Several shop owners in Wake Forest closed their doors early Friday night and are pushing back on a popular community event.
Friday Night on White (FNOW) has been held every second Friday of the month during the spring, summer and fall.
Wake Forest town officials say the event brings live music and vendors; however, some business owners say it brings chaos and problems for businesses.
Business owners at the Yellow Butterfly Boutique told WRAL News they’re fed up with the constant shoplifting and chaos that seems to break out during this event, especially with unaccompanied minors.
“Some of the detrimental parts of it that a lot of merchants are talking about vandalism, theft, loitering, disorderly drunken behavior,” said Dana Ayala, owner of Yellow Butterfly Boutique.
She is not alone. Several other business owners told WRAL News they chose to close early to “stay away from the issues.”
WRAL News reached out to the town of Wake Forest with these complaints from businesses. Officials said they increased patrols, including officers on the ground and on top of several storefronts.
“Most of the complaints we have received pertain to young people who are either being disruptive or rude. In response, we have increased the number of police officers who are patrolling the area and enter the businesses to make sure everything is OK,” town officials said in a statement.
Officials also said the town has introduced a hotline for shops when they are experiencing crime or hostile situations.
Some store owners say the event has brought in more foot traffic for their businesses.
“It has brought in so many people that probably wouldn’t have known about us,” said Johanna Trotter, owner of Consignment Boutique.
To control the problems, she and her business are enforcing an 18-and-up age requirement for customers.
“If a group of them come in and they aren’t 18 and don’t have a parent, we say we’re so glad to have you here, but please bring a parent or guardian back in,” Trotter continued.
In 2024, town officials tossed around the idea of enacting a curfew for unaccompanied minors, though the decision never made it past a second reading.
Business owners told WRAL News that while they do understand the positives that Friday Night on White brings to the town, they hope to work with the town to enact changes.
