By Kimberly Dunbar

If you have a wicked case of samhainophobia (you know, the fear of Halloween), then this article is not for you. But if you’re one of the 170 million Americans who celebrate with spirit, keep reading, because you aren’t going to want to miss Canalloween 2013!

Worcester’s biggest Halloween party is back for its third year and better than ever. On Oct. 26, zombies will flood the streets of the Canal District when Canalloween kicks off in the early afternoon and continues throughout the night.

“Halloween is fun,” said Paul Giorgio, publisher of Pagio, Inc., one of the sponsors of Canalloween. “It is non-denominational, national and a great fall event.”

The fun starts with a Scary Monster Dash 5K at 3 p.m. (a youth 1K race begins at 2:30 p.m.), followed by a Zombie Walk for those who’d rather take it easy. Of course, all participants are encouraged to dress in costume for the occasion. At 4 p.m., runner or not, head on down to watch a parade that will include zombies, marching bands and more make its way down Water Street.

Canalloween is the brainchild of Giorgio and others who were looking to give Worcester a signature event that could bring people together annually. Capitalizing on the exponential growth and popularity of the Halloween holiday, Canalloween was born.

“Halloween is the fastest-growing segment of the holiday market,” said Giorgio. “After Christmas, more money is spent on Halloween than anything else.” According to the National Retail Federation, in 2012, seven in every 10 Americans celebrated the October tradition. That’s 71.5 percent of the population, up from 68 percent the previous year.

However, the inaugural celebration in October 2011 didn’t go as planned. “The first year, we had a freak blizzard where the city closed down,” Giorgio said. “Last year was the first good year.”

And it didn’t disappoint. Canalloween 2012 saw the addition of the 5K run, Zombie Walk and the Water Street parade to the agenda. “We had a road race with 700 runners in costume, a small parade and parties at about 15 clubs,” he said.

This year, Giorgio expects to have 1,200 runners and walkers for the road race ~ which starts and finishes on Temple Street ~ as well as a bigger parade. While the full list of parade participants wasn’t available at press time, Giorgio said five marching bands were already signed up and a variety of local groups is expected to participate. “Anyone is welcome to march,” he said. However, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

As with any event, location is key, and the Canal District is perfect for a Halloween festival. In addition to the high concentration of clubs and bars in the neighborhood, the historic brick buildings and narrow streets make for a spooky setting.

“The Canal District streetscape and layout, with its old buildings, lends itself well [to an event like this],” Giorgio said.

Although Halloween is synonymous with trick-or-treating for children, the holiday is becoming more adult-centric; Canalloween sets the stage for adults to do their own trick-or-treating by party hopping at more than a dozen local watering holes as soon as the sun sets.

“Adults can act like kids,” said Giorgio of the event. It might just be enough to cure someone of their samhainophobia.

For a complete listing of activities, parade participants and a link to the Scary Monster Dash and Zombie Walk, visit canalloween.com.