Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall overlooking Spring Street. His demise was not from a fall, but a termite infestation and a team with a chainsaw.
In his tiny mountain town nestled among the Ozarks, he sat for many years as a stark yet quaint reminder of what Eureka Springs truly is: pretty weird, and a happy home to many different kinds of artists. He even sported a mask for a while to encourage locals and tourists alike to follow current mandates as travel restrictions began to lift. Many believe him to be one of the most photographed attractions in his tiny mountain town. He shared his large and friendly smile with countless tram tours and pedestrians that passed his perch.
So you can imagine how devastated the town and tourists were when all 500lbs of him was dismantled and hauled off back in August of 2021. Like I said, it took a chainsaw.
Luckily, this small town did as small towns do and came together as a community to explore restoration and relocation options. It made quite a dramatic stir, and rightfully so: Eureka Springs is beloved by locals and tourists alike for its art community, and the beloved egg represented embracing the unconventional and welcoming all to do the same with a friendly smile.
Though he will never be forgotten, no news meant no news for quite some time. It wouldn’t be until a couple of weeks ago that a mere hint of an update would arise.
And rise he did, preceded by a horde of undead shuffling their way down Spring Street.
For a town of less than 3,000 people, the happenings of Eureka Springs often grow into something larger than anyone anticipates. Longtime locals may recall when a local Sunday school teacher made multiple headlines for a playful prank of stealing baby Jesus from the annual Nativity Scene in Basin Park, just a block away from Humpty Dumpty’s former perch. That wasn’t the first time, however, and baby Jesus has since been weighed down with concrete and secured to his manger cradle during the holidays.
Wherever you are in the United States, you may have heard about an event called Bikes, Blues & BBQ. Bikers from all over get to soak in the sights and maneuver the winding Pig Trail as they make their way through Eureka Springs and into Fayetteville, roughly an hour’s ride south. Lots of music, food, merch, and revving bikes bring thousands of visitors through every year.
Or perhaps you already know that this little mountain town is considered one of the safest places for the LGBTQ+ Community in the South, with local bars hosting drag shows year round, multiple diversity weekends every year, and a pride community that thrives through the queer artists that share their stories and voices through multiple mediums and art shows.
If anything, you have most likely heard of the Crescent Hotel, one of the most haunted places in the country. In fact, nearly every building in downtown Eureka Springs is on the historical registry, and you will find yourself having to choose between different ghost tours and paranormal activities during your visit. Every local in town knows that October is by far the busiest month of the year.
This is largely due to the fact that, in this tiny mountain town, we all come together to celebrate the spooky season with the largest event of all: The Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl.
All hotels and short term rentals booked out months in advance as visitors began to flock downtown on Saturday, October 26th in anticipation of undead festivities. As a longtime local, I unsurprisingly ran late and parked a 15min walk away in my own anticipation of the evening traffic.
The day began in Basin Park at the bottom of Spring St, where the Melonlight Theater kicked off the day by teaching Michael Jackson’s Thriller choreography to anyone who elected to join. Don’t let this time of year fool you… it was a hot one outside! Nevertheless, Raymond sported his iconic leather jacket during the 2hr class and all dancers (and spectators!) had a blast. You can watch a video here and dance along!
After breaking quite a sweat, I freshened up my 80’s themed outfit and piled on more hairspray before reporting to my makeup station with the Blossom Beauty team. Owned and operated by Maggie Mae, Blossom is known for its on-location wedding hair and makeup services, where we specialize in soft, romantic, and natural wedding day looks.
On this day, however, our goal was to make you look your worst, and our team worked nonstop for hours on end. We met zombies and survivors of all ages and walks of life, putting the final touches on darkened bruises and fresh latex wounds as we wished them a spooky good time. Beginning next year, Blossom Beauty will be the official Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl makeup team!
The most anticipated part of the Zombie Crawl by far is the parade. Everyone is welcome to participate with just the cost of 2 cans of food for the local food bank. The photos here speak for themselves – the street was packed, the pyrotechnics were on full display, and finally, Humpty Dumpty made his grand and gruesome return. He now resides at the 1883 Peabody House on Armstrong Street.
The parade is also a crowd favorite because the highly anticipated street theater performance by Melonlight Theater followed immediately after. These incredible dancers put on a Beetlejuice inspired performance to wrap up the festivities in the way they do best: with some good old fashioned Halloween entertainment. Melonlight is known for their five star immersive theatrical productions, and you can click here to learn more.
As the horde slowly dispersed, replaced by heavy traffic, I made my way in the opposite direction. After finishing the final wound at my makeup station on a gentleman who cheerfully suggested the fake blood ooze into his beard, I packed up my things and made my way to the final job of the day: Intrigue Theater.
It felt like swimming upstream, weaving through tourists as I made my way to the upper historic loop. I mentioned I parked a 15min walk away. What I didn’t mention was the ridiculously steep hill I had to climb that is known as Owen Street. Let’s just say that dancing Thriller was not the only time I broke a sweat on Zombie Crawl day.
After a quick “costume” change into all black attire and even more hairspray, I opened the doors and welcomed the crowd as they gathered for the evening show, aptly titled Paranormal Experiments. This performance is unique in that it heavily relies on audience participation. These experiments include psychometry, hypnotization, secret societies, and communication with haunted dolls from a long-abandoned asylum, all expertly guided by master illusionist Sean Paul and medium Juliana Fay.
From my love of all things performing arts, and my loyalty as their stage manager, I’ll stop there to avoid any spoilers. I highly recommend seeing this show for yourself!
Eureka Springs is a magical town with a flair for the paranormal. Whether you visit for the small town lore, original art in the shops, or have more spooky intentions for your stay, there’s a little something for everyone here. Especially if you’re like me and want a little taste of everything – a free dance class, zombie makeup, paranormal experiments in an old church venue, and the return of a beloved small town icon.
One last cup of coffee accompanied me on my hour drive home, still riding the high of another Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl in the books. It’s been a few days and I’m still recovering, yet I’m already looking forward to doing it all again next year. If you think I’m crazy for doing this all again in a heartbeat, you may be correct! And you’ve read this far, you know I’m also in great company for when the next horde of zombies invades this tiny mountain town.
I hope your spooky season has been equally rewarding, filled with the undead and survivors alike as we all gather to celebrate. May your cups be full and your table overflow with the tastiest of brains.
Happy Halloween!
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