Horde of Zombies to Descend on Downtown Pittsfield

(PITTSFIELD,  Mass.) – A simulated horde of zombies will descend on downtown Pittsfield on Saturday, October 8, 2011. The Berkshire-based Zombie Action Committee will present the 2nd Annual Pittsfield Zombie Pub Crawl that evening from 5pm to midnight.

Last year’s event, promoted almost exclusively through Facebook, proved extremely popular and was generally considered to be lucrative for downtown establishments and without negative incident, despite its somewhat unconventional nature.

The decision was made to push the date to October 8 from later in the month in order to coincide with similar Zombie-themed events throughout the world on that day, informally recognized as World Zombie Day.

“What we discovered since last year is that there is this sort of loose emerging network of Zombie event organizers: pub crawls, walks, rallies, etc,” said Palmer Dietrich, ZAC’s interim Director of Educational Events. “Social networking has allowed for more and more coordination between groups in different cities, and there’s a growing push toward bringing these events together on an international level on World Zombie Day.”

The Pittsfield gathering will coincide with a total estimated ‘undead’ turnout in the tens of thousands in dozens of cities all over the world. Some of the largest gatherings include the original Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl, the London Zombie Walk, and Pittsburgh’s Zombie Fest. These three cities alone are expected to see an estimated 20,000 zombies combined this October 8.

“I think that this is a fun, social way to raise awareness about a really important issue,” said Emporium proprietor and Z.A.C. official Carrie Wright, “The fact is you don’t really know what it’s going to be like to be in a crush of zombies until you experience it.”

The event will begin with a Zombie Reception from 5-7 at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge at 441 North Street. The ZAC will have available professional zombie makeup artists available to those who would like their makeup done, for a $4 fee to defray the cost of supplies. Those wishing to use this service are asked to RSVP to zombiefacts@gmail.com or to call 413.347.3812.

A 20-minute march of zombie solidarity will follow, after which participants will be on their own to enjoy fun, libations or food at any of a number of establishments that will be open on the evening of October 8. Participating Zombies are asked to respect these establishments and to behave with the same decorum they would on any other night out on the town.

Pittsfield Community Television’s Geeks With Issues will be filming at the event for broadcast on local Channel 16.

For more info, a list of suggested downtown establishments, or to RSVP for makeup, send e-mail to zombieFacts@gmail.com, call 413.347.3812, or visit the Zombie Action Committee on Facebook

 


 

 

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