Those who decided to go out last Saturday night at Tipp Hill likely encountered someone with a bloody wounds and tattered clothes.
There was not some fierce battle -- just a lot of makeup application and clothing destruction for the 6th annual Zombie Crawl [13] on October 19.
The event was structured like a normal bar crawl, except many of the attendees didn’t look like they should be alive.
The rock radio station 95X [14] hosted the crawl, which started at the bar The Blarney Stone [15] at 5:30 p.m. Two hours later, a handful of the zombies gathered and left simultaneously for a Walk of the Dead Parade. Others left at different times in their own cars.
Most of the event attendees were Tipp Hill or Syracuse residents and had heard of the Zombie Crawl through friends, social media or the radio.
“This is my first zombie crawl in Tipp Hill, but I’m a local and I like to support 95X,” said Sean Callahan. “I also love zombies and this bar, so I just thought it was the perfect opportunity to have some fun. “
The ensemble of zombies made their way through the chilly, drizzling night to the next bar, George O’Dea’s [16], like a pact of bruised and battered warriors emotionally unfazed by their most recent battle.
The event concluded at Rosie’s Bar [17] with a performance by the rock-and-roll group, My So Called Band [18].
Although some came to the event as the walking dead, others paid five to $20 to look like a zombie with the work of professional makeup artists contracted by 95X. The price increased by the amount of detailed wounds each attendee wished to have inflicted with makeup.
Corinne Bardrof, the owner of the Syracuse tattoo shop Siren Studios on New Court Ave, and Mary Fortino from The Aquarius Center of Well Being were the makeup artists at the event.
Working in drag clubs sparked Fortino’s interest in ghoulish makeup, she said.
“I was a hairdresser and got bored,” she explained. Fortino added sometimes she scares herself a bit with what she can create with some thin paper, brushes, foundation, and liquid latex. However, she also says it never ceases to be entertaining. Although this was her first year providing makeup for attendees, she said she would come back next year.
Some more distinct zombies had faces with skin coming unzipped. More common were gashes that broke through skulls and revealed brain parts. Even more attendees sported some sort of sharp object protruding from their necks as they chatted with friends in a tent outside or kept warm by the bar.
“I’m excited about all the creepiness,” said Mike Foley from the Morning Mess show on 95X. He said it was his first time going to the Zombie Crawl and he’d brought his wife, who he referred to as the more “Walking-Dead knowledgeable” of the two.
“I don't know much about zombies,” he said. “But I have a feeling I’m going to learn a lot tonight.”
