In less than 8 days fans will descend on the Gaslamp District of San Diego for the country's most popular nerdy convention – San Diego Comic-Con! Last year we wrote about one of the best-kept secrets of Comic-Con: off-site events!

Comic-Con rookies might think that they should spend all their time in the Convention Center, but some of the most amazing experiences at Comic-Con happen just across the street in the vibrant Gaslamp District. Some of our favorites are back, like The Walking Dead Escape, a zombie survival course that snakes through a walker-infested Petco Park. They spared no expense last year making the event the must-see attraction of the year. They're back this year with a bigger course and even larger swarms of walkers.

The fun doesn't stop there! There are dozens of amazing parties, film screenings, comedy acts and concerts, and much of the fun is free. It doesn't matter what kind of nerd you are; there's something fun to do outside of the Convention Center for you.

The writers over at Outside Comic-Con have put together a fantastic list of off-site events. Get over there and start planning your near-Con adventures now!