SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A zombie plague is spreading across North America and is about to reach the NWT.

Elsbeth Fielding sports her best undead pose. She plans to take her 19-month-old son Leif to the zombie walk Aug. 15. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

Yellowknife's first "zombie walk" has been slated for Saturday, Aug. 15, for which 60 residents to date have signed up to shamble down Franklin Avenue en masse in solidarity with the undead before topping the event off with a few refreshments at the Mackenzie Lounge.

Jerry Sweet, one of the organizers of the walk, said the phenomenon has been spreading to cities across North America, and is now looking forward to taking part in one here.

For any unsuspecting bystanders whose first reaction upon witnessing such a macabre and pasty-faced scene would be instant horror, Sweet said have no fear. It's all in good fun.

"Don't be afraid. Zombies don't really exist except for that one day," said Sweet, a website specialist with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

The walk will begin with a clinic at 5116 55 Street, where a "zombie consultant" will offer tips on how to shamble like a proper zombie, plus provide some zombie etiquette, such as reminders to stay on the sidewalks and to refrain from smearing fake blood on store windows.

At 3 p.m. the walk begins down Franklin where it will turn onto 48 Street, down to Veterans Memorial Drive, onward to city hall, and then down to the Mackenzie Lounge for a zombie fashion show, prizes for the best zombies and some free munchies, said Sweet.

Sweet said the idea for the zombie walk began a couple months ago after he and another INAC employee, Kimberley Galbaransingh, figured it was high time the ghoulish walk took a step north of 60. Since then, Sweet has created a website dedicated to the walk, arcticapocalypse.com. There's also two Facebook groups.

Sweet, who has never been in a zombie walk before, said they've been held annually in cities such as Toronto for several years where participants often go to great extremes, such as dressing up like Ronald MacDonald with a brain instead of a hamburger in hand or as a festering Where's Waldo.

"I wouldn't say it's a pointless endeavour; it's just fantastically menial," said Sweet.

He said the event is open to families, which suits mothers of young children like Elsbeth Fielding just fine.

She intends to dress her 19-month-old son Leif as a zombie when she heads for the walk "I've never been in one but I vicariously take part in the Calgary one," said Fielding.

"I just got an invite and I said, 'finally, yes.'"