Have you ever heard of a Zombie Walk? I hadn’t, that is until this past week.

A Zombie Walk can be organized by anyone; it can be a city-sponsored event, or put on by a group of friends looking for a fun time. Zombie Walks occur all over the world, but they mostly occur in the United States. The best part about these walks? They all benefit their city’s local food bank. To participate, you are required to donate a non-perishable food item.

Always appropriately scheduled around Halloween, Zombie Walks seem to be very popular near college campuses. In Arizona this year there are at least six planned Zombie Walks including Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson with other, smaller ones, occurring in Tempe, Prescott, and Chandler.

On a Zombie Walk, people get dressed up to look like a zombie, and roam the streets (usually following a pre-planned route, but not always). The “zombies” don’t speak like humans would, instead they grunt and groan, and once in a while moan for a human brain to devour.

Another great aspect of these walks is that no two are the same. In Phoenix, the City Ambassadors and Arizona Ghostbusters planned this year’s event, and it has turned into a Zombie Fest! Along with the walk you can carve and decorate a pumpkin, take a candle-lit tour of Rosson House or participate in a cakewalk. You can also watch silent horror films and listen to live music. These are just a few of the events you can take part in, along with the walk!

In Tucson this year, there was a walk, a horror film fest, and a concert; in Flagstaff, they are having a Zombie Ball after the walk (complete with a DJ of course!) In Tempe, they are really going to work the college atmosphere while parading down Mill Ave dressed in their zombie gear.

No matter where you are this Halloween week, there should be a Zombie Walk near you, if not, create one yourself. Go out, have fun, and get your zombie on!

For more information on the various Zombie Walks:
www.downtownphoenix.com
www.zombiewalk.com

www.phoenixzombiefest.com