Zombie Walk ready to invade downtown

Satisfy your craving for brains at the 12th annual Zombie Walk this weekend.

A horde of nearly 2,000 zombies and zombie hunters will invade downtown Sioux Falls as part of this Halloween season tradition. Events kick off at El Riad Shrine at 2 p.m. on Saturday with pre-parade festivities, including a photo booth, Magic by Travis Nye and Ghostbusters.

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Registration for the parade is from 2 to 5 p.m. and costs $3. Children 12 and under walk for free.

Participants can also get zombie makeup done for $5 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Become the living dead with white out, shading, veins, scabs and blood splatter. 

The event this year, organized by the Roller Dollz, is a fundraiser for the charity Ladder of Smiles benefiting Shrine hospitals. 

"The best part to me is seeing what people come up with," said event organizer Courtney Wiemann, who was especially spooked one year by zombie Teletubbies.

At the Zombie Walk, you can always expect the staple zombie brides and characters from "The Walking Dead," but many think outside the box for their costumes.  

Last year's horde included a couple dressed up as Audrey and Seymour from the film "Little Shop of Horrors" and a zombified Prince murmuring "Purple Brain" to passersby.

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And if fake intestines and human corpses are not your thing, organizers welcome all costumes in the parade. Participants can dress up as whatever they want or not at all.

"We can make anything into a zombie," said Wiemann. "Come in whatever you're wearing."

Only fake weapons with orange tips are allowed in the parade. 

With hundreds of undead lumbering through downtown, the parade moves at a slow pace and takes about an hour. 

Local dancers will lead the parade performing the routine from the music video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller." 

This year, the bar Nickel Spot is hosting an aftermath party following the parade. A shuttle will be available to and from Nickel Spot and the El Riad Shrine from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. for those 21 and over.

The night will feature Wake the Dead Karaoke and costume contests, as well as live music by the metal band Seventh Calling at 9 p.m.

El Riad Shrine will also host their annual Halloween Bash on Saturday night at 7 p.m. featuring the Omaha-based band On the Fritz.

For more info, go to siouxfallszombiewalk.com. 

IF YOU GO

What: Zombie Walk

When: 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Downtown, starting at El Riad Shrine

Cost: $3, children 12 and under free 

If you have an event or story idea that fits into the Sioux Falls dining or entertainment theme, Alexa Giebink can be reached at agiebink@argusleader.com. Follow her on twitter @ArgusAGiebink