DETROIT – In a transformation spanning four decades, Detroit‘s notorious “Devil’s Night,” once synonymous with arson and vandalism, has evolved into a celebration of urban renewal and community resilience.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the night before Halloween transformed Detroit’s neighborhoods into scenes of chaos, with widespread arson, vandalism, and destruction.
“When I was a kid, we would soap windows, later on people would break windows, and then in the 80s over a three-day period there were over 800 fires across the city,” said John George, the executive director of Detroit Blight Busters.
The tide began to turn when community organizations like Detroit Blight Busters launched “Angel’s Night,” mobilizing residents to patrol their neighborhoods on Oct. 30.
The initiative grew dramatically, eventually gaining thousands of community volunteers.
“At one point, there were over 60,000 angels patrolling the city with the orange lights and making sure the mischief was at a minimum,” George said.
The success of Angel’s Night, coupled with the city’s aggressive demolition of abandoned buildings, led to a significant decrease in arson incidents.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan officially retired the Angel’s Night initiative in 2017.
On Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, the occasion serves as a symbol of Detroit’s resilience.
The organization continues to mark the date every year by celebrating community achievements.
This year, the non-profit celebrated the 15th anniversary of Motor City Java House, a community coffee shop the organization established in 2010.
“It’s a time to come together with your neighbors,” George said. “It’s a time to patrol and protect but also celebrate all the positive things that are going on.”
Just as Devil’s Night turned into Angel’s Night, Detroit Blight Buster’s mission has evolved from demolishing and renovating abandoned homes to creating new affordable housing units.
Earlier this year, the organization announced it would be undertaking an $88 million project to develop the former Rogell Golf Course site in Northwest Detroit.
Located on West Seven Mile Road, the development will bring more than 300 affordable housing units to the area.
“It’s really about a celebration of the rebirth of the city,” George said. “It’s about people refusing to give up, it’s about people coming together, working together, to make Detroit the best it can be.”
You can learn more about the Detroit Blight Busters here.