The first annual Zombie Fest in St. Thomas take place on August 31.

A blood-spattered horde shuffles down Wellington Street, seeking fresh brains to feed on.

If this sounds like your idea of a fun Saturday, you're a freak, but no need to fear — you can channel that at the first Annual Zombie Fest on August 31 in St. Thomas.

Zombie Fest is based on a long and creepy history dating back all the way to 1805. According to local legend, a man named Tom Zombie and his bride were murdered by a group of conspirators and buried in separate graves. Tom was buried with a bell attached to his foot because the undertakers had a feeling he was still alive. Two weeks later, the bell began to ring, and Tom rose from his grave to exact revenge on the community.

Tom Zombie sightings were few and far between until 1893, when a young rail worker named Edward Thomas was crushed between two train cars during a freak accident. It is believed the curse was transferred to him, and he is now the one who seeks revenge on the community.

The only way the community can protect itself from the curse is by choosing one person to keep control of a magical Trimerical Bell for one year. They say that whoever has the bell has the power to control Tom Zombie and keep his undead army at bay.

“We have a panel of judges who choose a new protector to keep control of the bell and satisfy the curse,” said Bryan Bakker, lead organizer of the Tom Zombie festival. “The protector will keep hold of the bell until the next festival, where they will pass it on to the next year's Tom Zombie.”

This contest will be sure to bring fame to the winner not only in St. Thomas, but the zombie community. The new Tom Zombie will be chosen in a contest where points are awarded for scary make-up, costume, uniqueness, personality and even humour. It should be quite the competition so bring your A-game... or should I say Z-game.

The first Tom Zombie was announced as famous zombie movie actor John Migliore at a ceremony at the Elgin County Railway Museum on May 15. Migliore is a 49-year-old Hamilton-born actor who has more than 20 zombie movies to his name, including Dawn of the Dead and Resident Evil.

“As this will be the first Tom Zombie, we want to make sure an iconic presence is set. That's why he'll resemble an historic railway worker motif and the reveal ceremony will be held on festival grounds at the Railway Museum,” Bakker explained.

The idea for Zombie Fest was formed after Bakker received a job producing a zombie commercial for a client at his production company, Bizbio. “I was doing research on zombie culture and just realized just how popular the genre was becoming, how excited people were,” said Bakker. “So I thought, ‘No one has done this before; I'm going to start my very own Zombie Festival.'”

Proceeds from this event will go to the non-profit organization It Takes 2, which provides support to at-risk youth (it2institute.com). “We are proud to be helping this organization; it encourages and motivates young people to get up off the couch and participate,” said Bakker.

The event already has the community buzzing and is expected to bring zombie enthusiasts from near and far. “The event is so unusual that it has sparked the imagination and sense of play within our community,” Bakker said. “It's nice for St. Thomas to be in the headlines for positive change and to address the needs of youth as their programs suffer during strained economic times.”

Zombie events will kick off at 4 p.m. on August 31 in St. Thomas at the Elgin Railway Museum (225 Wellington St.). Zombie Fest 2013 will feature music by local bands, exhibitors, food vendors and the search for the next year's Tom Zombie.

For more information on the event, go to tomzombiefestival.ca. You can also learn more at facebook.com/TomZombieFestival.