On Saturday, Oct. 22, Downtown Hartford hosts the annual Hooker Day Parade, a celebration of the founder of Connecticut's capital. But this ain't your standard, run-of-the-mill march. Thomas Hooker, the procession's namesake, was a huge fan of parades himself. (Ironically, he was also a Puritan, so therefore presumably uptight).
The Parade's organizers aim to make the Hooker Day Parade one of Hartford's most cut-loose, face-painted and motley gathering of the year. Photos of Hooker Day events from years past show people clad in silly clown costumes, riding in motorcycles with dogs, and even dressed up as Hooker himself. And all this started when Minister Hooker left Cambridge to find a new place for his congregation. They found Hartford. Now, over 350 years later, Hartford pays homage to Hooker with hula hoops rather than pilgrim hats.
Back in the early '90s, former Mayor Mike Peters began the Hooker Day Parade, which was thrown every year until its hiatus in 2001. Seven years later, it exploded back onto the streets of Hartford to overwhelmingly positive reviews. It has since occurred every October, with this year starting at 2 p.m. and lasting for an hour. Don't miss it.
The Enfield-based business Year of the Dead has released a 2012 swimsuit calendar. Since they're based in Connecticut, much of their fanbase comes from the surrounding area, as do many of their models. The catch with this one, however, is that the models are zombies. Rather than lying on a sandy beach, the ladies are shown eating brains or taking a bath in a tub full of blood. YOTD is throwing a big release party on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Blackboard Cafe in Windsor Locks. If you attend the party, you'll get to meet the zombie models featured in the calendar.
As part of this release party, YOTD has organized a dance-off for the models. Anyone who enters will have to dance at three points during the night, and at the end, the sexiest dancer will be chosen by the other party-goers. The winner gets a role in next year's calendar, the 2013 Lingerie Edition. Josh Esan, one of the members of YOTD, said that the dance party gives the "chance for fans to choose who is going to be in the next calendar." The official rules for the dance-off can be found at facebook.com/yearofthedead. Also, the partier with the best costume at the Zombie Bikini Party gets "zombified" by YOTD and a professional photo shoot. Both men and women are eligible for this contest.
YOTD also has a Facebook-exclusive competition — called the "Kill the Brain Contest" — for fans to send pictures of themselves dressed as the ultimate zombie killer. Esan said the best submission will be the most original, and will make him think, "Wow, we never thought of that." The winner will be also be featured in the 2013 calendar in a cameo role.
The party will feature a live performance by the Creepin' Cadavers. This band plays high-energy, horror-themed punk rock, with songs about such topics as vampires, zombies, and, of course, death. Also appearing is the Connecticut-based rock band, Unlucky Me.
Although YOTD obviously digs zombies, Esan told me they really all love horror in general. He, along with fellow YOTD members Shane, Nichelle, and Rocky (who came up with the original idea), are into vampires as well. When asked about the current vampire craze, Josh quipped, "I definitely don't like Twilight, but the old stuff is good, even 'True Blood.'" He said that the main difference between zombies and vampires is that there is no "wiggle room" with zombies. Vampires can be romantic, but there's no time for that with zombies, because all there can be is "sheer terror." YOTD wants to change that by adding the twist of making the zombies sexy. Josh said that it "amazes" him that they were the "first ones to think of it."
