• Get in the Halloween frame of mind extra-early with a Night of the Living Dead screening at Carolina Cinemas on Friday, Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. “Tickets are $8 each and visitors are encouraged to dress up in their best zombie make up, or come as a victim or zombie hunter.”
• Red Room Temptations (5 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-0775) holds a Michael Jackson’s THRILLER Dance Class Thursdays throughout October. “It promises to be a blast then, you’ll be cooler than everyone else because you’ll know the thriller dance and they wont. imagine the fun at weddings and at the bar on halloween weekend,” writes the club. 8:30-10 p.m. (beginning Thursday, Oct. 7), $5 per class.
• Local costumer Organic Armor has been regularly adding great DIY costume ideas to its blog. From crazy glasses to fairy wings, they’ve got plenty of inspirations. Or just check out the website for fun, otherworldly wearables. “Organic Armor creates costumes for tribal fairy punks, video game priestesses, alien viking warriors and circus divas, among other things. All the pieces are handmade and one-of-a-kind. They look like antique metal or leather but are actually soft, light, reinforced rubber. They are durable, flexible, comfortable and can be worn for many hours through active movement, making them suitable for performance, clubs, ritual or the backyard.”
• Ashtoberfest lurches and roars into town. “It all started with our first Zombie Walk in 2006. Shambling our way from the Montford Park, through the Riverside Cemetary, into and around downtown Asheville, we joined together to give the city a fright and a smile. Since then, we have been continuing and expanding on this tradition in every way we can,” reads the website. This year, there’s a Zombie Walk which will likely coincide with World Zombie Day on Sunday, October 10; a music fest, writer’s gathering, parties and more are in the works.
• Not going to Moogfest? Consider attending RogueFest, a local spin on the Halloween weekend electronica festival. The lineup so far includes Quetzatl, GalaxC Girl, Cleofus, Kri, Medisin, Intrinsic, D:Raf, Naster, Emory, Skew, Super Glitch Bros and Johan Ess (pictured). It will be held in the River Arts District and promises camping. October 29-31.
Also happening is DRACULA AT THE MASONIC, a major theatrical event in downtown Asheville. Five performances are scheduled for Oct 22-23 and 29-30 at 8pm, with a special midnight show on the 30th. Benefit for Eblen Charities!