Semis began begin unloading monstrous props and dastardly decorations Friday as downtown Elgin prepares for its annual outdoor fright fest, Nightmare on Chicago Street.
A Halloween season tradition since 2011, the event is built around the premise that the city has been infected with a zombie plague in which only the city center is a safe zone in a post-apocalyptic world in which the undead roam — and aim to scare — all those who venture into their midst.
This year’s street party starts at 6 p.m. Saturday in an area bounded by South Grove Avenue, South Spring Street and East Highland Avenue.
“New this year will be B Movie Boulevard in the safe zone, with some amazing and very large props that may just hold a surprise for guests,” said Amanda Harris, Elgin’s cultural arts manager.
The boulevard will pay homage to those old low-budget, often-campy horror movies, she said.
To keep things fresh, attendees also will see some new activities at the Aztec underworld-themed Plaza Mictlan and on the Mad Max-themed Thunderdome stage, where the headlining music act will be “In The End – The Linkin Park Experience,” a Los Angeles-based band featuring top-tier session musicians.
“We are all best friends who come together to celebrate the music of Linkin Park and also for the awareness and support of mental health,” said Zak St. John, the band’s drummer and a Wisconsin native.
St. John said Nightmare will be the band’s first appearance at any Halloween-themed event.
“I believe we will also be dressing up in costumes,” he said.
Also new this year are early entry tickets in which a limited number of guests will be given access to the fest site at 5 p.m., a hour before general admission ticket holders can enter. The early tickets cost $50, $15 more than general admission.
“(Early entrants) are able to grab their food and drinks before the lines (get long) and see some great entertainment that others won’t catch,” Harris said.
This is the first time that downtown Elgin plans to host Friday night entertainment on the day before the city center’s busiest night of the year.
“We are partnering with some of the local businesses within the zone to stage an artist in their business that evening while we are still setting up the Saturday main event outside,” Harris said. “This encourages folks to patronize those shops, see some great talent up close and personal, and get a sneak peak of some of the Nightmare madness.”
Last year, about 18,000 people filled downtown for the event, she said.
“Ticket sales are capped at 15,000, but with staff, volunteers, businesses, downtown residents and such, we typically see between 18,000 to 20,000 in the event zone each year,” Harris said.
This also is the first year that early bird tickets — available for a discounted price for a short time — sold out, she said.
“A lot of people wait to see what the weather forecast looks like, but tickets are moving fast,” she said. “To ensure that you get a spot in the safe zone, we always recommend getting your ticket early.”
Harris reminded attendees that they must present a printed or digital ticket for scanning to get into the event.
“There are no wristbands this time. While we loved the wristbands, and they do make an amazing souvenir, we felt it was simpler to have the scannable tickets,” she said.
Work on this year’s Nightmare began in December. It takes hundreds of people to plan, build and stage the elaborate zombie apocalypse scene, Harris said.
“This event is only possible because of the amazing partnerships and collaborations between the businesses, residents, volunteers and artists. It’s all a labor of love,” she said.
General admission tickets must be purchased in advance at nightmareonchicagostreet.com, where information on parking, event rules and regulations, and other details can be found.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
