Night Of The Living Fun In Elgin

Hordes of zombies will once again descend upon downtown Elgin this Saturday night, October 22, as part of the sixth annual Nightmare On Chicago Street Halloween festival. The horrific scenes are all the more realistic because local officials actively participate in the fun. Visitors will encounter police barricades, designated safe zones, overturned cars, and if past Nightmares are any indication, a 

low-flying helicopter. There will also be a costume contest, food and drink vendors, and four stages with live entertainment, including bands and graffiti artists. TV personality Svengoolie will once again be the fest’s Guest Of Honor and emcee the costume contest. 

As in past years, I was invited by Elgin resident David Metzger, an artist and graphic designer, along with Jeff Kelley from the Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff internet show and podcast, to perform with other local actors in a series of filmed bits. Metzger and Kelley will be screening their latest efforts The Devil Cat and It Came From The Lab in the lobby of the Elgin Chamber Of Commerce this Saturday. I play a newspaper editor in The Devil Cat. Kelley and Metzger, along with the performers they assemble, make the filming a lot of fun. As noted in a recent article by Elena Ferrarin in The Daily Herald, all proceeds from the sale of The Devil Cat and It Came From The Lab DVDs and posters will benefit the Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin. 

Admission to Nightmare On Chicago Street is $12 in advance; $15 after the first 8,000 tickets are sold. Organizers strongly suggest only buying tickets from the sources listed on its official site, in order to avoid being scammed. This year’s mayhem kicks off at 6:00 p.m. and rampages through 11:00 p.m. The Elgin Chamber Of Commerce is located at 31 S. Grove in downtown Elgin.