MILTON, Del. - Ghosts, witches and of course zombies are taking over downtown Milton in preparation for Saturday's Zombie Fest. The event is expected to bring in around 5,000 people and local businesses are preparing for the rush.
The annual event started as a small gathering at The Milton Theatre but has grown to thousands of attendees. Owner of the Dough bar and Sipurban Farmhouse said there is a lot of preparation to be done ahead of time.
"Definitely stocking up...We probably plan on doubling our inventory, we doubled our inventory because we're expecting to double our customers tomorrow." said business owner Kristen Latham.
The event hosted by The Milton Theatre said it's an opportunity to shine the spotlight on all downtown Milton has to offer,
"It's not just the people who regularly come here we're also expecting a lot of people who will be coming here for their first time in Milton," said J.P. Lacap with The Milton Theatre. "They'll be able to check out the different businesses, see them for the first time, different restaurants and different retail stores that we have down here and maybe the next time they visit they will remember all of the other businesses that we have here and come to Milton more often."
A much needed boost for small shops at a slower time of year, said Latham, "It's been an amazing thing to keep here in town and I think we just need one every quarter just to keep people coming. Milton is tiny but we're mighty."
Union Street will be closed for the event Saturday. This year the fest will have free admission and include new activities like a laser light show. Vendors from surrounding towns will also reap the benefits of the crowded downtown area.
Zombie Fest is set to start at 4 p.m. and the Zombie walk and parade is expected to begin at 8 p.m. For more information on the event click here.