While Halloween is traditionally an American holiday, Australians are getting in touch with their dark side this October as well, with a series of 'zombie walks' across the country. These events - started in the US ten years ago - see large congregations of people dressed as zombies marching through urban areas, often with the aim of raising charitable funds or promoting an issue or cause.
Adelaide and Brisbane will host
'zombie walks' this October to raise
funds for charities.
Adelaide will host its fifth annual zombie walk on Saturday 8 October. "After a cold winter in Adelaide, it seems the city streets will run warm with the tides of blood soaked zombies!" the Adelaide Zombie Walk website says.
"Expect to see characters and creatures groan and stumble down Grenfell Street & Currie Street, from Rymill Park to Light Square".
The Adelaide zombies are raising funds for the Adelaide food bank, with participants urged to donate a cold coin (AUD $1 or $2) or can of food.
The sunshine state will follow with a zombie walk in Brisbane to take place on Sunday 23 October, starting at Wickham Park and ambling its way through to Centenary Place in Fortitude Valley. This year organisers are hoping that the Brisbane Zombie Walk wins the Guiness World Record for largest gathering of zombies. Last year, Brisbane's zombies raised $13,000 for the Brain Foundation of Australia and are hoping to raise a similar amount this year.
Brisbane will also host an all-ages zombie walk after-party called ROTT N ROLL at the Tempo Hotel featuring burlesque acts and live music.
If parading around town dressed like a corpse isn't your thing, there are plenty of other events going down in Oz over October.
It is Spring Carnival season in Melbourne, with some of the world's best horse racing events taking place throughout October in the lead-up to the famous Melbourne Cup. Don't forget your fancy hat (or chequebook!).
Australia's largest spring flower show - Floriade - will run from 17 September to 16 October in Commonwealth Park in Canberra, showing off more than 1 million blooms. And once the sun goes down and hides the flowers, Floriade NightFest takes over with cocktails, night markets, DJs and wine bars.
For an authentic taste of rural Australia head to Ararat in country Victoria for the annual Ararat Show. Attractions include rides, pet shows, floral and agricultural displays and arts and crafts.
- Aleks Vickovich is Online Editor with the Australian Visa Bureau, an independent consultancy specialising in helping people lodge applications for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia.
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