Alachua County Sheriff designates Hawthorne Homecoming Special Event Zone to discourage block parties

HAWTHORNE, Fla. (WCJB) - The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is taking measures ahead of the annual Hawthorne Homecoming event to manage the expected large crowds that historically occur around the event.

On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office notified the public that a Special Event Zone will be in effect in portions of the Hawthorne area from 6:00 p.m. this Saturday until 4:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Sheriff’s office officials say the move is not directed at the official Hawthorne Homecoming event, which has been a community tradition for 94 years.

“We know from previous years that Hawthorne Homecoming is actually a wonderful annual event,” said Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Chris Sims. “We enjoy celebrating Hawthorne Homecoming, I believe, just as much as the residents. It’s what happens when the sun goes down that we have concerns with.”

Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott approved the designation to allow deputies to address traffic concerns and illegal activity on the roadways surrounding the permitted event near Shell Elementary.

Officials say in prior years, thousands of attendees have gathered outside the permitted event, blocking roadways. The block parties contained people drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs in public.

“This is primarily related to unsanctioned, unpermitted events where there’s a gathering of 50 or more people,” Sims said. “What happens is as that message spreads, last we saw almost 1,000 people in an unsanctioned event, they blocked major roadways.”

Florida law allows departments to designate Special Event Zones when they suspect a large unpermitted gathering will occur. Within the zone, drivers can be subjected to the following:

• All fines for noncriminal traffic infractions are doubled.
• Vehicles involved in noncriminal traffic infractions or criminal traffic violations may be impounded for up to 72 hours.
• Additional traffic enforcement and occupancy enforcement measures may be utilized when necessary to protect public safety.

The sheriff’s office will post warning signs on the roads entering the Special Event Zone, which will encompass the Hawthorne area.

Sheriff Scott has issued the following statement regarding his decision to approve the designation of a Special Event Zone:

“Our goal is not to interfere with lawful celebrations of our annual Hawthorne Homecoming, but to ensure the safety of residents, visitors, and motorists traveling through the area. The Special Event Zone provides deputies with additional tools to address dangerous traffic violations, reduce congestion, and maintain public order. We want everyone to enjoy the weekend safely and return home without incident.”

Homecoming organizers say they support the sheriff’s office’s efforts to keep attendees safe.

“We were surprised and then we were thankful to know that we are surrounded by ASO,” said Silvia Ardley, president of the Hawthorne Homecoming Committee. “They’re keeping us safe, they’re going to make sure things don’t jump off that have no business jumping off.”

Ardley emphasized that the official Homecoming celebration is a family-friendly event and that organizers want to preserve the tradition for future generations.

“We want to keep it a family event, we want people to keep coming home,” Ardley said. “Homecoming will still be going on. We want to keep it for another 94 years, so we want them to come and enjoy the 94 and just have a good time and feel safe and protected while you’re here.”

Sims said the goal of the Special Event Zone is to prevent dangerous situations before they occur.

“It’s not the sanctioned event that we’re concerned about, it’s the aftermath,” Sims said. “If we have to knock on one door and tell one person that their loved one is gone because of one of these pop-up parties ... then we didn’t do our job.”

The sheriff’s office is encouraging residents and visitors to follow traffic laws, comply with law enforcement instructions and celebrate responsibly throughout the weekend.

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