Old Town Halloween Zombie Fest Returns To Life October 24

by Dawn Duncan

They’ve haunted us for years, kept us awake during Netflix marathons and sparked the doomsday idea of a Zombie Apocalypse. It seems that we, as a living, breathing, thriving society are indeed obsessed with all things walking dead. October is the finest time of the year to celebrate zombies, especially in Fort Collins, where non-profit organization Turning Point hosts a spectacular weekend of themed events, all in the name of good fun, community outreach, and fundraising for the work they do to help at-risk teens and families in Northern Colorado.

Now in its sixth year, the newly-rebranded Old Town Halloween Zombie Fest is set for October 24 and includes the Kidz Crawl (ages 2-21), Zombie Crawl, and the epic event of the weekend, Zombie Ball. This year’s entertainment will bring soul to the stage, with two of the area’s hottest bands, The Burroughs and Mama Lenny and The Remedy, filling the “New Aggie Theatre” with life. Although appearing as zombies for this month’s cover, don’t be fooled; these bands are most certainly alive and ready to deliver a full-throttle, high-energy experience to the Zombie Ball guests.

During the Kidz Crawl and Zombie Crawl, participants who have purchased a wristband for the official events will be eligible to crawl, shop to shop, in Old Town at more than 55 participating establishments and enjoy free drinks, food, and other goodies to die for. The Zombie Ball, starting at 9 pm at the Aggie Theatre will bring revelers together to celebrate the evening in formal, zombified attire while dancing the night away.

Both bands graced the Mountain Ave. stage this year at Bohemian Nights and have delivered numerous regional and festival performances in addition to The Burroughs joining SpokesBUZZ’s class of 2016. Mama Lenny and the Remedy recently completed a short tour in Alaska.

“The goal of the Zombie Fest was to create a new and exciting event that we could use to teach people about our 40+ years of work with at-risk youth in the community, while raising funds for our programs and service,” said Turning Point executive director Stephanie Brown. This year’s events are anticipated to raise more than $65K, 100% of which will go directly to support programs and services by Turning Point and the more than 2,000 youth, families and individuals they serve.

Turning Point is currently housed at 1644 S. College Avenue in Fort Collins. The work of the organization focuses on crisis intervention, day treatment, outpatient therapies and treatment, coaching and mentoring programs, individualized education curriculum, and short and long-term intensive residential treatment. Currently under the stewardship of Brown, a board of directors, and with support from several community volunteers, Turning Point is thriving, fully alive and bursting with potential to continue growing and expanding to reach more people in need.

Events schedule:

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Kidz Crawl (ages 2-21): 2 pm to 6 pm (Price: $12): Halloween-themed crawl stops, yummy treats, crafts and activities. Face painting and Halloween make-up artists on site.

Zombie Crawl: 5:30 pm to 9:34 pm (Price: $16 advance, $20 day of): The Zombie Crawl begins in Oak Street Plaza in Old Town Fort Collins. Wristbands entitle crawlers to enjoy food, beverages, or gifts at their choice of participating merchant locations around Old Town.

Zombie Ball: (21+) 9 pm to 2 am (Price: $17 advance, $22 day of): The Ball will kick off at 9 pm at Aggie Theatre in Old Town and party goers are invited to attend in formal/zombie wear. The Burroughs and Mama Lenny and The Remedy will be the live music acts and the end of the night will feature coronation of a Zombie Ball King and Queen.

Zombie Make-Up: 2 pm to 8 pm (Price: $10 basic, $20 upgrade; $30 upgrade). Ten professional make-up artists will be on-site near registration/zombie headquarters: Oak Street Plaza

Tickets: www.OldTownZombie.com and day of event at Old Town’s Oak Street Plaza. (Zombie watching by any humans throughout Old Town is FREE!) Turning Point information: turningpnt.org or 970.221.0999.

Check out the Zombie Ball bands at:

theburroughssoul.com and mamalennyandtheremedy.com