Nightmare on 6th Avenue: PETA’s ‘Flesh Is for Zombies’ Message to Haunt NYC Halloween Parade

For Immediate Release:
October 28, 2026

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

New York –

This Halloween, the biggest fright facing New Yorkers won’t be specters, spells, or soaring rent costs—it’s the gruesome reality behind who’s on their plate. Just in time for the Village Halloween Parade, PETA will take over kiosks along the 6th Avenue parade route to remind spectators that flesh is for zombies, but vegan food is for everyone.

flesh is for zombies ad in NYC — Credit: PETA

“Slashed throats and severed limbs may be fodder for Halloween flicks, but for animals killed for food, the horror is all too real,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s message reminds everyone that our bodies were never meant to be graveyards, and the simplest way to end this real-life nightmare is by going vegan.”

Chickens are social learners who watch and emulate one another, cows mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other, and pigs show empathy for other pigs who are happy or distressed. But in today’s meat, egg, and dairy industries, animals are raised in filthy, crowded conditions before they’re forced onto transport trucks for a terrifying journey to the slaughterhouse, where workers slit their throats—often while they’re still conscious.

The horrors of animal agriculture extend beyond the slaughterhouse, too: The industry fuels the climate catastrophe, and studies show that eating meat increases the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Fortunately, going vegan is easier than ever, and PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help anyone thinking of making the switch.

PETA’s messages can be seen along the Halloween parade route on 6th Avenue from Canal Street to W. 15th Street.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.