Shreveport Gets Its Own Zombie Apocalypse with a Downtown Stagger and Shamble

Shreveport-Bossier locals will be moaning "Braaaaaains!" this week when the Zombie Apocalypse takes over the Third Thursday Trolley Tour. Shreveport's Downtown Development Authority is teaming up with Artspace for a downtown stagger and shamble that will paint the town red on Thursday, Oct. 17.

DDA Director Liz Swaine says the Downtown Stagger and Shamble promises to be lots of gory fun. The event sprouted from the very popular Shreveport Zombie Walk, which benefits the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana.

"The woman who did all the work on the Zombie Walk threw up her hands this year and said, 'I'm tired! I can't do it anymore! I need help,'" Swaine explained. "And it is such a fun event that the Downtown Development Authority said, 'Oh, we can't NOT have a Zombie Walk!' So we jumped in and took it."

What to Expect When You're Expecting the Zombie Apocalypse

Swaine told us that the first thing you'll see at this event is the movie-quality make-up and costumes that people have spent months putting together.

For the first hour or so, people will likely be standing around admiring others' costumes and taking photos. Later on, these zombies will compete to see who looks the goriest. The celebrity judge? A local funeral home director, of course!

"He'll be choosing the best costume, the scariest costume, the best group of zombies," Swaine said. "And then at Sevendipity Cafe, they'll be judging the actual King or Queen of the Down Zombies. So one person will be chosen to be the official downtown zombie."

And it's possible you'll see that person's picture hanging up somewhere in town (the courthouse, perhaps?)

Scary Good Live Music and Entertainment

There's plenty more than zombies and contests. The Moulin Dudes will provide live music, and there will be zombie-themed cupcakes and beverages for sale. If you don't know exactly how to apply zombie make-up, face painter Neecee Blackwell and stylists from Joseph Guin Salon will be there to "zombify" you -- for a small fee, of course.

What's Scarier Than Running Zombies? Trolley Zombies!

The trolley will be running as well, helping transport the shuffling zombies to several locations downtown so they can scare people.

"We're going to take them to the Shreve Memorial Library, and the library is going to have some fun games, as well; to Sevendipity Cafe, which is going to be having some games, and they will also be selling some special dinner items that may or may not include brains," Swaine said. "So, just a fun night for everybody and it's all age-appropriate."

If you're the least bit squeamish or scare easily, this might not be the event for you. But for zombie aficionados who grew up on 'Night of the Living Dead,' it's the closest thing to the zombie apocalypse.

Brain-Eating Contest

Swaine added that intrigued citizens can just show up to participate in all the fun, with one exception: a brain-eating contest.

"And we only have a certain number of brains, you know?" she said. "LSU Health Sciences Center, they were really low on brain stock, so we could only get a few for people to eat. So we're going to have to limit that to 20 zombies."

Swaine said a special "Zombie Eradication Vehicle" will be at the ready. If the brain-eaters get too rambunctious, the fire hoses will come out to take care of them.

Adult Zombies-Only

For you 21-and-up zombies, there's a Post Apocalypse Party going on at Mojo's. That will feature zombie-inspired drinks, music and fun. The staff politely asks that you not bite anyone, and make sure to retrieve all spare body parts before leaving the building.

The event runs from 5 until 8 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 17) and begins at Artspace, located at 710 Texas Street in downtown Shreveport. Don't forget to bring your non-perishable foods. But no brains, please.

Visit the DDA website if you need any more info.