Not surprisingly, many Fremonsters enjoy Halloween, and we have two occasions to celebrate the season this year. Unlike most of our festivities, however, these are intended as cozy community events and not public spectacles.
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Trolloween began as a birthday celebration for the Fremont Troll, who took up residence under the Aurora Bridge in fall 1990.
Maque daVis has produced plays, musicals, opera and pageants at the Troll on Halloween night for 17 years. This year he's put together a variety show, themed "dark, fun and mysterious" and enlisted many familiar Fremont favorites, including Delilah and her dancers, the Fremont Players and the Fremont Philharmonic.
The show starts, according to Maque, at 7 p.m. sharp, promising an un-Fremont-like promptness.
The show lasts one hour, although "if it's raining, it might be more," Maque cautioned. At 8 p.m. the Fremont haunt begins, led by samba band Vamola! The costumed multitude will stroll through the neighborhood and pause along the way for further performances, unless rain forces them to relocate to the covered Troll space.
A GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY
Seasoned Fremonsters know Trolloween, either by experience or reputation. The event isn't undetected, just seriously underpromoted, and once referred to as only a "creation of the collective imaginations of the audience."
"It's still a figment of our imagination," Maque assured. "We have the permits" and official sanctions, he explained, "but it's unadvertised."
Maque prefers the celebration be close-knit and community orientated - a gift from the Fremont Arts Council (FAC) to the community that supports them.
In the mid-1990s, the FAC advertized and, according to Maque, people attended, "who did not live in the community, people from outside our neighborhood who didn't respect our community."
Approximately 2,000 people showed up then, as opposed to the 300 to 500 Maque expects these days.
"Fremont really takes pride in its events," Maque bragged, and he positively gushed over the zombie invasion expected here on Sunday, Oct. 21.
"I love the zombies!" Maque exclaimed like a true Fremonster.
THE WALKING DEAD
Another Fremonster, who prefers to go by the name Cleo Zombie, has invited her undead brethren and their victims to wander our streets.
Cleo came to Seattle from Los Angeles in 1999 and moved to Fremont in 2003. In her home here, she makes leather beaded jewelry and hair falls, and passes some free time with flash mob events.
Through e-mail, people receive invites to gather in costume, usually in public places, at an activity or for a prank. Cleo has participated in several flash mobs, including Santa-archy and a kiss mob (a crowd of people simultaneously kissing at the same moment) at Seattle Center.
Cleo organizes the zombie walks in Seattle. While they have taken place all over the country, Seattle lends itself to zombie walks, Cleo theorized, because "this is a super geeky town. We have a real polished geekiness here, and geeks like zombies and e-mail events."
All ages gather to wander dressed like zombies or victims. The opportunity brings out a wide-assortment of people.
"It appeals to teenagers," Cleo said, "and people who feel aggressive about mainstream society."
Small children and grandparents participate, as well as some zombie dogs.
Cleo has helped many people with makeup. "The freshly dead look doesn't take much," and she advised shopping thrift stores for distressed clothing, "although a more decayed zombie requires latex."
Cleo likes to be scared, and she takes pride in scaring people. Her appearance "gets people off-guard. You look like a regular person until they look closer," she explained.
A MIXED RECEPTION
Last year, Cleo selected University Village for the zombie sighting. The stuffiness of the shopping center appealed to her, and "spoiling that cake was really enticing to me," she said.
U-Village is private property, though, and a few days before the event, according to Cleo, "I got lawyer papers" warning her of legal proceedings should the event take place.
With e-mail invites, there is no way to reach out to everyone who got the message and cancel. Instead, Cleo went to the U-Village management offices, and with perseverance she convinced them of the harmlessness of the prank.
"People take care to stay away from children who look frightened," she explained, and her zombies have shown great respect for each other and property.
Zombie walk continues to grow, and Cleo fears the crowd becoming unmanageable. She worries about gawkers turning out to watch, expecting a show or performance, instead of an entirely participatory experience.
Cleo brought the undead back to Fremont this year, because "it is always the most fun here.... People are very receptive."
The zombies walk Fremont on Sunday, Oct. 21, starting at the Troll (North 36th Street and Troll Avenue North) at 2:45 p.m. sharp.
Trolloween is Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at the Troll. For information about Trolloween, or to offer support, contact the Fremont Arts Council, at 547-7440 or www.fremontartscouncil.org.
JUST MARRIED
According to Maque, he met Norma Baum when they both volunteered with the Fremont Arts Council, where Maque held the one-time title of president-for-life and Norma was secretary.
"She winked at me," Maque said, and that was all it took.
Now after 13 years together, the couple recently married.
I'm sure everyone in Fremont - especially those who enjoy the fun and festivities the couple have staged together - join me in wishing them much, much well-earned joy!
