Something’s evil and lurking in the dark, and you see a sight that almost drops your heart. Aside from the basic haunted houses and corn mazes, the Thriller on C Street is a festive fright. Taking place on October 18th at 7 p.m. on Commercial Street, this free event features a parade, also known as the Zombie Crawl, inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video. Like the other haunts around town, this parade takes an extended period of time to prepare for the perfect show.
The Savoy Ballroom choreographs and puts on this show annually. Alongside them, Associated Theatrical Company (ATC) does the hair and makeup for the dancers.This will be the Zombie Crawls’ 16th year showcasing their talent. According to multiple local news sources, the estimated average attendance for this event is around 2,000-4,000 people. Everyone is welcome to attend this show.
Preparation for the parade starts approximately one year before the event, making this a non-stop tradition.
“The Savoy Ballroom takes care of all the parade preparations; they have to get the permits from the city to block off the streets as well as get police barricades,” Erika Wilson, a makeup artist at ATC, said.
The dancers prepare all year round, focusing on learning choreography and ensuring all times are scheduled with the city. Looking into the ATC prep for the parade, they do the sound, makeup, and costumes for this event.
“We start doing makeup early Saturday morning, doing makeup and hair for those who sign up. We typically do around 60 to 70 zombies that day,” Wilson said.
Later that evening, ATC heads to C street around 5 p.m. to start sound preparations. Whether being on the stage or behind the scenes, there are many ways to get involved with this annual parade. On the Savoy Ballroom website, there is a chance to be a zombie rather than a viewer. They offer dance classes and courses on how to be a zombie. To become a lifetime member, a fee of $80 is required.
Overall, with the work ATC and the Savoy Ballroom do, the parade is a fantastic place to spend a small portion of your Halloween festivities.
