Visitors headed downtown for Denton's month of Halloween events can leave their cars at Golden Triangle Mall and ride a free Denton County Transportation Authority shuttle to the Square on weekends through Nov. 8.
The park-and-ride runs Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to DCTA's event page. The agency started it Oct. 3.
Where to park and board
Drivers park in the lot beside Spirit Halloween at the mall, 2201 S. Interstate 35E. DCTA notes the pickup point is not the regular Connect bus stop on Colorado Boulevard, and the Denton Record-Chronicle, which rode the shuttle Sunday, reported the bus loads on Colorado near the mall rather than right outside the store. The paper also reported a police camera watches the lot.
The bus loops through three stops:
- the Spirit Halloween lot at Golden Triangle Mall
- the parking lot at Oak and Oakland streets, 301 W. Oak St., beside the Big Top Tent
- a drop-off at the city's Development Services building, 401 N. Elm St.
DCTA estimates a full loop takes 30 to 40 minutes. The Record-Chronicle reported buses leave about every 20 minutes and that the return trip runs slower because it passes through the crowded Square. "The operators have to take their time for safety reasons," DCTA operations supervisor David Frierson told the paper.
Day of the Dead and other dates
DCTA will run a separate special-event shuttle for Denton's Day of the Dead Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24. The agency's page lists that service from 10 a.m. to midnight.
