Glenwood Avenue Closures for Halloween and the Marathon

If you're planning to spend Halloween weekend in Glenwood South, you'll want to know that a stretch of Glenwood Avenue will be closed to traffic starting Saturday afternoon, October 31. The closure runs between Hillsborough Street and Peace Street and stays in place until the City of Oaks Marathon is finished on Sunday, November 1. According to WRAL, the city is closing the street to get the area ready for Saturday night's activities and for the marathon, which starts at 7:00 a.m. the next morning. No exact time for the Saturday afternoon closure has been announced yet, so it's worth checking the city's updates before you head downtown.

The marathon route runs through downtown Raleigh and Glenwood South, and the city says the streets will be cleared before race time. Runners and organizers will have the road to themselves, and anyone arriving before 7:00 a.m. will be able to get into the area. Triangle Local reported that the city is also asking people to carpool or use rideshare, since traffic around the closures is expected to be heavy. The full marathon course closes at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, so anyone planning to drive through the area on race morning should keep that window in mind.

Saturday night will also be busy for another reason, since NC State's homecoming football game against California kicks off at noon that day at Carter-Finley Stadium. The city's concerns about crowds in Glenwood South go back to July 4, when large numbers of teenagers and adults gathered in the area and several people were hurt in shootings. On Tuesday, October 27, Raleigh Police Lt. David Davis described plans for extra officers in Glenwood South, with help from other agencies and some officers working on their days off. He also said that anyone under 21 will not be allowed inside any of the establishments in the district.

For more background on the press conference and the safety plans, ABC11's downtown Raleigh page has been following the Halloween and marathon closures. Residents of nearby neighborhoods have also raised concerns in recent months about noise, litter, and crowds, and the city's plans are meant to address those issues during the holiday weekend. If you're heading to Glenwood South this weekend, plan your route early, expect slower traffic around Glenwood Avenue, and check back for the exact closing time once it's announced.