By Kyle Smelter

‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night! Just kidding. It’s just the 2017 Zombie Pub Crawl, an annual tradition that will be taking place on the macabre date of Saturday, Oct. 14.

“But I’ve never heard of this ‘Zombie Pub Crawl’ you speak of,” you protest.

1) Where have you been?

2) Grab a seat because ghoul’s in session.

First off, this night of ghouls, zombies and other haunts has been certified by the legendary keeper of feats itself. That’s right—the Guinness Book of World Records has officially crowned the event as the “World’s Largest Gathering of Zombies.” Every year, approximately 30,000 of the walking dead stumble, falter and stagger (maybe because of the alcohol, maybe so they don’t break character) their way through Minneapolis’ Warehouse District for a night of pub-crawling, dancing, live entertainment and more.

Locations

“What pubs are involved?” I’m glad you asked. The Zombie Pub Crawl features a horde of watering holes for the mob to meander to, including The Loon, Gluek’s, Pizza Luce and Dulono’s Pizza. But be warned, no zombie is exempt from needing a wristband and ID to get in, even if you’re the scariest piece of flesh in the joint.

Image by Matthew Mead

Tickets

“How do I acquire a wristband?” You can grab a regular admission wristband for $28 or a VIZ—you can probably guess what that stands for—ticket for $80 online. With VIZ, you receive private viewing areas of the two outdoor music stages, private bathrooms, two free drinks, private entry to the grounds and special gift goodies including snacks (maybe brains?). If you don’t want to purchase tickets online, you can make your way to literally any Ragstock location in the state and purchase a ticket any time after Friday, Sept. 29.

Performers

“Are the performers any good?” It depends on what your musical interests are, but with a lineup of more than 20 performers taking to the various stages throughout the grounds, there’s bound to be a group your ears are interested in. Headliners this year include Third Eye Blind, Tech N9ne and T-Pain.

Costume Contest

“Do people get dressed up?” You bet your sweet decayed tush they do! Be sure to shower in all the gallons of fake blood you can get your corpse-y hands on, and bring any limbs and brains (preferably fake) to gnaw and practice your blood-curdling scream inducing groans. Any zombies feeling extra dead are invited to the “B” Stage parking lot at 5:30 p.m. to be a part of the costume contest where judges will select 20 finalists to compete for prize packages from sponsors as well as lifetime VIZ access. Talk about a drop-dead beauty of a deal.