Monthly Archives: October 2011
Spooky Games to Fit the Season
You’ve gotta love it when game companies really get the scary idea just right. An example? Take a look at this super creepy trailer for the game Limbo:
Love it.
Beyond that, Steam is offering up a sale specifically on spooky games. How cool is that? Check it out. SO many zombie games!
Let us know your favorite spooky game!
Halloween Giveaway
We had so many amazing local businesses pitch in so generously for prizes last night, that we just couldn’t give them all away for the Newly Dead Game or the costume contest! Instead, let’s give something away for you folks that didn’t make it away with goodies last night. We have two prizes to give away tonight, so listen carefully for the couple of stipulations:
- The winner of the first prize* MUST be local to Asheville, NC [considering the tickets are for this Friday, and can only be used locally]
- This giveaway will end tomorrow at noon, so get in on it quickly
- We WILL need your address, so use a valid email address that you have access to [if we can't get ahold of you by tomorrow evening, we'll have to give it to someone else]
THE FIRST PRIZE (2)*:
We have two tickets to the AWESOME Splat a Spook event down at Line of Fire Paintball for this Friday, October 28th from 7:30pm to 10:30pm. Since we have two of these, they will be given away separately. Keep in mind you can also get free paintballs if you have a receipt from Halloween Superstore [on Tunnel rd].
Line of Fire Paintball is located at 923 Gilreath Loop Rd off Hwy 280. Visit their site or call 828.891.2399 for more info on the event.
THE SECOND PRIZE:
Two free movie passes to the Cinebarre. These will be given away together, and are good for any showing. Keep in mind that the Cinebarre has five locations, nationwide. These do not have to be given away locally, but be aware that their locations are Asheville, NC; Charleston, SC; Denver, CO; Salem, OR; and Seattle, WA. Visit their site for location and movie time information.
Now – the Entering Part:
To enter, just leave a comment below telling us your favorite zombie movie! There is no right or wrong answer, the winners will be chosen at random, and notified via email.
- this giveaway ends at noon EST tomorrow, Oct. 24th -
What is UP With the Costume Contests?
We’ve been getting a few messages about the costume contest at this year’s Ashtoberfest / Asheville Zombie Walk, and we thought we’d go ahead and clear up some of that mystery for you.
What contests will there be this year?
We’ll be having two main costume contests this year: children’s and adults’.
Where and when?
This event is TOMORROW, October 22nd at the Biltmore Square Mall / Cinebarre.
The children’s contest will be held at the inside stage at 7pm.
The adult costume contest will be held on the outside auxiliary stage (look for the stage below the screen playing Night of the Living Dead) at 10pm.
How do I enter?
Kids [of all ages] just need to report to the inside stage NO LATER than 6:45pm. While we welcome all participants, there will be no exceptions for late entries. Please be sure to get there early!
The adult costume contest will be ticketed. This means that our judges will personally pick out the best costumes to participate in the contest. If you have been presented with a toe tag, congratulations! Your bloody guts and festering face are so awesome, we want to take a closer look at them, and probably give you stuff for it! The contest judges will be out and about scouring for the best of the best BEFORE the Zombie Walk, so get there early, ready to impress.
Any stipulations?
The adult costume contest will be divided equally between men and women, with three winners from each. A very SPECIAL opportunity we’ve added just for the contest participants is the chance to be in a music video for Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. This year, 23 Skidoo will be performing their brand new zombie-themed spectacular, “Shambles,” and will be filming the video for this song at our event. We want to help rep the zombie walk in style. As a costume contest participant, you are welcomed and encouraged to report to the main stage at 7.45 to attack Secret Agent 23 Skidoo on stage before the walk.
What other prizes are there?
This year, we have a HUGE amount of really awesome prizes from DVDs, comics, giftcards, theater tickets, zombie figures, zombie posters, zombie buttons, gift baskets, and more! The majority of our prizes were donated in kindness by the following local business owners: Pastimes, Orbit DVD, Comic Envy, Cinebarre, and community-supporting Blockbuster.
Great! Now how do I make the most of my costume?
Hit up the Halloween Superstore on Tunnel rd (next to K-Mart) for blood, guts, and appendages. Or stop by the Costume Shoppe in downtown Asheville on Lexington Ave. BOTH of these stores are locally owned and operated, and have special-ordered extra supplies JUST for you zombies! If you stop by the Costume Shoppe, let Susan know you’re going to be a zombie in the walk, and she’ll set you up with a special discount.
What if I didn’t make the cut?
If you weren’t chosen for the adult costume contest, don’t fret! We still have the totally awesome trivia game, The Newlydead Game on the auxiliary stage. Ask for details at registration (first stop when you get there). There will be tons of great prizes given away for that. And if you still miss out on the fun, just stay tuned here! After the walk, we’ll still continue to bring you the best horror news and reviews, and we’ll certainly include some prize giveaways.
I can’t make it to the walk, but still want to see all the cool things going on!
Well then, follow us on twitter! We’ll be making frequent updates throughout the day with what’s going on, and pics to accompany those posts.
