Participants will not purchase anything and seek to form a lengthy chain of non-shoppers, continually weaving and "whirling" through a maze of store aisles for up to an hour at a time.
The activity was founded by the group "Breathing Planet Troupe" at a Walmart store in Troy, New York on April 1, 2001.
The group was seeking to respond to an article from Adbusters magazine that called for foolish activities in conjunction with April Fool's Day.
In addition to the act's satirical and comedic value, Whirl-Mart provides a legal, non-confrontational outlet for would-be protesters to address consumerism and materialism.
Whirl-Marters do not aim to block store aisles or interfere with legitimate shoppers, and typically will not speak unless addressed.