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Youngstown Zombie Crawl leaves scary stuff behind
SEE ALSO: • Unmasking Valley costume shops
• 'Most Haunted' includes area ghosts
• Cemetery tours provide historical overview of Youngstown
By Ed Runyan
YOUNGSTOWN
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Scary things have confronted us on a daily basis in recent weeks — from the deadly Ebola virus to unexplainable shooting sprees and gunbattles with police.
So on an unseasonably warm fall evening, hundreds gathered at the B&O Station to put all the scary things in life behind them and paint them all over their faces.
Gaping wounds, a diabolical zipper face, wedding gowns covered in blood, a stiff-legged limp, one man made up in a full-on transvestite outfit were on display.
It was Saturday night’s Zombie Crawl, a Halloween-themed night featuring about a dozen makeup artists providing makeup for a small fee, the Michael-Jackson-inspired “Thriller” dancers and a pleasant walk downtown to have a few drinks.
Perhaps because of the nice weather, this year’s crawl attracted a large number of people just watching and taking pictures on their cellphones.
Lucy Moreland-Smith of Youngstown said she came out when she heard the “Thriller” dancers were going to be part of the annual global attempt to break the world record for largest simultaneous dance to “Thriller.”
She said she’s thinking of taking the lessons so she can participate in the “Thriller” dance next year.
She also followed the crowd onto the Spring Commons Bridge to watch all the zombies “crawl” toward the bars.
“This is great,” she said, watching all of the ghoulish getups as they passed. “This is great for the Halloween holiday, a nice celebration of Youngstown.”
Pamela Mackey and Mathew Farnworth of Grove City, Pa., were dressed as bride and groom — with a torn groom’s coat and pants and a wedding gown splashed with fake blood.
The wedding gown belonged to her mother, Mackey said, and the suit came from the thrift shop, she said.
Farnworth, who is from Manchester, England, said this was the first time he had dressed up for Halloween as an adult. “We celebrate Halloween in the U.K., but it’s for the kids,” he said. “I’m enjoying it. I think it’s going to be a good time.”
Kim Olson of McDonald said she’s enjoyed Halloween in the past because of her two kids, but it’s the first time she’s ever had a professional put on her costume. The fake blood, she said, was made of chocolate.
“I think it’s intriguing. Would I come back? Absolutely,” she said.
Nicole Zayas, one of the organizers of the crawl, in its sixth year, said she thinks this year’s crowd is the largest yet. She noticed a lot of families with kids this year, so she’d like to see activities for children added next year.
Youngstown Mayor John McNally even helped promote this year’s crawl, Zayas said. He donned zombie makeup to promote the crawl in a TV ad, she said.