In the spirit of Halloween, the fifth annual Zombie Ball held Saturday Oct. 12 at Woodruff’s in Depot Town had everything a zombie could ask for – music, DJs and some undead fun. Such ghoulish figures like the Captain Cornelius Crumplecustard and his companion Beau Barranco were in attendance for the night’s festivities.
“I come because I love costumes, for the drinks and to see Devil Elvis,” Captain Cornelius said.
The party included members of the Ypsilanti community, Eastern Michigan University students and even those formerly from the neighborhood returning for the festivities. Many attendees dressed their zombie-best with frightening yet realistic costumes.
The inspiration behind the Zombie Ball began five birthdays ago when Tony Scarboni and friend Adam Weekly held the first annual at Scarboni’s home.
The celebration grew in numbers as many people from the community began to attend, prompting him to move the festivities to a venue. Savoi, formally known as Club Divine was the first site chosen for the Zombie Ball before it was moved to Woodruff’s in Depot Town.
The ball is not only a birthday celebration, but also a chance for the community to get warmed up for the upcoming Halloween holiday.
Scarboni, a professional magician, has been practicing magic since childhood. He’s been featured in shows from Detroit to Ann Arbor and enjoys his career.
This year’s Zombie Ball marked three years a successful turnout of undead fans. Music included the popular band Devil Elvis, DJ Ayinde Audio & DJ Knowledge, Victor VonScary and the Enema Squad featuring P-Funk Allstars. In addition to the musical entertainment, Jenn Lootens and Heather Stevens were on hand with some unique Halloween-themed jewelry from their online store “Blackenedruby Jewelry.”
There is a possiblity that Ypsilanti can look forward to a sixth Zombie Ball next year. Although a lot of work and hassle goes into the planning of the celebration, this year’s ball saw more support from the area and community members, so the possibility of another year for the undead is likely.
In the meantime, locals can look forward to the second annual “Nightmare Before Christmas” event at Woodruffs already in the works. A date has not yet been released for the party but cover will be approximately $7 for 21 and over and $10 for 18- to 20-year-olds.
“The better the cover, the better the entertainment will be,” said Scarboni.
