Travel to the charming town of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for a wonderful, relaxing vacation. The state’s second largest city (behind Indianapolis) features amazing festivals during the summertime such as Rib Fest as well as some great local shopping like Fancy & Staple, featuring one-of-a-kind items from small, independent businesses. Families will enjoy the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, which is one of the top ten zoos in the nation. No matter what you choose to do, Fort Wayne offers a fun-filled yet relaxing getaway for you and your family.
And what better way to enjoy a wonderful Midwestern Halloween than with Fright Night at Fort Wayne! On October 20, be prepared for a ghoulishly great time at this fest. With plenty of amazing activities that are easy on the budget, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Resortsandlodges.com had a chance to sit down with the Events and Programming Manager, Rick Zolman, for more information on this amazing spooky festival.
RAL: How long has the event been running?
RZ: This will be the 11th year celebrating Fright Night!
RAL: How many annual attendees do you draw?
RZ: Typically we see about 10,000 people in the Zombie Walk and 14,000 for the overall event. We have activities that start as early as 9:00 am and end at midnight.
RAL: What demographic does your event attract?
RZ: The cool part of this event is that it is a multi-cultural, multi-generational event. We see young parents with babies and grandparents “zombified” to match their grandchildren.
RAL: What makes your event unique?
RZ: By far it is the creativity of the attendees. We have people that schedule dinner with their family and friends at Downtown restaurants to watch the zombie walk. They want to see the creativity. The sidewalks on both sides of the street are packed with folks watching the Zombie walk.
RAL: What kind of activities are at the event?
RZ: Our partners work very hard to produce activities throughout the day. New activities this year include a Monster Dash 5K, extreme pumpkin carving demonstrations, and Phantom of the Organ. We have activities that include a Spooktacular car show, Day of the Dead celebration, bonfire at the Marriott, and lantern tours by Historic Fort Wayne.
RAL: What is the atmosphere like?
RZ: Fun and festive -- this is the perfect family event!
RAL: Does the event drive business to your local economy?
RZ: Like all events that are produced by the Downtown Improvement District, Fright Night is a big evening for local businesses. Many of the activities are low and no cost events by design to remain accessible to everyone and we encourage attendees to patronize local eateries and businesses as part of their visit to Downtown Fort Wayne.
RAL: Why should people come to your event?
RZ: The day is full of frightfully fun family activities. Many folks who visit the spectacle of the Zombie Walk quickly make it one of their “can’t miss” events!
For more information about the festival, please visit the event website here!