EVANS CITY — A month of spooky, yet family friendly Halloween events is being considered in the borough.

Council President Lee Dyer said at the June borough meeting that a committee of council members, business owners and others has met a few times to discuss the idea.

Dyer said much like a town in Ohio that each Christmas has a Charles Dickens-themed event, Evans City could use its status as the home of the 1960s horror movie “Night of the Living Dead” to promote its festival.

“We have an opportunity here, and I think we really need to explore it,” Dyer said.

He stressed that all public events and displays would be family friendly, with ghouls being more fun and cartoonish than macabre, flesh-eating zombies.

“If they want to hold a zombie-themed event at EDCO Park one night, then (families can) not take their children,” Dyer said.

Dyer said the committee’s goal is to entice people to come to the borough, visit the businesses, and discover what Evans City has to offer.

The festival would likely be ongoing for a month near Halloween with events on the weekends. He said one weekend’s events would be dedicated to “Night of the Living Dead.”

Businesses would be encouraged to fashion outdoor and window displays to go along with the Halloween theme. Restaurants could create themed menu items as well, he said.

“We’ve got a pretty good commitment from the business community, which is encouraging,” Dyer said.

He said inexpensive family activities like a corn maze and hay rides would be available, and Main Street would be decorated with flags and displays.

He said nominal fees, like $1, would be charged for rides and special attractions to cover costs.

“The general gist at this point is not to make money on it; it’s to bring people to Evans City,” Dyer said.

He said hundreds of commuters travel on Main Street each day, and the borough should take advantage of it.

“When people drive through town, they can say ‘Hey, something’s going on here,’” Dyer said.

He said the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau has offered to help publicize and market the event, and to give other assistance.

“They said, ‘You tell us what to do, and we’ll help you get it done,’” Dyer said.

He said the committee has received no resistance to the borough embracing its connection to “Night of the Living Dead,” which was filmed in and around Evans City in 1968. The original undead, flesh-eating zombie movie has become a cult classic, with fans coming from around the world to visit the town where the George Romero flick was shot.

“We have been very firm that this stuff has to be family friendly,” Dyer said.

Cindy Caldwell of the EDCO Park Authority said her board supports the festival idea.

“I think anything that’s in the general interest of our town and community is a good thing,” Caldwell said.

She said “Night of the Living Dead” activities, which might include a campout for zombie enthusiasts, have already been penciled in for the park during a weekend near Halloween in anticipation of the festival.

Caldwell encourages all residents to get in on the fun by volunteering or creating displays for their homes. She also said residents should share their ideas or voice their opinions with members of the committee or borough council members.

“I welcome all of the residents to participate in any way they can,” she said.

Dyer said meetings are ongoing, and dates and events will be scheduled soon.