Let’s appreciate for a second that Minneapolis’ Zombie Pub Crawl holds the title of “World’s Largest Gathering of Zombies.” What started as a 150-person MySpace event in 2005 became, in 10 years, a Halloween block party 15,000 people deep.
Corpse makeup, beer, and decrepit togetherness will turn October 13 into a night of bar hopping this year on Hall’s Island in Northeast. But the appeal cuts deeper—gets cultural. It could be the omens of climate change. Or recession-era anxieties we could solve if we ate flesh and destroyed civilization. Whatever the cause of outbreak, “World’s Largest” is no bloodless boast. It’s Guinness World Record-certified. In 2014, 15,458 shambled through the North Loop to secure this bragging right in the event’s 10th year.
Coming up on year 14, Zombie Pub Crawl returns to ground zero in Northeast Minneapolis. Back when it started, in 2005, 150 undead hipsters startled servers between the 331 Club and Psycho Suzi’s, who didn’t know what was going on. Today, it’s “ZPC,” and Minneapolis’ greatest concentration of breweries and taprooms will be ready. (You have to get tickets, by the way.)
What to know about this year’s horde:
1) Musical guests include ASAP Ferg, from hip-hop collective ASAP Mob; DJ Diesel, who is just Shaquille O’Neal being a DJ now; Twista, who once held his own Guinness World Record for fastest rapper; and Australian EDM DJ and singer Alison Wonderland.
2) The World Brain-Eating Championship returns. Joey Chestnut holds the record (no surprise; he’s ranked first in the world for competitive eating): 54 brain tacos in eight minutes.
3) You can enter the third ZPC Costume Contest—but be warned: The bar was set high by the first winner, who wore actual deer bones.
4) Entertainment includes live pro wrestling by Minnesota’s own F1rst Wrestling, plus carnival rides and games.
5) Regarding transportation: You can take the bus—Route 11 to Second St. NE and Eighth Ave. NE. You can also bike—there’s “ample bike parking.” They’ll have spots reserved for Uber and Lyft to drop off and pick up, and there will be several parking lots available nearby.
Zombie Pub Crawl 2018
10/13
Hall’s Island
907 Sibley St. NE, Minneapolis
Doors open at 3 p.m.
