Zombies trolling downtown ... Carrie in that unfortunate prom-night pig's blood ... eerie rock bands playing into the night — it's an adult's Halloween weekend with an edge at the inaugural Atlanta Horror Fest. The event, which starts Friday and centers near downtown Atlanta, is the brainchild of festival director and co-founder Lucas Godfrey. The Georgia State University film student and horror buff discovered zombiewalk.com, which listed events worldwide where people dress up like zombies and limp through city streets. He started posting information on message boards about staging a zombie walk in Atlanta and found significant interest.

Godfrey and his friend Eric Panter, who runs the Atlanta Underground Film Festival and DocuFest, decided to add a horror film festival to the agenda. Before they knew it, they were accepting movie submissions, booking horror bands from the Southeast and planning an event with a much wider scope.

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Aside from costume contests and concerts, here are other weekend highlights.

Zombie Walk

Beginning at noon Friday, the undead will gather at Lenny's (486 Decatur St., Atlanta), an old-school music venue where "dive" is used affectionately. Wear your own costume or allow Horror Fest artists to zombie-fy you for $10 for the walk through Oakland Cemetery, Woodruff Park, the downtown business district and Underground Atlanta. A zombie costume contest will take place at Lenny's afterward.

Underground Horror Film Festival

Indie and short films produced on little-to-no budget are on the menu: zombie movies on Friday; monsters and demons on Saturday; and blood and gore on Sunday. Movie times vary and are $7 per screening, $10 per day pass at Eyedrum (290 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Atlanta).

Dirty Pillows

Relive Sissy Spacek's crowning glory in the classic horror flick "Carrie" with a '70s Prom Night on Sunday at Eyedrum. DJ Joy LaChoy will spin tracks from the era, Big City Burlesque will play, and the winner of the "Carrie"-themed costume contest will be crowned prom queen with "a bucket of pig's blood." (Yes, according to organizers, the winner will leave wet.)

Music Festival

Lenny's will host more than 25 horror rock, rap and psychobilly bands as well as DJs and a dance party Friday night. Also: a Halloween costume contest at midnight on Monday.

Atlanta Horror Fest Info

Various times Friday through Monday. Films are $7 per screening; $10 for day pass at Eyedrum. Day pass at Lenny's is $10; day pass to Eyedrum and Lenny's $15. All access weekend pass $30. www.atlantahorrorfest.com.