Hallowbaloo, a major Halloween event in Honolulu’s Chinatown, is officially canceled.
The street party usually includes live music and booths with different vendors. According to KITV 4, organizers could not get a permit from the city in time to host the event. Co-producer Mark Tarone said there were concerns about drivers having right of way to the festival.
Business owners in the area say that Hallowbaloo is one of the biggest revenue generators of the year. The night could constitute anywhere from 10 to 30% of their income for October, Hawaii News Now reports.
“I was just really disappointed. We’ve been depending on this month. Making a lot of money, having a lot of people come out,” Jasmine Mancos, with Proof Bar, told Hawaii News Now.
Don Murphy, owner of “Murphy’s Bar and Grille” in Chinatown, told KITV4 he has worked with DTS several times before and has never had an issue obtaining a permit.
The Office of Mayor Rick Blangiardi has issued a statement about the permit refusal.
“The City objected to the sale and consumption of alcohol on all of the public streets within the multi-block Chinatown area, which is what the organizers initially requested, but if the organizers had submitted their documentation on time, along with a plan that was agreed upon by both parties, the permit would have been granted,” the statement said according to Hawaii News Now.
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