Zombies are typically pictured staggering through desolate landscapes, but that’s not what transpired Sunday evening during Key West’s Fantasy Fest Zombie Bike Ride.
Instead, several thousand of the “undead” hopped on bicycles and pedaled along the island’s Atlantic Ocean shoreline and streets, presenting an eerie yet oddly lighthearted spectacle.
A pre-Halloween tradition for families and groups, the Zombie Bike Ride capped the first weekend of Key West’s 10-day Fantasy Fest, a costuming and masking festival that continues through Sunday, Oct. 29.
The ride’s participating men, women and children sported everything from gory face paint and ragged garments to “zombified” tutus, nautical garb and pirate attire.
Zombies on wheels even propelled a towering insect with moving legs, a huge red-winged dragon and a sinister shark.
The “undead” horde biked alongside the Atlantic Ocean and into Key West’s historic downtown, where the unearthly antics culminated in the ZombieFest After Party.
Fantasy Fest’s upcoming events include a masquerade for pets, an exotic walking procession and an evening parade Saturday, Oct. 28, featuring lavish motorized floats and elaborately costumed marching groups.
