Zombie Walk 6 is only two weeks away.
As the caretakers of this community building event, which has grown from 200 zombies in 2009 to nearly 10,000 in 2013, Downtown Phoenix, Inc. is guided by three very simple principles as it tries to host the best and bloodiest festival possible:
* Keep it fun
* Keep it free
* Keep it family-friendly
This year, we’ve added a slightly more ambitious goal, and to achieve it we need help from Downtown and the surrounding communities:
* Host the biggest, baddest and bloodiest zombie party of all time
Last week we posted a tutorial on how to zombify yourself in less than 15 minutes using cheap materials, many of which can be found in most household cupboards. The reason? While we want everyone to come and enjoy the spectacle that is Zombie Walk, we’re particularly interested in luring as many zombies of all ages to Heritage & Science Park on Oct. 25 as Downtown Phoenix attempts to overtake Asbury Park, N.J. [9,592 zombies in 2013] as the world’s largest zombie walk. [Note: Asbury Park hosted their 2014 event last week but attendance numbers aren’t yet available.]
So, our call to you is simple:
Bring your friends, family and fellow zombies Downtown on the Oct. 25 so we can make history together. In return, you’ll get a full day of free, family friendly entertainment featuring:
* Live music on the Psyko Steve Main Stage including Recipe for Disaster a Tribute to Guns ‘N’ Roses
* Lil Zombie Zone kid’s area with arts, crafts and games
* Zombie Feeding Area with vendors and grub
* Four Peaks beer garden
And, of course, the main event, which is a 1.3-mile limp and moan through the heart of Downtown Phoenix. Festival doors open at 2 p.m. and we’ll begin lining up around 5:30 for the Walk, which will be led by Grand Marshal John Holmberg of KUPD’s Morning Sickness.
After the Walk we’ll return to the park for a costume contest (and Phoenix Comicon Fanfest giveaways), more live music and fun until 11 p.m.
For those aspiring zombies who need help achieving their look, the first 400 attendees who bring a non-perishable food donation benefiting St. Mary’s Food Bank will receive a voucher good for one free entry-level zombie makeover, including face deadening, eye darkening and blood splattering.