Nov. 23 – Astoria Houses sits peacefully on the East River, at the end of 30th Ave. in Queens. Little did its residents know that only a few blocks away, the end of times had arrived.
Nearly 200 newly inducted members of the undead shuffled and groaned their way across 30th Ave. as part of the first annual Queens Thanksgiving Zombie Walk in Astoria. Organizers Thomas Art and Chante Tenoso brought several professional and student makeup artists on board to help. They took over Club 21 Bar and Lounge, the starting point of the walk, providing free makeovers to zombie fans – gashes, wounds and bullet holes included.
Art runs the website Zombies Worldwide, which he calls “the Myspace for Zombies.” He said he originally expected only 150 people to show up, but around 600 RSVP’d “Yes” on the Facebook event page. When the NYPD and MTA found out, said Art, they were worried the walk would create issues with traffic. They set rules whereby only groups of 50 or so could march at a time, and only on the sidewalk. But Art was not complaining. “This will actually make the walk seem more relentless and never-ending,” he said.
Art joined Teneso, who has an online Zombie-themed store called ZombiesCantLove.com, in leading the second of two groups of the walking dead. They covered a mile before stopping at Shillelagh Tavern, where nine bands awaited to carry the apocalyptic party through the night.
