What began 11 years ago as a spontaneous birthday party of like-minded zombie fans has become the largest annual Zombie Walk in the world!
Lock the doors, bar the windows and brace yourselves. At exactly 8:29 PM on Saturday, August 29 at the corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway, a horde of flesh eating zombies far greater than anything ever seen on “The Walking Dead” will unleash Hell on the Highlands, devouring every living thing in sight from the above starting point to the Highlands Tap Room at 1058 Bardstown Road.
The Emergency Broadcast sirens will soon be ringing, and we spoke with Louisville Zombie Attack co-founder, Lyndi Lou, exclusively this week to get all the information you need to know in order to successfully survive or to join the shambling masses.
“The Louisville police estimated we had approximately 32,000 attendees last year,” says Lou, “and we’re prepared for around 40,000 this year.”
Eleven years ago, Lou and her co-founding partner, John King, had been watching zombie movies rented from the late, beloved Wild & Woolly Video when they came up with a plan to stage a little Zombie Walk on their shared birthday of August 29th, sending out invitations on social media and posting flyers around town.
Around 80 zombies shambled their way down Bardstown Road that year, but the virus was unleashed and the infection spread quickly. Even Tracy Caufield of Louisville’s own nearly 100 year old Caufield’s Novelty store now calls the Louisville Zombie Attack the “official kickoff of the Halloween season.”
If you’re planning on going to the bloodbath, we’ve got all the information you need to know to make the best of your evening. First of all, plan on getting there early.
“The usual hours of the Zombie Attack, when all of the streets closings are enforced, are between 7 PM and midnight,” says Lou. “This year, however, because it falls on Saturday, the streets will be closed from 5 PM until 1 AM the next morning.”
STREET CLOSINGS: 5 PM – 1 AM
PRE-PARTIES starting at 5 PM at the Highland Tap Room (1058 Bardstown Road), Big Bar (1202 Bardstown Road), Nowhere Bar (1133 Bardstown Road) and the Back Door at Mid City Mall.
EXCLUSVIVE Louisville Zombie Attack collector’s cups will be available at all four pre-party locations for the purchase of a drink.
Speaking of drinks, Kentucky soft drink bottler, Ale-8-One, who has been creating its unique, ginger flavored soda in Kentucky since 1926 is a sponsor of the event this year and will be on hand giving out free sample sodas all night long.
MEETING POINTS: The gathering of the living dead will take place between 8 PM and 8:29 PM in the Mid City Mall parking lot and at the corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway.
OUTDOOR PARTY starts at 9 PM outside the Highland Tap Room.
ENTERTAINMENT: Bands playing include Verity Vice and the Vice Tricks, I Have a Knife, the Nuly Dedz, Boner City, Stagecoach Inferno, DJ Crash and more!
COSTUME COSTEST at 10 PM on the main stage outside the Highland Tap Room. Awards will be given out for various categories including the infamous “Hottest Zombie.”
New this year, the Louisville Zombie Attack has two sponsors from the local haunt community, THE DEVIL’S ATTIC and THE 7TH STREET HAUNT, who will both be on site with monster scareactors and photo opportunities. The Devil’s Attic will be on the side of the street where the Highlands Tap Room is located and the 7th Street Haunt will be directly across the street.
“The Devil’s Attic have been the absolute best (to us),” says Lou. “They’ve gone above and beyond helping us this year.”
I spoke to the Devil’s Attic owner, Jason Besemann, and the 7th Street Haunt’s owner, Travis Boling, this week and both are planning to give away plenty of “haunt swag” at the party, including FREE TICKETS to their respective attractions, haunt t-shirts, posters, coupons and other items. Look for both of their signature hearses set up right beside their tables and stop by to meet them and their monstrous cast and crew.
MIDNIGHT MOVIE SCREENING: “Shaun of the Dead” will screen at MIDNIGHT at the Baxter Avenue Theatres on the rear side of the Mid City Mall. Imagine watching Edgar Wright’s comedic zombie apocalypse masterpiece in a theater full of living dead! Thirty percent of proceeds will go to the Todd Crawford Foundation (www.toddcrawfordfoundation.org) to cure paralysis in the name of recently departed filmmaker and lead singer of Ultra Pulverize, Andrew Vititoe.
Be safe. Be prepared. Eat brains.