Last things to remember:
We highly encourage everyone participating to get there early! The music and games will kick off right at 6pm, and go on into the night. For your best chances at getting into the costume contests and trivia games, you’ll need to be there early and impress the judges.
Be sure to bring at least one non-perishable food item for the Manna Foodbank food drive. While we certainly won’t turn anyone away, we want everyone to have a great time, and contribute to the community.
Get into your character! We see some fantastic zombie costumes every year, and love to see everyone getting into it! Have fun with your zombie get up, and shamble like the best of them!
You can pre-register on our main site to speed things up at the event.
If you’d like to help out and volunteer, just show up at 5pm, and we’ll give you something fun to do! If you have any questions, email us at info@ashtoberfest.com.
Downtown Love
While posting fliers downtown, I couldn’t help but notice the overwhelming love that we received. First of all, not a single business asked for the “safe” poster. You know, the one that simply has information in a clearly legible fashion. No. Everyone wanted the arm-eating zombie baby.
I think this would be an appropriate point to give a shout-out.
Gabriel Shaffer did the artwork for this poster. Thanks, Gabe!
Back to the point at hand. Downtown. They have love for the Zombiewalk, and we have love for them. I know that it’s a bummer not to be walking through the streets of downtown this year, and we have certainly heard the nay-sayers and understand these complaints.
But believe me when I say that the Biltmore Square Mall is providing us with many more options than we had before. Not only can we do more with the walk itself, but the whole event has been expanded. Remember the modicum of children’s events we had last year? Just check out everything we have planned for this year. From the scavenger hunt to the expanded costume contest, there will be much more for the kiddies to do.
Furthermore, the Music event is no longer separated from the main walk. That’s right, we get to have a stage with 5 bands at the walk itself. In case you, fearless readers, don’t know who I am, allow me to take one moment to introduce myself. I am the Technical Director for Ashtoberfest, and the Audio Engineer for the Music Festival. My name is Drew. It’s nice to meet you. I can tell you without a doubt that this year’s music integration will be far and above anything we have ever done. I know we had Hazel Robinson in 2008, but Cinebarre and the Biltmore Square Mall provide us with a much more convenient space, fewer power restrictions, and we finally have the ability to provide a decent PA.
But I digress. We miss downtown. We hope that the Zombiewalk will someday be able to return to downtown in some form. Ashtoberfest as an event will continue to grow and get better every year, and we must utilize a space that is receptive and large enough for us. Please don’t mistake that as snubbing downtown Asheville.
From Susan Werner at the Costume Shoppe and TV Eye, all the way up to The Orange Peel and Diana Wortham Theatre (the venue I once called “home”) and all shops, venues and restaurants in-between, we love Asheville and the downtown scene.
But before you go knocking the Biltmore Square Mall, please remember that about 85% of the shops in the mall are local. Not franchises. Not just locally owned, but local. It may not be downtown, but it’s definitely still Asheville.
Zombie Etiquette Reminders for the Newly Undead
The Asheville Zombie Walk 2011 is sure to be fun for all ages and stages of the undead! We can’t wait to see you on October 22 at the Biltmore Square “Maul.”
Making your way through the world of the living ain’t easy for zombies these days. It’s our first year at this location, and we want to make a ghoulishly great impression. Here are some quick reminders before you arrive.
Do: Obey the rules and laws of the city, safety, and common sense. We do not need injuries or arrests during our zombie swarm.
Do not: Test fate. Drivers consider running over a zombie worth 10 points.
Do not: Come to fight. If you want to fight, stay home and roughhouse with your dogs and roommates. We are a tribe of peaceful flesh-eaters.
Do: Come to party, laugh, roar, and have a good time.
Do: Bring your kids. The living dead know how to have family fun.
Do not: Terrorize young kids. Unless they’re into it, in which case go right ahead.
Do: Scream, growl, and scowl at the onlookers. It’s like a zombie zoo to them – they want to see you in your native habitat acting “naturally.”
Do Not: Miss the bands, Newly Dead Game, and Rocky Horror Show. There’s plenty of fun to be had after the Walk itself and well into the night.
Do: Recognize that not everyone gets a kick out of zombie swarms. If people aren’t into it, leave them alone.
Do not: Vandalize anything, leave blood marks on windows, cars, parking lots, or innocent passers-by.
Do: Patronize the shops in the Biltmore Square Maul for their support of this year’s event. The Cinebarre will be open regularly in addition to their special zombie screenings.
Do not: Forget your ID. Even the living dead will be carded for beer.
~Written by Jim and Sarah, creators of StuffMonstersLike.com
The 2011 Asheville Zombie Walk Revealed!: Partners in Grime (part 3 of 3)
Ashtoberfest has grown exponentially over the years. Thank you to all of our supporters.
And for all the love and support we get, we enjoy giving back as well.
Zombies know we should support the living who have needs. Then we can be sure to have victims next year too. There was some debate on whether we should entitle this blog post “Night of the Giving Dead.” We feel that cooler heads prevailed.
Mortals are not crazy about brains for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s 
why we’ve paired up with Manna Food Bank this year. In place of an admission fee, we’re strongly encouraging everyone to bring a few cans of food.
