Chastain Park residents are asking concert organizers to reconsider a Halloween night show at Synovus Bank Amphitheater, saying the added traffic could create a dangerous mix with thousands of neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
The Oct. 31 Steve Lacy concert is expected to draw roughly 6,200 people, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The Chastain Park Civic Association is asking that the show be moved to another date, with Nov. 1 suggested as an alternative.
Neighbors say the streets are the problem
Civic association president Joe York said many streets around the amphitheater do not have sidewalks, meaning children, parents, wagons and scooters often use the roadway on Halloween night.
Residents worry that concert traffic could back up major roads and push additional vehicles onto neighborhood streets at the same time families are outside trick-or-treating. The concern is less about the concert itself than the date and the overlap with one of the neighborhood’s busiest pedestrian nights.
Live Nation says it is coordinating with local officials
Live Nation told FOX 5 that organizers are meeting with the City of Atlanta, Sandy Springs and the civic association and said they are confident the show can be operated while remaining mindful of nearby residents.
The City of Atlanta had not publicly detailed its traffic-control plan in the reporting reviewed. Unless the date changes, the practical question now is what additional traffic and pedestrian-safety measures are put in place before Oct. 31.
