church buses pull up here from as far away as Bryson City,” Pippio says. “It’s a lot to manage, but every year it’s worth it.”
Needless to say, that much patronage requires a ridiculous amount of candy. Fully stocking the celebration is such an expensive endeavor that Dave Linn started a candy drive to help local homeowners offset some of the costs. Linn said the average Bidwell Street household spends about $500 on candy for just the one night.
Fortunately, the Franklin community is very supportive of the tradition, so giving each household a few bonus bags isn’t too difficult.
“It’s a tradition that everybody loves to have around and that we’d like to think is going to last forever,” Linn said.
Nobody is fonder of that tradition than the homeowners themselves. Lynn Meyers is relatively new to Bidwell Street, having moved in three years ago, but she was quick to invest in some big inflatables for her yard to add to the festivities. She likes the way it brings together people from all over the area to do something that makes them happy.
“It’s something that we all love to be a part of,” Meyers said, “It makes me smile.”
Halloween this year falls on Thursday, Oct. 31.
To help out with treats, visit the Bidwell Street Halloween Candy Drive Facebook page.