BY ELIZABETH HARPER

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​Pristine beaches, horse-drawn carriages, romantic strolls along the Battery— Charleston has it all. But dig a little deeper and uncover the many oddities of the city. As we countdown to the strangest of the strange, embrace the weird and let your freak flag fly, Charleston style.
     The magical world of Hogwarts is within reach for the Harry Potter fanatics of the city. That’s right, Quidditch for muggles. You’re sitting quietly in the library when out of the corner of your eye you spot a swarm of students running around on brooms chasing a golden “snitch,” trying to score goals through mounted hula hoops. Short of actually flying, this game, invented in 2005 at Middlebury College, is about as close as it gets to J.K. Rowling’s imaginative world of witchcraft and wizardry. The College of Charleston Quidditch Club, headed by Will Duggan, has seen great success in its short existence and even went on to compete at nationals. Stop by to see the team’s chasers, beaters, seekers, keeper and human snitch practice on Rivers Green behind Addlestone Library or Marion Square, and be prepared to be amazed.
     It seems the Holy City has an obsession with the undead. Over the past few years, zombie “celebrations” have been on the rise. Imagine sitting in a restaurant for a quiet meal when all of a sudden a horde of zombies comes strolling down the street. Welcome to the Charleston Zombie Walk. Created in 2010 by Cassandra White in memory of her close friend Kristafer Bristow, who lost his battle with pulmonary hypertension in 2009, the Charleston Zombie Walk celebrates Bristow’s unique personality with all proceeds going to the Medical University of South Carolina’s pulmonary hypertension program and Camp Happy Days. The walk or, more fittingly, the parade of undead begins at Marion Square and continues down King Street, with the mass marching up Meeting Street and looping back to Marion Square.
     Take the obsession to the next level and you’ve got the Charleston rUNdead 5K. Now in its second year, this event combines a 5K run with an obstacle course and the zombie apocalypse. The run begins at sunset at Old Towne Creek County Park near Charles Towne Landing in West Ashley, where athletes must race against the clock and successfully complete the obstacle course before the zombies hiding in the shadows “attack” and runners are in danger of becoming the undead.
     Drum roll, please. After much consideration, the Southeastern Beard & Moustache Championship takes the cake. The Holy City Beard & Moustache Society, founded in 2007, hosts this fabulously odd event. Gentlemen, and even ladies, get your beards groomed and ready for the show. The fourth annual championship begins at the pre-party Friday, May 24, at The Recovery Room, where bar patrons will vote for the winner of the Best Beard in Bar contest. The festivities continue Saturday afternoon with lunch from Home Team BBQ followed by the main event Saturday evening, when the Music Farm becomes home to some of the most outrageous hairstyles this side of the Mason-Dixon. The rules specify whether “structural supports,” “attached/reattached/dead hair” or “styling aids” are permitted in the different categories, including full beard freestyle, salty dog, sideburns/chops and even ladies artificial Southern belle creative. The night will come to a close with a champion named in each category and the most unique bragging rights around. The celebration ends Sunday morning with brunch at Holy City Brewing catered by Outta my Huevos.