Rock out, zombie style, at Elgin's Nightmare on Chicago Street

Enter the “safe zone” — it may be your only way to survive, according to organizers of Elgin's annual Nightmare on Chicago Street.

The event is from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, along Chicago and Spring streets in downtown Elgin. Admission is $10 at the door or $7 for online tickets purchased before Oct. 24. Those age 17 and younger must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

“This year we will have zombie hunters running around and catching the zombies lurking around the streets,” said Barb Keselica of Elgin, special events and community engagement manager for the city.

Partygoers can enter through the one of the four Biohazard tents and get scanned down to make sure they are zombie-free. They will then pass a scene of flipped cars and boarded-up building windows on their way to the main stage, where they can rock out with Rocking Dead and Stache!.

The fourth annual Nightmare on Chicago Street event will also feature a hookah bar, absinthe parlour, laser tag, dancers, graffiti art, DJs and a costume contest.

Beginning at 6 p.m., the Rocking Dead, a Chicago-based zombie/horror party band, will be on the main stage.

“We are looking forward to performing this year because we are a zombie-themed band and dress up for every show,” said Hugo “EL Zombrero” Ayala, drummer for the Rocking Dead.

Then from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and again from 10 to 11 p.m. Stache! will take the stage with hits from the '80s and today.

Cage dancers, burlesque dancers, and break dancers will also be performing around the street throughout the night as well as 16 DJs from Howard Production.

The second stage will also showcase DJ Joe Vourteq and Bone Whiskey as well as a costume contest. Sign up for the costume contest before 9 p.m. Each contestant will have their photo taken and judges will put each entrant into one of the four categories; couple/group costume, zombie/horror costume, best steampunk costume or unique costume. At 10 p.m. the top three entrants for each category will be called up onstage by Svengoolie, and the crowd will decide the winners.

Ron Fitzgerald's “Realm of Magic” show is back with razor blade swallowing along with cremating and decapitating his lovely companions. This will be his second year returning to Nightmare on Chicago Street with more dark magic and horror illusions.

Svengoolie will be participating in a “meet and greet” from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the ZDI headquarters.

Graffiti artists, including Sevs, Teel and Hek One, will be displaying their work and Zombie Outbreak Laser Tag will be offered for those looking for a scare and a good time.

Breakdancers Waka Brickheadz Crew and (Black Attack) Crooks Crew will be battling it out with a one on one boy battle. There will also be a pop-lockin performance by Anointed Onez Knew.

Organizers say more than 200 volunteers and 10 year-round staff members are working hard to make this years' Nightmare on Chicago Street bigger and better than last year, aiming for a total attendance of more than 8,000 people.

“This is an event Elgin can call 'their own' and you won't find anything like this anywhere else,” Keselica said. “The punk rock element makes it really unique.”

For more information, visit nightmareonchicagostreet.com.

Elgin's fourth annual Nightmare on Chicago Street event

When: 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25

Where: Chicago and Spring streets in downtown Elgin

Admission: $10; $7 online before Oct. 24; participants 17 and younger will not be admitted without a parent/guardian

Details: <a href="http://www.nightmareonchicagostreet.com">www.nightmareonchicagostreet.com</a>