UPDATE: Preliminary numbers show 4,233 zombies were in Fremont yesterday, which should break the world record of 4,026, reports KOMOnews.com. We’ve contacted Ryan Reiter at Fremont Outdoor Movies for verification, which we’ll hopefully have after the holiday.
They shuffled, ambled and sometimes lunged at unsuspecting spectators. They chased zombie hunters who rationalized their attacks on them by saying, “The undead aren’t people.” They threatened to eat the living, although some chose to go vegan or organic in their dining preferences. They came caked in (fake) blood, several stages of decomposition and excelling in creativity. A lot of people have been watching a lot of zombie movies, because they were all kinds of convincing.
We saw several varieties of Zombie: Stormtrooper Staked by Lightsaber, Star Trek (always the red shirts!), Horror Movie Perfect, World Cup fan/Vuvuzela (stop blowing that damn horn!), Baby, Prom, Village People, Killed by Golfball, Goth, Family, Office Worker, Bride, Brain Eating, Hobo Couple, etc. Zombies don’t discriminate.
This is our Day of the (Un)Dead, the zombiewalk known as the Red, White & Dead event, right here in the (UnDead) Center of the Universe, Fremont.
They came in droves to try to break the Guinness Book of World Records for most zombies in one location. Seattle had 3,894 zombies turn out last year for the walk to set a record, but English zombies later one-upped us with 4,026.
Something about cold, wet climates bring out an infectious number of the zombie nation.
They congregated on 35th Street between Phinney and 1st Avenue NW for the better part of the day, starting at noon. The actual walk did not start until after 6. Some even took coffee breaks before their big walk.
They went west on 35th, turned right to go down 36th, headed toward the Fremont Bridge on Fremont Avenue, and then looped around on 34th.
They followed Zombie Captains who dangled body parts to lure them forward in their lumbering march.
Even in their undead state, they were true Seattle zombies: they did not cross the street until the WALK sign/symbol lit up.
And where there are zombies, there are a lot of zombie hunters. But they were often outnumbered, though they did manage to slow some down. Melees broke out sporadically. But more often than not, the zombies prevailed, pushing their all-too human resistance into retreat.
Krisha Catzen, Zombie Homeland Security & Owner of Seattle’s first Pole Dancing School, Pole for the Soul
Some humans took refuge in trees, only to find themselves surrounded! Sometimes, it really did feel like being in a zombie movie.
Photo credit: Janine Henkel
And some came up suddenly to those of us observing, scaring us into screaming/laughing like a girl. Which I am.
Zombie hecklers were also in attendance, most notably from the steps of the Red Door on 34th, a major undead watching area. Here, the zombies were judged, and sometimes, they didn’t respond so favorably!
We’ll let you know if they break the world record!