The Radioactive Events Center staff create a huge foam party on the street. Saturday night’s Toxic Zombie Walk in the alley next to Downtown Bar and Grill in Kittanning will feature black lights and glowing ooze splashed on participants.
October has become identified with Halloween and the holiday is starting with a brand new event.
The Radioactive Events Center in Kittanning is planning a Toxic Zombie Walk tomorrow night, October 5, from 7-9 PM at their venue in downtown Kittanning.
The Event Center President, Mark Gibson, said the event will take place in the alley beside his building that is located behind First National Bank and adjacent to the Downtown Bar and Grill.
“I have to tell you, I’m kind of a mad scientist at heart!” Gibson admits. “So, yes, we do the foam parties and we do the foam in the parades, but this is going to be my own concoction, my own invention. It’s going to be a mixture of this and a little bit of that, all I tell you is that when it catches you, you are going to glow!”
Gibson said that although the event is not going to be the typical boo-scary haunted house-type of thing, he promises it will be an experience. Participants will walk through the alley and, just like his foam parties, they will experience the ooze all over them!
“They should wear light-colored old clothes,” Gibson cautions. “Old white shorts, old white T-shirts, things like that. Anything that’s going to glow because we’re going to be using UV black lights, so it’s going to make everything glow. So, to be part of the event, just wear something light-colored and something you’re not going to worry about getting messed up. Don’t wear your Sunday best. You’re basically going to have a nice journey through our toxic wasteland.”
Gibson did something similar for 300 students at the Ohio University, but he said this is different from anything he has done before.
“All I can you is that it’s a combination of our foam parties, a combination of paint parties and some weird, strangeness that’s going to happen,” taunts the mad scientist Gibson.
Honestly, Gibson isn’t exactly sure how the entire event will turn out, but promises a great time.
“This is the first time. This is kind of a big experiment. We’re going to run it this year and take notes and the next time around, I promise it will be bigger than the first one.”
The Radioactive Events Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so the entire event is by donation.
“You can donate whatever you want. You want to come and donate $5, $10, $20 whatever you want. You can donate whatever you wish,” he said. “We opened our venue in 2011. We’ve been here for 8 years and in 2015, we became non-profit. We do a lot of work with the youth in the community.”
Gibson said that they will also have safety goggles and protective suits for sale by donation in case you want extra protection.
“I can’t guarantee that they will protect you against zombie bites, but they will protect you somewhat,” Gibson said with a smile.
The gathering area will be directly behind First National Bank in their drive-thru area. Gibson, who is 55 years old and won’t allow people to call him “old”, said he expects both young and old alike to participate.
“This is an event where kids get to be kids and adults get to be kids again!”