Zombiepalooza

A free Halloween evening in Downtown Cary Park, aimed at families and running three hours after dark.

An evening start is what makes this work. Halloween events scheduled at two in the afternoon have a fundamental problem, which is that nothing looks remotely spooky in daylight. Six to nine in late October puts most of the event in genuine darkness.

What tends to be on:

• Costumes, expected rather than optional
• Activities and games for children
• Music
• Food vendors
• The park's own lighting and water features, which do a lot of the atmospheric work

Downtown Cary Park opened recently and is one of the better new public spaces in the Triangle, with a proper lawn, a dining terrace and enough lighting to run an evening event safely. It is a considerably more pleasant venue than the car-park-and-marquee model.

Practical notes:

• Bring a torch if you have small children in dark costumes
• The park is compact, so it feels full quickly even at moderate numbers
• Parking is in the downtown decks rather than at the park itself
• Late October evenings are cold enough to want a layer over a costume

Free to attend, no registration.

Cary runs two Halloween events on the same evening at opposite ends of town, this one and the Pumpkin Flotilla at Bond Park. They suit different ages. Zombiepalooza is the livelier, more social option; the flotilla is quieter and more visual.