Vancouver’s Jumanji Costume Dash: 30 Years of Movie Magic
Okay, picture this—I’ve downed three espressos just to keep up with this, and I’m buzzing harder than Alan Parrish stuck in a game box! Vancouver went full-on wild this past weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jumanji, and if you thought a normal fun run was boring, you have never seen a 5K where half the crowd is decked out as monkeys, jungle explorers, and even the ever-terrifying hunter at the behest of a giant, roving die.
The city’s Film & Entertainment Office teamed up with local running club RunVAN to map out a nostalgic route through the exact streets and backlots that hosted the original 1995 Robin Williams classic (People). Thousands turned up in rollable jungle gear, complete with stuffed monkeys, compasses dangling from sneakers, and costumes so on-point you’d swear you were back in the basement hiding from giant spiders. One fan even built a functioning “Jumanji” game board on wheels—board game meets Broadway float? Only in Vancouver, baby.
Organizers say the event blew past their registration goals by 200 percent. “We expected maybe 1,000 idealists reenacting Alan’s big jungle escape, but nearly 3,000 showed up ready to jungle-jive,” Vancouver Film Commissioner Laura Chen told The Globe & Mail in an exclusive chat. Volunteers handed out jungle juice (aka electrolyte-packed smoothies) at every kilometer. There were prizes for best Sarah Whittle lookalike (cape optional) and top-scoring Alan Parrish impersonator, judged by none other than Robin Williams’s stunt double, Stuart Ellis—fans got goosebumps when he stepped onstage (The Hollywood Reporter).
The route even skirted Gastown’s iconic steam clock, doubling as a cheeky nod to the steam-filled jungle scenes. Local vendors sold Jumanji-themed treats—banana muffins with “Rumble in the Jungle” icing, animal-print energy bars, and limited-edition coffee blends named “Wild One” and “Out of the Game.” I swear, I’ve never seen caffeine consumed with such cinematic devotion.
There were surprise pop-up appearances by stunt performers reenacting the baby elephant stampede, much to everyone’s delight. Instagram lit up with hashtags like #Jumanji30 and #GameOnVanCity, and scrolling through the feed feels like flipping through a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes scrapbook.
Most touching? A handful of original cast members recorded video shout-outs. David Alan Grier surprised joggers at the finish line with an encouraging “Welcome to Jumanji”—seriously, cue the tears and the champagne.
This nostalgia-fueled frenzy proves one thing: three decades later, Jumanji still casts a spell. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a nap—though give me five more minutes and I’d probably volunteer as tribute for next year’s Monkey Madness Marathon. I swear, I could talk about this all day.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, The Globe & Mail
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
