SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) — Although Halloween is Thursday, many are already celebrating this weekend, including a pub crawl in downtown Springfield.

Police are warning people attending the Halloween Pub Crawl to be safe and watch their surroundings. They say Halloween is probably the biggest pub crawl of the year.

“It’s already getting chaotic,” said Sol Terry, who lives in downtown Springfield.

Terry is within walking distance of many of the bars in the area so it can get quite hectic for her.

“I like to have the window open and relax in my apartment, but I could hear people picking up their stupid bikes and yelling and arguing,” Terry said.

With crowds swarming the area, police are going the extra mile by bringing more officers downtown to patrol.

“We have members of our community services section that would work there who are familiar with the area, the business owners and a lot of the people who attend there. And then we also have additional duty officers,” said SPD Lt. Brandon Penrose.

Officers say pub crawls are when they respond to more disturbances and assaults.

“Especially when you mix alcohol into it, that can also make the problem worse.”

SPD will have a mix of officers on foot and in vehicles to keep downtown under control throughout the night.

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