The City of West Hollywood is reminding people that its annual Halloween Carnaval, which has attracted tens of thousands of people every October since it began in 1987, is cancelled this year.
The cancellation is required to comply with an order from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that bans public gatherings of more than 10 people because of the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The Health Department also recommends that children not be allowed to do door-to-door trick or treating because of the difficulty in maintaining social distancing on porches and at front door. And if anyone answers a ring or knock on the front door, he or she should be wearing a face covering. “Trunk or treating,” where children go from car to car instead of door to door to receive treats, is also not recommended, particularly when part of Halloween events, since it is difficult to avoid crowding and sharing food.
Halloween Carnaval attracts masses of people from across Southern California who walk up and down Santa Monica Boulevard in their funny and often eccentric Halloween costumes, stopping along the way to listen to music performed on street stages and taking selfies and pictures of others.
In anticipation of people coming to WeHo on Saturday night despite the ban, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station is going to be rolling out metal bins at various intersections that will block a flood of traffic. However, deputies will not close the streets to traffic, which means visitors will not be able to walk the streets as they do during the normal Carnaval. Sheriff’s deputies also will be enforcing the requirement that people wear face coverings when outside and may issue citations to those who don’t. Such citations come with a $250 fine and an additional $50 processing fee.
In a statement reminding people of the cancellation, the City of West Hollywood says it will issue a curfew if there is overcrowding “in order to protect public health and avoid the potential for a COVID-19 super spreader event.” If a curfew is issued, people will be ordered off the streets and sidewalks and sent home for the night.
As usual, some restaurants will be serving meals in areas on the sidewalk or in the city’s “outzones” in public parking spaces along Santa Monica Boulevard. Given the possibility of large crowds on the sidewalks, the city recommends that people order food for pickup or delivery instead.
In May 2020, the City Council approved the cancellation of all major special events through the end of 2020. That included the Pride parade and festival in June, Halloween Carnaval, and New Year’s Eve events. In its reminder of this year’s suspension of Carnaval, the city said it looks forward to celebrating Halloween Carnaval in the future when activities for public gatherings are permitted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
A curfew will most definitely be issued based on the droves of people heading there tonight for the 5 businesses that are open down there.
Now the issue is what will the City do in 2021? This event costs $2 million and the supposed benefits of increased sales and hotel tax hardly make a dent in the costs to host this event. Even our special events staff have made comments about this event getting out of control and now is the time for the City to re-think this holiday. Will it make any sense to have a event with 300,000 to 400,000 revelers in October 2012? Will we be post COVID by that date? Does this event warrant the expense when the City will still… Read more »
Sometimes it’s not about the money. The Halloween Carnival is uniquely a part of WeHo’s identity and tradition. I look forward to it every year, so please let’s not start talking about ending it.
Not wise. Time for the city to leave Peter Pan Land and enter into adulthood with requisite behavior. Also time to consider leaner budgets, self discipline and responsibility. We have become a nation of undisciplined whiners. Why has China since March flattened the curve into a near flatline and is working with various head’s up Western Medical entities in Integrated Techniques? They will be the world leader in this. The U.S. could have been a partner in this benefitting the global environment but that wasn’t to the taste of the Trump administration. I’m not suggesting China’s form of government but… Read more »
they should cxl it. insane to spend tax dollars on an event like this.
So what time are we predicting they start ordering people off the boulevard?
While the possibility of a double disaster is teeing up on Halloween and Election Night, it is surprising that the city has not made visible any contingencies before the chaos begins.
Remember the pandemic and the city being right on top of the mask protocol?
While canceling Carnaval makes perfect sense, I am not so sure about blocking intersections. I think it may have the opposite of the desired effect and encourage more visitors to come and walk in the street. I guess the question is how crowded the sidewalks would get if traffic was allowed to flow freely. We shall see…
Who is being pretentious at city hall and spelling carnival in Portuguese the way they spell it in Brazil? Is Weho carnival officially spelled that way now?
I don’t think the cancellation of the Halloween Carnival will stop some people from coming out to celebrate.The Burning Man festival in Nevada was cancelled this year and people still came out in small gatherings in the middle of that desert to do some commingling.Look for a lot of people on the sidewalks this year to celebrate Halloween regardless.
Hi hifi5000-
And it falls on a Saturday unfortunately. I have a feeling you will be proven correct.
silver lining.