Requiem for a pub crawl

On an October night in the Gulf Gate bar district, faint silhouettes stagger up and down the streets, groaning as they make their way from bar to bar. As they approach, the individual faces that comprise the horde become clear: a towering, blood-soaked Ronald McDonald; a swarm of murderous bumblebees with all-white eyes; an undead Elvis '” the stuff of nightmares. They've all gathered for the annual Sarasota Zombie Pub Crawl.

For the last four years, this unholy rite attracted more than 300 zombie enthusiasts from Sarasota, Orlando, Miami and everywhere in between, to the Gulf Gate area, where they would bar hop, compare costumes and enjoy the company of fellow undead heads.

But, now, after years of walking with the dead, event organizer John Eagen says it's time to give the pub crawl the proverbial double tap and lay it to rest.

'It just gotten to a point where it was too much work for us to be able to continue for a one-night event,' says Eagen. 'It was such a fun thing, and I wish it was something we could continue to do every year. I'm going to miss it dearly.'

Eagen, his wife, Jenni and their friend Steven Pajevic formed the pub crawl in 2009, after a conversation over beers on the Eagens' back porch.

'We were just sitting around talking,' says Eagen. 'We all like beer; we all like zombies. What can we do to incorporate both?'

The group settled on a zombie-themed pub crawl, similar to ones they'd seen in other major cities, and they decided Gulf Gate's self-contained, walkable layout offered the safest location. After pitching the relatively unheard-of idea to the bar owners, and with a little convincing, the pub crawl was born.

'We were scared to death the first year,' says Eagen. 'We had no idea if 20 people would even show up.'

Publicized mostly by word of mouth, the inaugural event drew a crowd of more than 150 zombie fans, dressed and ready to drink,

'I remember feeling a lot of excitement and anticipation,' says regular attendee, Dee Fassett Rodgers, who won scariest zombie at the inaugural event. 'It was just so great to have something so out of the ordinary happening. It became like a little tradition, and I always looked forward to seeing my zombie friends.'

After the first event, the pub crawl continued to grow in popularity; nearly 400 people participated last year. Eagen says the event became so large that, beginning as early as July, he and fellow organizers devoted nearly all their free time to planning and organizing the night. Finding people who would rather volunteer than participate was also nearly impossible. So, with heavy hearts, they decided it was time to call the event quits.

Eagen says he'll miss seeing his extended zombie family, a group of 20 to 30 friends he's formed with participants over the years, and that he's enjoyed seeing others form similar relationships.

'I think that was my favorite part,' he says. 'Just seeing all the zombies have a blast together. They run the gamut from doctors and lawyers to young kids and retirees. People from all walks of life came out and enjoyed the night. I know a lot of people are going to miss it.'