Living Dead Weekend Monroeville PA, June 2026

We first visited Pittsburgh in October 2002 for a hockey game.  I went in trying to support Toronto (I had just emigrated there in April) and walked out a lifelong Pens fan, despite the 7-0 loss.  When I realized we were so close to the Monroeville Mall, it of course got added to the itinerary - twice.  I fell completely in love with it, some places are just special.  There was something about Pittsburgh that felt like coming home (not so much in Toronto).  We made friends in that Mall who we still love and visit 25 years later.  

Here we are in June 2026 and the Mall has been bought out (bastards) so now it has an uncertain future.  Living Dead Weekend is to be a gigantic epic Dawn of the Dead reunion, a zombie extravaganza!  Even better, everything is taking place in the Mall itself - a movie screening, panels, guest signings, photo ops, tours.  VIP sold out fast so we have regular weekend passes. 

A vast number of cast members are there including our heroes Gaylen, Scott and Ken (sadly David is no longer with us).  Photo credit to the good people at Living Dead Weekend.

The panels take place where the clock tower used to be, this beauty.  It was removed in 1987.  I am quite pleased with JC Penney being the backdrop although it has moved from it's location in the movie.

We meet Mike Christopher quite early on, he is Hare Krishna zombie.  Just a lovely funny charming man.  Everyone is amazing to meet at the event, honestly.  A lot of the cast are local.  Pittsburgh contains the friendliest most open people I have ever met.

This panel should be entitled 'local stunt/SFX/zombie genre royalty'.  It might have been actually.  Gorgeous Taso Stavrakis, Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero.  They are responsible for bringing enormous amounts of joy (and gore) via the screen. 

Although we are inside a great deal over the 3 days of the convention, it is absolutely beautiful weather outside.  This is the biker raid entrance from the movie, also where one of the BP trucks gets parked and Roger gets bitten.

Meeting Eugene A. Clark who plays Big Daddy in Land of the Dead is something I did not expect.  This encounter involves some exceptional and unexpected cosplay from Mr Clark and a bit of welcome manhandling.  He's behind me isn't he?

We spend a bit of time visiting iconic backdrops as you do.  The movie is full of texture and detail.

The iconic roof.

In the food court (formerly the ice palace) I run into more outstanding (really outstanding) cosplay.  Hello Fran and Roger.  They came all the way from the UK. 

There were so many guests we simply could not meet everyone and get autographs, so we set a budget and when it was gone it was gone.  Below is Richard France (Dummies!), Greg Nicotero, Bill Laszko (redneck), Kathleen Feeney (nun), Randy Kovitz (got any cigarettes?) and Dan Bertha (Wooley's gone apeshit man!)

We had to drive around the Mall a few times.  I can picture zombies here very easily.  

The Creepshow house is also right here in Monroeville.  During LDW they put a comic outside.  Remember when garbage cans were cool?  There's a visitor book by the mailbox.  

Saturday night is movie night at 10pm, I am so excited to see Dawn of the Dead in the actual place it was filmed.  A few of the cast talk to us first, it is so lovely.  I'll never forget this.  Flyboy zombie is lurking outside to take down any survivors.

On Sunday it is time for our big tour.  I booked it for before the Mall opens so we can enjoy some time without people.  After the late night movie and being quite tired I should probably be doing better at being a zombie.

Channeling Clayton.

The tour is legendary, it is about 3 hours and led by Larry DeVincentz who knows every detail of every pillar.  Today as we are discussing the location of the blood pressure machine, Tony Buba walks past with a cup of coffee.  This is magnificent.  

We have access to areas you would never see otherwise.  The control room is down a gorgeous little hallway right out of the movie.  Look at it.  LOOK AT IT.  

I have never been so excited to be around machinery.  It sounds exactly the same as in the movie. 

Larry does a very thorough tour, here he is illustrating the Flyboy zombie walk to the hallway.  Bravo. 

This stairway is tucked away in a place you’d never see.  I can’t get over how it literally looks the same with the brown paint. 

I can picture Fran right here waiting for Stephen.  The door has been moved sometime in the last 48 years.  

There were absolutely amazing photo ops over the weekend, we did 3.  Here we are worn out after clearing the zombies out. 

Because you never know!  They built the entire set for this and it is outstanding.

This was chaotic and very fun.  15 zombies + zombie Kevin. 

There's definitely another event in October at the Mall, after that we don't know.  Now is the time to book that trip.  

I’ll leave you with a throwback to my original Mall visit.  It felt like walking straight into the movie.  Harold W Brown airport was intact at the time. 

This is my favourite photo meeting my crush Scott a ‘few’ years ago.  Perfect baby, perfect.