Got even more of the giving spirit in you? The Red Cross will be on hand with the Blood Mobile to accept all your riboflavin-flavored, non-carbonated, polyunsaturated blood. But remember, if you plan on donating, try to do it early – before you partake in any types of “spirits.” The Red Cross needs to get 35 donors while they’re there. Let’s not leave them high and dry.
While you’re stumbling and shambling about, don’t forget to enjoy the Biltmore Square Mall and all its shops. Feel free to moan and groan your way around the building, but please don’t leave any body parts or bloody stains. We’re excited that they’re supporting our fun and games. Let’s support them, too, before they close for the evening.
We’ve also heard a few whispers that one of WNC’s top-rated performers, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, will be on hand to film his latest music video. Remember to groan big for the camera.
Lastly, we’d like to give a severed-hand high five to all the event’s sponsors. Ashtoberfest has become so big that we can’t do it alone, and there is a cost. Please click through the sponsor links on the Ashtoberfest home page and show them some love.
We’ll see you at the Biltmore Square “Maul” on October 22.
Don’t forget to check the Ashtoberfest website and Facebook page for a complete schedule.
Where To Go During Ashtoberfest?
You may have noticed by now that we have quite a plethora of killer events going on at the Zombie Walk this year. So here’s a great schedule to keep track of what’s going on where.
Click on the photos to enlarge the print. We’ll also have handy guides and announcements at the event to help you see everything there is to see!
Zombie in a Penguin Suit
An AMAZING short film by Chris Russell (and a great way to spend 7 minutes of your Friday)
The 2011 Asheville Zombie Walk Revealed!: Things to Do (part 2 of 3)
The Asheville Zombie Walk 2011 is fast approaching! In our last installment, we revealed many of the attractions that will be waiting for you on the big day. This time, we wanted to tip you off to some of the activities available for you. As always, come to have fun, but think ahead.
We want to keep a lot of the plans for this year’s zombie walk under wraps, but plan on excitement and gore! There will be information about pre-registration on the website soon. Registration tables will also be awaiting you upon your arrival at the mall.
Have a young zombie child? Bring him or her along! There will be plenty of child-friendly activities going on inside and outside the mall before the Walk. Kids’ games include a Brain Eating Contest and Body Parts Scavenger Hunt. All brains and body parts will be sugary delicious! Children 12 and under will also be able to participate in their very own Costume Contest.
And did we mention Secret Agent 23 Skidoo will be on site performing and filming a music video? (He was just voted best kids’ entertainer in Western North Carolina for 2011 by the Mountain Xpress. That’s quite an honor.)
Are you over 12 years of age? Don’t worry – we’ve got a Costume Contest for you, too. Contestants will have the chance to win an awesome horror-themed prize!
Local caricature artist Larkin Ford will be on hand to immortalize your blood-stained image. Be sure to have a few bucks on hand. The line will be long, but his drawing will be worth it.
For zombies who like to use their brains for thinking, we have something special planned this year. Local horror bloggers Jim and Sarah from StuffMonstersLike.com will be hosting the NewlyDead Trivia Game. There will be two opportunities to compete. Find the “Newly Dead” sign by the registration table, answer a few horror-related questions, and you could be on your way to fame and fortune.
If you don’t get picked to play on stage, don’t worry – there will be questions for the audience as well.
So much to do, so few victims to eat. And it’s all at the Biltmore Square “Maul” this year.
Don’t forget to check the Ashtoberfest website and Facebook page for a complete schedule. Look for part 3 (Partnerships) of these blog posts, coming soon.
~Written by Jim and Sarah, creators of StuffMonstersLike.com
Zombie 101: A Guide to Fitting into a Zombie Hoard by Looking Undead
Can’t wait to see you October 22 at the Biltmore Square “Maul.” Wear your zombie best, or worst. Here are some quick tips to instantly transform you from the regular living to the zombified dead.
First, decide which type of zombie you will be: a fast-running smart zombie, or a slow-moving low-IQ zombie. Remember both types of zombies crave human flesh. That part is constant.
Moan through your mouth. Channel memories of your last bad head cold and imagine feeling that way for all eternity. That’s the look and emotion we’re going for.
Drool. It’s messy and disgusting. These are both good.
Scream for brains. Brains are wonderfully delicious, and they’re worth going after like a tween who’s just spotted Justin Beiber.
Limp. Drag a leg behind you.
Wear torn or dirty clothing. Zombies do not care for fashion. Some zombies have just clawed their way out of the grave.
Keep your arms outstretched before you and parallel to the ground. It’s a zombie’s version of walking like an Egyptian. Plus, rigor mortis makes it hard to bend at the elbow.
Shamble.
Droop your jaw. Muscle tension slackens when you’re dead, and really, what’s the point of keeping your mouth closed when you’re drooling and screaming for brains, anyway?
Show off those fetid wounds with pride!
Things zombies (usually) do not do
- Smoke cigarettes
- Take photos
- Make jokes and smile
- Make small talk
- Listen to Mp3 players
Infractions of this list will be handled by our army of cannibal zombies. Beware.
Although I’m sure they may be willing to overlook it, just this once.
~Written by Jim and Sarah, creators of StuffMonstersLike.com
