By JOSEPH SAPIA
Both the new owner and the old owner of Asbury Park’s zombie walk deemed the eighth annual event, held Saturday, Oct. 10, a success.
“It was wonderful,” said city tavern-restaurant owner John “Johnny Mac” McGillion, who recently purchased the rights to the event from founder Jason Meehan.
Meehan, who stay aboard to assist, said the event had “a great turnout, (it was) a great event.”
Meehan and McGillion estimated the Asbury Park Zombie Walk — which went back to the original name used only in year one — attracted 8,000 to 10,000 people. Of these, an estimated 60 percent, or 4,800 to 6,000, were dressed as zombies, Meehan said.
The event was moved from Saturday, Oct. 3, to Saturday, Oct. 10, at the last minute because of the threat of Hurricane Joaquin following a nor’easter battering the Shore for days. Joaquin never struck, turning east and going farther out over the Atlantic Ocean.
“We had great weather, much nicer than last weekend would have been,” Meehan said.
Changing the date might have hurt the event, but the resulting weather benefited Zombie Walk, McGillion said.
“It was a great weekend,” McGillion said.
Next year, Zombie Walk is to continue from the Boardwalk to the downtown, but McGillion said to expect some changes, such as introducing different categories of contests for those dressed as zombies.
This year, it was questionable if Zombie Walk would happen as Meehan, a new father, wanted to cut back his work. The sale from Meehan to McGillion was accomplished Sept. 25.