Following an announcement that the Westbrook/Gorham Community Chamber will no longer organize “Halloween on Main Street” after this year, public interest has led the group to reassess its approach to finding a worthy replacement for the long-running event.

Two weeks ago, chamber President Andrew Cook said the chamber board had made the decision not to continue with the event next year, stating that while it’s a great community event, Halloween on Main Street no longer applied to the organization’s mission to support business growth.

The impetus for the chamber’s decision, he said, is the closing of a large portion of Main Street downtown during peak hours on a Friday, which some business owners say depletes regular business to their doors despite an influx of hundreds of children and families.

“Our stance is that it’s not a bad event, but it kind of goes against what our mission is as a chamber,” Cook said two weeks ago. “We really want to find another organization that will take it over.”

Throughout the years, some downtown businesses have shared concern that people are not there to shop, and that their businesses often lose money, while also having to buy a few hundred dollars worth of candy.

According to longtime chamber board member Suzanne Joyce, public comments following the announcement caused further discussion among chamber members on their decision, and to brainstorm new ways the Halloween event can survive in the downtown.

Joyce, who has helped organize the event since its inception some 17 years ago, said Tuesday that the chamber has been “torn” over the decision to seek alternatives.

“It’s become such a great tradition, but on the other hand there’s the mission statement for the chamber,” she said, adding that since the chamber’s announcement, a handful of residents and businesses have reached out in support of the event.

Joyce said that a few downtown businesses have said they love the annual event, and that at least two community organizations have reached out so far to discuss taking the helm.

“I think we’re just trying to take a step back and listen to everyone,” she said. “Because we know there are some businesses that it is tough on when we close the street. We have to be conscientious of that.”

Bill Baker, Westbrook’s assistant city administrator for business and community relations, called the annual Halloween event a “well-intentioned, well-executed mixed bag.”

“Many people love it and many people feel like they were adversely affected by it, especially if you are trying to serve an eating and drinking crowd when Main Street gets closed,” he said, referring to common critiques of the event.

Baker, who is also a member of the chamber, said Wednesday that he has always hoped the event could be altered, but preserved, by moving it into Riverbank Park or along the riverwalk behind Main Street, with a vision that businesses could set up kiosks.

“That way, the tradition is preserved; kids have a healthy safe alternative to trick-or-treating; participating businesses get the exposure they’re looking for; commerce and traffic on Main Street are uninterrupted; and people are reminded of the beautiful river and riverwalk,” he said.

“I think we just want to make sure that if we pass the torch, it gets passed to an organization that’s going to keep it going in the same tradition,” Joyce said. “That doesn’t mean it has to be on Main Street, but just to keep something going.”

A CLOSER LOOK

Halloween on Main Street in downtown Westbrook takes place on Friday, Oct. 24, from 4:30-6 p.m. Main Street will be shut down between Bridge Street and Westbrook Arterial.