Milton council approves Zombie Fest road closure

Milton Theatre’s annual Zombie Fest is a go for this year, as the town council unanimously approved a request to close a portion of Union Street for the event at council’s June 6 meeting.

What this year’s Zombie Fest will look like, in terms of scale, is still to be determined, as construction of the theater’s new balcony could affect how events are held.

The festival is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15, with Union Street closed between 8 and 9 p.m. for the climax of the event, the Zombie Walk. The road would be closed from Atlantic Avenue to Federal Street for the walk. 

Milton Theatre Marketing Director J.P. Lacap said he was not expecting any objections from council, as it was the same plan that has been approved in the past. 

However, he said, no public announcements have been made on the event because the theater does not have confirmation that construction on the balcony will be completed by then. 

“We're experiencing delays on all fronts, and having the possibility of it still unfinished by October will directly impact the scale of the event,” Lacap said. 

The balcony project has been in the works for the theater since 2018; the balcony was an original feature of the building that had been removed in the 2000s. Intending to add 110 to 120 seats when fully completed, theater management envisioned the project lasting from late April into June. The theater has remained open during construction at a smaller seating capacity. However, supply chain issues have caused delays and increased costs, particularly for the steel beams that would support the balcony structure.

In addition, the town will be doing a drainage and bulkhead repair project at the Magnolia Street parking lot, scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 1. Lacap said that construction could also affect the event. The theater has not released information on the date or tickets for Zombie Fest at this time; the Oct. 15 date was listed in the request for the road closure submitted to the town council. Zombie Fest is typically held on a Saturday in the middle of October. 

Zombie Fest returned to downtown Milton last year after a two-year hiatus. The 2019 edition was held in Dewey Beach after disagreements with town officials over the event’s logistics; then the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Despite a rainy day that ended up canceling the Zombie Walk, the 2021 event was a success, featuring live music at the theater, and games and activities for kids at the fire hall. The 2021 event raised money for Milton Community Food Pantry and Milton Fire Department.