Thousands of Vancouverites gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery for the fifth annual Zombie Walk.
August 15, 2009. (Andrew Weichel/CTV) A participant poses with their professionally-applied zombie makeup, courtesy of Theta Effects and The Variety Club. August 15, 2009. (Andrew Weichel/CTV) A makeup tables featuring an array of grotesque prosthetics hand-crafted by Theta Effects. August 15, 2009. (Andrew Weichel/CTV) Well, almost. On the south side of the Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby Street, participants gathered for the Vancouver Zombie Walk — a growing annual event that has become known as the New Years celebration of the Goth community. “We are protesting human stupidity,” parade marshal Ashton Green said Saturday. “We are protesting all the things that will lead to an apocalypse – zombie or otherwise.” Green is the leader of the Gravediggers Union, a group of unofficial parade marshals – the closest thing to an organizer the zombie walk has.
“I showed up to the first one in 2005 dressed as a grave diver and became the unofficial marshal,” he said. “You see a big guy with a loud voice who carries a shovel – people tend to follow.”