Photos: Zombies invade Minneapolis for annual pub crawl

Zombie Pub Crawl in Minneapolis
Anthony Nygren of New Hope, Minn., enjoys eating some "brains" during the Zombie Pub Crawl's costume contest while on stage with event host Ian Rans in Minneapolis on Saturday. Nygren went on to take first place in the individual category.
Christopher Juhn for MPR News

More than 18,000 people — living and undead — gathered in northeast Minneapolis on Saturday night for the 14th annual Zombie Pub Crawl.

The event draws attendees who go all-out with costumes and makeup to transform themselves into zombies, and then gather for music, beer, food, carnival rides and other entertainment.

Organizer Chuck Terhark said the event has grown from just 150 attendees in 2005, its first year, to 18,324 on Saturday, as the event has grown from a pub crawl to a full-fledged festival. That was down slightly from 2017, as the venue moved from downtown Minneapolis last year to a new site on Hall Island — make that, "Hell Island" — and at Sheridan Memorial Park.

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