The Living Dead Fest returns to Evans City the last weekend of October. The event celebrates the movie "Night of the Living Dead," which was filmed in the borough. The event will follow Oktoberfest which runs Sept. 18 to 20.

EVANS CITY — The borough is getting ready for two festivals in the next two months as residents come out to celebrate Oktoberfest and the second annual Living Dead Festival.

Oktoberfest

The three-day Oktoberfest kicks off Sept. 18 and ends Sept. 20.

The festivities will mainly be on Wahl Avenue and North Jackson Street.

The party starts with a musical performance by one-man-band Waldo Young from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 18. There will also be a Little Ms. and Mr. Oktoberfest pageant at 6:30 p.m.

An 11 a.m. parade will start events on Sept. 19 followed by a performance by the Evans City Middle School band at 11:30 a.m.

Children also will get to see Patches the Clown from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and have the chance to participate in a tractor pull at 1:30 p.m.

That day will close with a performance by Donnie Clark and Country Proud from 4 to 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 will feature a car cruise down Main Street from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. with accompanying music by DJ Ed "Spinner" Green. There will be performances from the Ambridge Steel Drum Band at 1 p.m. and magician Little Richard Quick at 3 p.m.

The festival will end with a community worship service at 5 p.m.

Living Dead Fest

Residents will be treated to a festival of another kind the last weekend of October.

The Living Dead Fest returns for its second year as ghouls and zombies converge at EDCO Park to celebrate George Romero's cult-classic film "Night of the Living Dead," which was filmed in Evans City more than 40 years ago.

The two-day party will start at 11 a.m. Oct. 30 at the park where actors from the film will sign autographs and talk with fans all day.

The revelers will then join the borough's Halloween parade at 7 p.m. and have the chance to win prizes in a costume contest.

The night continues at an 8 p.m. gala at the Strand Theater in Zelienople where fans can view rare artifacts from the film, including pictures and original promotional items from the 1960s.

After perusing the memorabilia, guests can view a film made by "Night of the Living Dead" star Terry Gindele at the Strand just before midnight.

A screening of "Night of the Living Dead" will follow.

Seating for the Strand Theater portion of the event is limited. Tickets are $100 and are available on a first come, first served basis on the festival's Web site at www.thelivingdeadfest.com and include all activities.

The festival will resume at 11 a.m. Oct. 31 in EDCO Park where fans can again meet the actors, get autographs and lessons in ghoulish makeup application by special effects artists.

There will also be cinematic fan tributes and another showing of the film on a 15-by-20 foot inflatable screen at 9 p.m. This costs $8.