Council approves one-year trial for Halloween Hustle and ‘Vampire Swim’ at City Dock

Phil White, organizer for the Kingdom Games Halloween Hustle, asked the council for formal permission to use City Dock for the event and an associated cold-water “Vampire Swim.” “Halloween, we’re doing a Halloween hustle in conjunction and partnership with, recs department,” White said, describing the swim as a 25- or 100-meter cold-water swim and part of a larger international blood-drive effort. The council approved a one-year trial allowing the events to use City Dock, with council members emphasizing coordination with Parks and Recreation and post-event updates. Council discussion focused on safety and boat-launch conflicts; Councilor Wilson and others voiced concern about early-morning fishermen and peak boat-launch times that could conflict with swimmer departures and returns. Why it matters: City Dock is centrally located near other Halloween activities; organizers said it provides marina facilities and easier spectator access compared with Prouty Beach. White said the swim has grown to multiple venues, including international sites, and that City Dock has historically been the start point for longer open-water swims from Newport. Councilors discussed logistics: using support boats and kayakers for each swimmer, insurance coverage and coordination with Parks and Recreation. White said support plans include a motorboat and individual kayakers: “Each swimmer has a kayaker and we have a motorboat support for you know, if it’s 1 to 5 swimmers, we'd have 1 boat available to, provide support and get them out of the water if they ran into trouble.” Outcome and follow-up: The council’s motion to approve the request on a one-year trial basis passed unanimously. The council asked organizers to coordinate in advance with Parks and Recreation, report after each event and warned that the permission could be revoked if significant problems arise. The motion carried at the meeting.