Review: RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE STARS HEADLINE 'ZOMBIELAND' AT AMERICAN DREAM at Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park

Halloween may have been put on hold last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it returned in full swing this year at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford. On Oct. 30, Nickelodeon Universe was the site of "Zombieland," an immersive LGBTQ dance party thrown by renowned New York City events planner Jake Resnicow and DJ'ed by Las Bibas From Vizcaya, Brazilian's first drag DJ.

Hundreds of revelers attended with proof of their Covid vaccination cards. Greeted by zombies and killer clowns, guests were dressed to kill. Sexy referees, The Wizard of Oz crew, a sultry female Beetlejuice, Rocky Balboa in an American flag robe, a sexy Willie Wonka, Cruella, Mario and Luigi, Superman, and Scorpion and Subzero were among the sea of inventive costumes. Laser lights in a dimmed space with a fog machine that blew gusts of smoke onto the dancers set a spooktastic ambience. In between dancing the night away, party-goers boarded the Sky Railway and the world's tallest and longest free-spinning rollercoaster while bottle service was available for VIPs.

"I'm dressed up like a pink flamingo because I watched that goddamn movie and I didn't see one motherf-ing flamingo, alright," says Giovanni Palandrani, better known by his stage name Aquaria, the season 10 winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, from behind the DJ booth to a cheering crowd.

"Booty's so big, lord have mercy. Happy Halloween, what a fright."

Wearing a bird beak, face paint, a poop emoji-inspired purse, a long, curly blonde wig, and a fitted red dress that fans at the bottom a la the 1972 comedy "Pink Flamingos," Aquaria took the stage before a packed dance floor to lip sync to Inaya Day's "Nasty Girl" and "I'm So Beautiful" by Divine.

Yvie Oddly, whose real name is Jovan Bridges and the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season 11, took the stage in an unassuming plaid fitted dress with long, red braids disrobing to reveal her costume as the human body while gyrating and lip syncing to Megan Thee Stallion's megahit "Body."

The six-hour fete culminated with a costume contest with many scary good getups. Finalists included Chucky from Child's Play killing Chucky from The Rugrats; Satan; the Virgin Mary; and a couple dressed in bondage. The first place winner went to Nikki Exotika for her portrayal of Tim Burton's 2005 stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy "Corpse Bride." Second place went to Taylor Dunston and Jesse Rosen as Cruella and then Dalmation and Third place went to Steven Keating.

The evening culminated with a dance crew performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

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