Spooks Carytown

Blood, guts, grunts and moans overtook Carytown this past Saturday.

The fourth annual Zombie Walk was held in the spirit and anticipation of Halloween as well as to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Masses of people dressed up and rose from their graves in order to spook and entertain bystanders.

Participants dressed as an array of characters, such as Elvis covered in autopsy stitches, Disney characters, drag queens and cheerleaders.

“Even Jesus came out. (He’s) the most well-known zombie of all, if you think about it,” stated Anthony Meñez, event co-organizer and VCU alumnus with a degree in communication arts and design, in an e-mail.

“It’s nice to see people get creative,” said Brittany Cominos, who attended the event. “People come here to be tourists and it’s a nice show for them.”

According Meñez, almost 200 people showed up to walk as the undead and raised more than $400 for the American Cancer Society, breaking last year’s record.

Many parents came with their kids to the Walk.

“I feel the Richmond Zombie Walk has brought a bit of ‘life’ to the city’s holiday events,” Meñez stated. “In addition to the haunted hay rides and houses, ghost tours and fall festivals, the Zombie Walk is the most all-inclusive, entertaining and fun.”

It is not an accident that the Walk falls around the same time of year as Halloween.

“Every year, participants try to plan events that coincide with the Walk to extend the Halloween fun,” Meñez said.

Joe Talman, a Richmond Camera employee, was very excited to see such an unusual event take place in Richmond.

“I thought it was a really unique thing for Richmond to do,” Talman said. “I like that Richmond does things as a community.”