Zombie Club, WOW museum plan ‘Thriller’ event
Lodi Zombie Walk spreads to include Halloween Faire
The Zombie Walk is spreading.
No longer just a parade and chance to dance along to “Thriller,” this year’s Zombie Walk and Halloween Faire — yes, that last part is new — will offer up a whole evening of eerie entertainment.
“We want to bring the entire Halloween spirit to the event,” Tom Presler — aka Zombie Tom — said.
The Lodi Zombie Club and the World of Wonders Science Museum have teamed up again this year, for an event that will be bigger and better than ever.
The traditional gathering to learn about special effects makeup and the Downtown Lodi parade will return this year, along with zombie- and chemistry-themed exhibits at the WOW Museum.
The new Halloween Faire on the street outside the WOW will have plenty of activities to keep bored zombies entertained until the “Thriller” dance begins.
“We’re bringing entertainment back,” Presler said.
A raised stage will allow performers to set the mood for the evening, including an LED poi light artist from Sacramento.
“She does incredible dance with these LED lights,” Presler said.
A movie makeup artist will give a demonstration on special effects makeup, he added.
Also new this year will be the vendors.
“We’re going to have Halloween and horror vendors out, like a little comic con,” he said.
One woman will be selling hand-made soap that looks like body parts, said Jen Young, educational program coordinator at the WOW Museum.
Another vendors creates custom horror dolls, Presler added.
“She sells her dolls all over the country,” he said. “She’s been doing major conventions.”
The World of Wonders has gone beyond just offering up a venue for the Zombie Walk and Halloween Faire. They’ll also have some special themed exhibits. Some will explore the world of parasites that cause zombie-like behavior in insects like ants.
“We’re going to have the science behind (it) — could zombies be real?” Young said.
This week was also National Chemistry Week, he said, so the museum will have some special chemistry activities set up for Zombie Walk guests to experiment with.
Entry to the museum is included with a Zombie Bracelet.
The museum will be decorated in spooky style, and will also house a “Scare Room” with a story the Zombie Club has dubbed “Undead Clowns: Killing in the Darkness.” Parental discretion is advised for this part of the festival, which will involve actors scaring and disorienting small groups in a haunted house-style adventure.
Now in its ninth year, Lodi’s Zombie Walk is one of the largest such events in Northern California, attracting visitors from Sacramento, the Bay Area, and even SoCal, Presler said.
“People fundamentally want to be entertained,” he said.
They want to give their kids a safe, family-friendly Halloween, but without losing what makes the holiday fun.
“They really like the scares,” he said. “They like seeing the effects makeup.”
A large portion of the proceeds from the Zombie Walk and Halloween Faire will go to the World of Wonders Science Museum to help with their planned expansion, Presler said.