Fairgrounds come alive with the sound of zombies

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Derby Girl Devon Szklanka, left, a boss zombie who could not be killed by any means, was ready to chase down participants at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Patient Zero witch, Annie Ellertsen, boss zombie who could not be killed by any means, came out chasing down participants at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A.J. Smith, from Rancho Santa Margarita, came loaded with plenty of ammo to hunt down zombies at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Participants from the blue team look out for other players and zombies, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A participant-turned-zombie, right, tags another participant, left, rendering her a zombie as well, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Participants race out of their meeting place as the event began and zombies came out, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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As the clock ticked, more and more participants fell to the virus and became zombies, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A participants takes cover behind a steel bar at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A zombie comes out chasing participants at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A participant reloads quickly before she is tracked down by zombies, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Seventy-two year-old Bunny Frakes came armed with her foam guns and ammo to do battle with zombies, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Patient Zero witch (Annie Ellertsen), right, and Derby Girl Devon Szklanka, left, both boss zombies who could not be killed by any means, were ready to chase down participants at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Derby Girl Devon Szklanka, a boss zombie who could not be killed by any means, chased down participants at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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A zombie is gunned down by multiple participants as she tries to infect them, at the Zedtown event, held at the Orange County Fair grounds, in Costa Mesa, on Saturday, March 31, 2018. About 1,100 participants were brought together to form 3 teams that fought against each other as they all were chased down by zombies. Once infected, touched by a zombie, the participants became zombies themselves and then chased down those not infected yet. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

By Daily Pilot staff

March 31, 2018 3:40 PM PT

The busy OC Fair & Event Center can rarely be described as dead, but it certainly was Saturday.

Zombies looking to make a meal out of living flesh roamed the Costa Mesa fairgrounds in two four-hour events, and it was up to local residents to fight them off.

Their weapons? Not guns, not machetes, not swords, not crossbows — foam blasters.

It was all part of an apocalyptic game called Zedtown, in which players in story-driven scenarios use strategies and tips to battle for survival, with the game app tracking their achievements. Those who get tagged by a zombie become one too.

Fairgrounds come alive with the sound of zombies

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