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SAVANNAH COLE
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Wild Rumpus, AthHalf Return
And This Year, Students Are in Town for It All
AthHalf activities kick off Saturday with a health and
fitness expo and 5K run, while the main event takes place
Sunday morning. The half-marathon course, a map of
which can be found at athhalf.com, takes runners through
the streets and neighborhoods of Athens, providing them
with some of the beautiful scenery the city has to offer. The
race will start downtown, then head through Boulevard,
Normaltown and Cobbham before continuing up Milledge
Avenue and through Five Points. The last leg of the course
goes through the UGA campus, with the finish line placed
in Sanford Stadium.
Thirteen miles is a long way to run, but the AthHalf
supports runners of all levels by organizing training groups
prior to and pace groups during the race. AthHalf also pro
vides live music throughout the course to keep the energy
level high.
With this year’s half marathon taking place the morning
after the booze-soaked Wild Rumpus festivities, one ques
tion begs to be answered: Will any Athenians attempt to
participate in both?
Abigail Herndon, a UGA student running in the AthHalf
for the first time this year, has been training for several
months for the big race and says there is no way she will be
attending both events.
“You have got to be really brave and confident in your
running abilities to be able to do that,” Herndon says.
For her part, Helme says she “would not advise it,” but
Timi Conley, director of Wild Rumpus, says, “I’m sure there
will be [people doing both].”
In any case, you can expect to see thousands of Athens
residents and visitors this weekend wearing Halloween cos
tumes or running shoes... or maybe both. ©
By Caroline Gregor editorial@flagpole.com
S ince 2009, the Wild Rumpus Parade and Spectacle
has brought a burst of costumed energy to downtown
Athens the weekend before Halloween. But while the
event has historically taken place during UGA students’ fall
break, rendering it a raucous townie gathering largely free
of college kids, this year, students will be in town.
To add to the madness, the Wild Rumpus isn’t the only
high-profile annual event happening in Athens this week
end. The morning after Athens’ Halloween parade, the
AthHalf half marathon celebrates its own 10th anniversary
with 13.1 miles of fun and fundraising.
Here’s what you can expect during what’s shaping up to
be a busy non-football fall weekend.
Wild Rumpus
Wild Rumpus director Timi Conley, whom you can find
kicking off Saturday’s 11th annual parade dressed as Max
from Where the Wild Things Are, has a love for Halloween
that dates back to his own school days.
“I’ve always done Halloween events since college, and
when I moved to Athens in 1991,1 immediately started
booking Halloween events for my band, and I don’t think
I’ve missed a year,” Conley says. “In 2009, we decided to try
to put on a Halloween parade, and it took off. People just
embraced it, and it’s gotten bigger every year.”
Conley expects turnout for the event to be higher this
year due to UGA students sticking around.
“I’d say there were probably 10,000 people last year, and
I think we may see a huge increase this year because of stu
dents being here,” Conley says.
Starting on Friday with a kickoff party at The Foundry
featuring vampire rocker Unknown Hinson, the festivities
last all day Saturday, with a 5K and fun run that morning
beginning at Creature Comforts and a packed schedule of
parties and concerts.
Events you can expect to encounter over the weekend
include the Royal Rumpus Ball and rooftop concert at the
Georgia Theatre, the Rumpus Rally at Creature Comforts, a
drag show and dance party at 40 Watt with The Kourtesans,
and several other concerts at the Caledonia Lounge, Flicker
Theatre and Bar and Nowhere Bar. (For a full listing of
events, see the Flagpole Calendar or wildrumpus.org.)
just a race—it’s the main
fundraising event for
AthFest Educates, which
awards grants to local
schools, nonprofits and gov
ernment agencies that oper
ate music and arts education programs for young students.
While folks may be participating in the race to achieve per
sonal goals or run with a team, every step they take will go
towards helping students become more acquainted with the
arts. (Read more about this year’s AthFest Educates grants
on p. 14.)
Planning for the AthHalf is an effort that lasts through
out the year. Jill Helme, director of AthFest Educates,
explains the long process of preparing for the predicted
2,300-2,400 runners.
“We start preparing for the AthHalf in January of every
year, and the week of the race we are down to the final
details,” Helme says. “We are in coordination with the 225
volunteers and picking up thousands of gallons of water
and bananas.”
David Lynn, director of planning and outreach for
the Athens Downtown Development Authority (ADDA),
explains how Conley has made the Wild Rumpus one
of Athens’ most popular events. Not only does it bring
together thousands of
Athenians and out-of-town-
ers who are able to connect
through their crazy cos
tumes, but the event is also
a boon to local businesses.
“Typically, Wild Rumpus
is during a ‘down’ weekend
[for] downtown, so it’s a
big economic shot in the
arm during a period that
typically folks are gone for
the Florida game or out
of town,” Lynn says. “The
nice thing about the Wild
Rumpus being at night is
that it doesn’t disrupt our
daytime businesses—it only
enhances our hospitality
industry.”
Downtown events
such as Wild Rumpus are
made possible through the
Community Enhancement
Program, a partnership between the ACC government and
ADDA. The amount allocated annually to this program has
been increased from $60,000 to $90,000, allowing for the
addition of new events and
enhancements to exist
ing parades, concerts and
festivals.
“We’re very proud of
what [Timi] has been able
to do,” says Lynn. “He ele
vated Wild Rumpus up into
the top tier of downtown
events, along with AthFest
and Twilight, and our spon
sorship is reflective of that.”
AthHalf
The AthHalf is more than
WHAT: Wild Rumpus Parade and Spectacle
WHERE: Downtown Athens
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 26,8:30 p.m.
HOW MUCH: FREE!
WHAT: AthHalf Half Marathon
WHERE: Downtown Athens
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 27
HOW MUCH: $90 (registration)
10 FLAGPOLE.COM | OCTOBER 23, 2019