Zombies take over Sun 'n Fun campus

A family of zombies strolled the grounds of Sun 'n Fun Saturday, but they weren't there to feast on human flesh.

LAKELAND — A family of zombies strolled the grounds of Sun 'n Fun Saturday, but they weren't there to feast on human flesh.

The Wilson Family, who were gray faced and dripping blood, was there to partake in the fun that is: Zombiefest.

Zombiefest, an annual Lakeland event, gives people the opportunity to transform into the undead for a night at a festival that offers food, entertainment and spooks.

The festival was held from 2 p.m. to midnight at the Sun 'n Fun Convention Campus, 4175 Medulla Road.

A few hundred people were there around 3 p.m. but thousands more were expected to arrive throughout the rest of the day.

Mike Wilson, whose bloodied face appeared torn open, said his family loves to attend events like this for the costumery of it.

"We like going to the SyFy Bartow event, too," echoed his wife, Sandy Wilson.

Their son, Jon, has been a fan of zombies since the craze started a few years ago and said he wished he had more time to prepare his look.

"I would have went full out," he said. "I would have wanted to be a zombie with like a crab on my head."

Although several people were dressed up for the event, those who weren't could get their faces mutilated with paint by special effects artist Mike Digital.

The zombie makeup artist, who has participated in Zombiefest for the past six years, had just come from another zombie event earlier in the day.

There he zombified about 17 people and expected to do about 50 more at Zombiefest.

"It starts to get busy," he said, while carefully distributing red goo onto Antonio Gust's face. "I get really bloody."

Digital said the zombie craze has continued to get bigger and bigger every year, which is a testament to the culture of it brought on by books, movies and television shows.

"There are so many interpretations of it, too," he said. "It's not slowing down."

An interpretation feared by many, zombie clowns, were jumping out at people in the haunted house, Carnevil Condemned.

John Feola, who was drenched in blood and carrying a chain saw, was dressed as a murderous zombified clown.

Beth Palaj and Ashlee Albrecht helped build the haunted house but Albrecht said it is her fiance, Aaron Garrand, who came up with the concept.

"This is his thing," she said, adding that they used the same theme last year, but focused more on the clown aspect.

This year it was all about the zombies.

Feola, who came from Clearwater along with the rest of the people involved in the haunted house, said he does it for the reactions.

And although a black room, strobe lights and the element of surprise are enough to scare anyone, his mask doesn't need much help.

"I had someone run from me one time and they left their shoes," he said.

-Tori Walker can be reached at tori.walker@theledger.com or 863-802-7590. Follow Tori on Twitter @Torilwalker863.