By Sara Beth Williams–
The slowly dying Sunrise Mall will become the scene of a Zombie Walk and Halloween faire on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Sacramento Zombie Club is returning to Citrus Heights for the second time with another “Zombie Walk” event, which will be held both outside and inside the Sunrise Mall. The Halloween vendor fair will take place in front of the former Elephant Bar restaurant and will include a “zombie-themed” food court with multiple food truck vendors scheduled. The food court opens at 1 p.m.
A variety of arts and crafts vendors will set up later in the evening between 4-9 p.m., and a Zombie Walk and “Thriller Dance” inside the mall will take place at 7 p.m.
“We love bringing out the zombie in everyone. Anyone can be a zombie, so all Brains are welcome,” volunteer Kelly Sharpe with the Sacramento Zombie Club said Friday, adding that the club wants to provide families with a “purely stress-free day.”
The Sacramento Zombie Club has hosted events in Lodi, California, for many years but hit a scheduling snafu when planning their first Zombie Walk event in old town Sacramento in 2023. When the original location became unavailable two months before the event was scheduled to take place, Sharpe said the club chose to “invade” Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights instead.
“It was feet on the ground, passing out flyers,” Sharpe said of the 2023 event at Sunrise Mall, adding that Spirit Halloween, a seasonal store in the mall, allowed Zombie Club volunteers to pass out flyers and come into the store in costume to promote the event. Sharpe estimated that 1,500 people attended last year, and she anticipates this year’s attendance to be larger.
According to organizers, the “zombie-themed” food court on Saturday will include, Bear West BBQ, featuring “Brain Tacos.” Sharky’s Chicken & Fish, Nate’s Tacos, and The Blood Garden. Zombie Tom and The Beetlejuice will be serving alcoholic drinks for those 21 years and older.
According to the event page, the entertainment lineup includes, a “Mall of the Dead” live show, a showing of “Night of the Living Dead” by George A. Romero), and a Trunk or Treat hosted by Graveyard Mafia Hearse Club, which is one of the sponsors of the event.
Participation in the “Walking the Mall Invasion” and Thriller Dance is always free, event organizers say, but attendees need tickets to enter the entertainment area of the event and for any live shows. Tickets begin at $5, and children 10 and under are free with a ticketed adult. Participants are encouraged to dress up in their best zombie or Halloween costume. Professional makeup artists will also be on site.
Other activities planned Saturday include a “Zombie Attack” mini-train ride, a ghost-catching demo hosted by the Sacramento Ghostbusters, and the first ever inflatable haunted house, according to Sharpe.
The first “zombie walk” in Sacramento, Sharpe said, though not official, was “very small” and occurred at a crawdad festival as a “memorial march” for the club’s former leader.
“People were like, ‘I want to see more of this,’” Sharpe said. The enthusiasm received has prompted the club to host other events, including adult parties throughout the year that help to raise money for putting on the large-scale Zombie Walk events.
To find out more information, visit the event page here. The Sunrise Mall is located at 6041 Sunrise Blvd.
