I’ll be attending this year’s Zombie Fest next weekend (Oct. 25-26), the annual celebration of all things zombie. It’s held in Monroeville, PA, at the actual mall where George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead was filmed and takes place.

From the website:

• A two-day zombie-themed convention at the Monroeville Mall, site of the Romero zombie classic Dawn of the Dead, featuring vendor exhibits, film screenings, author discussion panels, live bands, games and other fun activities for zombie fans.  And in 2008, it’s FREE admission!
   
• The Zombie Masquerade Ball is the monster party of the century!  Eat, drink, dance, and rub elbows with the upper crust undead!  Prizes awarded for best overall costume and best zombie costume.  The Ball also includes live entertainment and a silent auction (last year’s auction raised $1,000 for breast cancer research!).  The Ball is a 21 and over event and there will be a separate admission fee.
   
• On Sunday morning, zombies, young and old, will gather at the Mall, shambling and moaning for brains while bearing food donations for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.  Led by Professor Emcee Square, the horde of zombies slowly made their way from one end of the mall to the other.  In 2007, the total number of zombies who signed in was 1,028, establishing a new Guinness World Record™, and more than half a ton of food was collected.  The walk was honored with a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Fan Event of 2007.  In 2008, the Monroeville Mall Zombie Walk will be the hub of World Zombie Day™, with walks being held in more than 40 cities worldwide benefiting local food banks.