The city is preparing for streets packed full of goblins, demons and fairies with Halloween just around the corner.

Policies from last year have changed to better prepare the city for this year's Halloween festivities.

This year, food vendors will set up on West Union and Mill streets between Court and College streets, said Wayne Key, Athens service-safety director. Non-food vendors will be located on Court Street. Vendors have been moved from last year's Washington Street location near the parking garage because of safety concerns.

Six bands will play at the Halloween bandstand this year, Jonathan Holmberg said. Of the six groups scheduled to perform, The Cactus Pears, Guest, Caravan and Planet 12 have confirmed they will play.

The bandstand is funded by donations; contributors include Budweiser and local businesses. Bands also participated in fund raising, Holmberg said.

The bandstand will remain in the same location, at the corner of Court and Union streets, Key said.

The time change that falls on Halloween night will have no effect on the festivities, said Athens Mayor Richard Abel. "At two o'clock it becomes one o'clock and time goes on," he said. "It was the same last year."

The festivities are not on a set time clock. Things will end when people go home, Abel said.

Court Street will be closed to motorists from President to Carpenter streets from 12 p.m. Oct. 30 until 3 a.m. Oct. 31.

Guest parking will be a problem, but parking will be available at the County Fair Grounds again this year. The cost to park there has increased to $10 per car per day, Abel said. A shuttle service from the fairgrounds into town will be provided for a fee of $1, Key said.

A small amount of parking will be reserved for city employees working over the weekend and for out-of-town law enforcement officers. Guests also can park in open city lots and in private lots made available by the owners.

To help guests and residents, the city has created four Safety Teams to monitor the activities during the Halloween festivities. Each team will have four members wearing white jackets with the City of Athens and Safety Team logos on them to make team members easy to identify, Abel said.

The Safety Teams are composed of city employees who will walk around the neighborhoods in the afternoon to act as a resource, telling visitors where they can park and giving directions, Abel said.

During the evening festivities each Safety Team will have a block on Court Street to patrol and inform guests of city rules. The Safety Team members have no arrest powers, Abel said.

"(Safety Team members') mission is safety and they are information resources for the city, too," Abel said.

- Jenny Elig contributed to this story.