Ready for a plodding, groaning good time? Head over to Crystal Lake

Dozens of the undead will be roaming the streets for human flesh Saturday in Crystal Lake's first zombie walk.

Sponsoring the event are two zombie fans from the Little Demise, a new downtown youth boutique. One of them is Nicole Lecuyer.

Three years ago, inspired by zombie movies like "Dawn of the Dead," she and her sister Emily Squire put on fake blood and walked around Crystal Lake, when Halloween was still three months away.

"Then I thought: Why don't we make it an actual event?" Lecuyer said.

Her whim will come true Saturday when the walk starts at 2 p.m. at Little Demise, 68 N. Williams St. Participants will follow an organized route through downtown and finish at Depot Park near the train station. The store has prepared free commemorative stickers for all finishers and will give an award for the best zombie costume before the event ends at 3:30 p.m.

Lecuyer's walk has 74 confirmed guests on its Facebook page. But when the word first got out, she was worried about her enterprise's fate. Police and city representatives walked into Little Demise one day, asking about the "zombie walk."

Charles Wrighton, the store owner and Lecuyer's boyfriend, said in a news release: "We thought they had come to shut us down. But the police were very enthusiastic once we explained that we weren't trying to cause any trouble for the shoppers or businesses in downtown."

The city issued Little Demise a permit for their slow march.

"Some people may find it distasteful to see Halloween costumes on July 3 weekend. But they have to constitutional right to do the walk," Deputy Chief Eugene Lowery said.

Lecuyer said this will be a peaceful event. "It will be an opportunity for young people to have a safe and fun weekend," she said.

If you want to get your zombie on, here is Lecuyer's recipe for fake blood, which is necessary for your look:

Mix 1¾ cups of corn syrup, ¼ cup of water, two teaspoons of red food coloring, eight to 10 drops of blue food coloring. Cover and shake well. Add ¼ cup of sifted cornstarch and shake again. Store in the fridge for use. Remember to get a container that closes tightly. You do not want to spill unnecessary blood.