Six years ago, 400 people took to the streets of Vancouver dressed as the undead for the city’s first annual Zombie Walk. Since then, the hair-raising event – which takes place in cities around the world – has taken on a life of its own.
In August, the event attracted 1,500 people.
Organizer Isaac Terpstra, who came as a DJ zombie with a giant boom box on his shoulder, said zombie walks appeal to people because they like being scared and dressing up.
There isn’t really a reason for doing it, he added.
“It’s not a protest or a movement, you just go out and have fun,” Terpstra said. “It’s such an easy theme. I think that’s the one of the appeals for it. All you need to do is go to McDonald’s and grab a bag of ketchup and squirt some red stuff on you and you’re a zombie.”
The event attracts people of all ages, he added, because kids feel like its Halloween and older people love horror movies.
One of the other fun things about it is seeing the bewildered and scared faces of people, Terpstra said.
“It doesn’t seem to matter how well advertised it is, there’s always people taken off guard by it,” he said. “That’s part of the fun. People get a little bit shocked at first, then they laugh and want to take pictures after.”
Melody Young, who has attended Vancouver’s Zombie Walk for five years, said she spent three hours to prepare for her head-to-toe zombie look.
“It’s all worth it,” she said.
Participant Jordan Boos said he loves seeing other people’s costumes especially the ones who go all out with the blood and gore.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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