Students paint pumpkins at the Memphis Honors Student Council and Up 'til Dawn's booth Oct. 25. Out of 100 cities Memphis was ranked as the 97th best place to celebrate Halloween by WalletHub.com, a personal finance website.
Memphis residents are preparing for this weekend’s Halloween-themed festivities even though the city ranks among the worst places to celebrate Halloween.
A new study released by the personal finance website WalletHub classified Memphis as 97th best place to celebrate Halloween out of the 100 most populated cities.
The survey judged cities based on three key metrics: "trick-or-treating friendliness," "Halloween fun" and "Halloween weather." The lowest of these metrics for Memphis was trick-or-treating friendliness, where they ranked 97th.
Derek Myers, assistant director for University of Memphis police services, said students should stay alert and aware of where they are for their safety, as well as others’ well being during the Halloween holiday.
“When students are going to and from adult parties, they just need to be responsible and be aware of their surroundings,†Myers said. “Drivers need to be aware, especially when there might be kids out trick or treating. The most important thing is visibility.â€
Myers said campus incidents do not usually spike during this time, but there was one DUI arrest made on campus in 2015.
 “From Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 last year, we only had three complaints during that time span,†Myers said.
For those wanting to celebrate Halloween in Memphis, the annual “Sinners for Saints†party stretches across three venues with food, drinks, live music and a costume contest on Oct. 28.
Memphis resident Justin Hipner created this annual Halloween party three years ago to benefit the Church Health Center.
“I think Memphis is a great place for Halloween because our unique culture lends a particular stamp on it,†Hipner said.
Hipner’s favorite part of the event is when everyone comes together to create a safe and fun atmosphere for the community.
“We’ve gotten so much support from downtown businesses,†Hipner said. “The first year we didn’t really know what we were doing, but we’re proud to have raised over five figures for charity.â€
Hipner began the Halloween parties in his loft downtown but wanted the parties to grow, so he joined forces with a local group who put on Halloween parties at Earnestine and Hazel’s. Then, they decided to begin a marketing campaign and find a larger location.
“We signed Lord T & Eloise (a local rap musical group) as a hope to attract more people, reached out to local bloggers and posters and shelled out over $12,000 to offer higher-end products to the guests,†Hipner said.
Tickets for the party usually sell out in advance, and Hipner said people are “lining up and offering double the ticket price to get in.â€
However, not every U of M student is headed out to party this Halloween weekend. James Kirk, senior sociology major at the U of M, said he would be doing something good for the community with his social work internship.
“I’ll probably just wear a simple costume and pass out candy for the kids,†Kirk said. “It’s tough for these kids sometimes, so it will be good to spend time with them.â€
Kirk said the campus gay-straight alliance Stonewall Tigers is hosting a Halloween party Friday, which he will probably attend.
“Anyone can come,†Kirk said. “You don’t have to be a member – just come have fun.â€
