Police officials told the Highlands Town Board on Nov. 20 that crowding at the recent Food & Wine festival created public-safety and operational challenges and recommended reassessing whether the event's current location is suitable.

"Attendance appears to have increased significantly in recent years, and the resulting crowd density created multiple hazards that impeded law enforcement operations, emergency response capabilities, and general public safety," Chief Holland said in a prepared statement presented to the board. The statement said pedestrians repeatedly disregarded pedestrian signals and officers' verbal commands; sidewalks became congested and some attendees stepped into the roadway, and event density limited officers' ability to reach medical incidents. Holland cited North Carolina General Statute 18B-305 as the law that makes it unlawful for a permittee or employee to knowingly sell or give alcohol to an intoxicated person, but said enforcing the statute was difficult given crowd volumes.

Mayor (presiding official) proposed convening a stakeholder workshop to review planning, crowd control, emergency access and noise complaints. Several board members said a special session should be scheduled soon, and staff said they would arrange a time that accommodates stakeholders, possibly in early January.

The board did not set new event rules at the meeting; rather, members directed staff to organize a focused workshop with event planners, public-safety officials and other stakeholders to explore operational changes for future festivals.