Sunday picks: Time to go Boo! at the Zoo
Gnus, boos at the zoo
You can't get scarier creatures than naked mole rats, behemoth rhinos, tarantulas, scorpions and hundreds of bats all waiting at Brookfield Zoo's annual Boo! at the Zoo. The Halloween celebration offers plenty of family action including a corn maze, special Zoo Chats about furtive creatures, haunted hayrides, pumpkin-carving demonstrations, and a costume parade and contest. Watch the gourd smasher guy pummel pumpkins, and see a pro pumpkin carver create masterpieces out of massive pumpkins. Experience it all at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield. $15 for adults, $10.50 for kids 3-11 and seniors 65 and older. $10 parking. CZS.org/Events or (708) 688-8000. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Happy trails to you
Are the kids' eyes glazing over their history books this early in the school year? Enliven their curiosity about the past during the McHenry County Conservation District's 25th and final Trail of History at Glacial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ringwood. It's hands-on, interactive living history taking visitors back to the old Northwest Territory between the years 1670 to 1850. Walk a one-mile trail, meeting in-character guides along the way, until arriving at a large encampment where you can see, smell and taste pioneer life through scores of re-enactors. Kids can play pioneer games, dress up in frontier-style costumes, and do some chores like beating rugs and hauling water. Sample a buffalo burger, homemade chowder, kettle corn and a root beer while enjoying musicians, medicine shows and fortune tellers. Tickets cost $8 for adults, $4 for seniors (60 and older) and kids 6-12. (815) 479-5779 or mccdistrict.org. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Disney history
D23, the first official fan club for all things Disney, presents the exhibit “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” featuring costumes, tickets, and other Hollywood and theme park artifacts at the Museum of Science and Industry, 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. $9 and $7 for kids ages 3-11 in addition to the regular admission of $18 and $11 for kids. (773) 684-1414 or msichicago.org. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Sunday, May 4
Glassy gourds
More than 3,000 decorative gourds will be on display and on sale as part of the third annual Glass Pumpkin Patch at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. $12; $11 seniors; $9 kids. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Hand over the chocolate
Chocoholics descend upon Chicago's Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, for The Chicago Fine Chocolate & Dessert Show, a celebration of all things chocolate. Visit the French Pastry School's Demonstration Stage and Chocolate Art Gallery and see stunning edible art from master bakers and cake decorators. You can't miss the live cupcake competition or the 1,000-pound chocolate life-size replica of the iconic Chicago Blues Brothers. Stop in the Beer, Wine, and Spirits Pairings Pavilion to learn about fine chocolate's various beverage pairings. Plus, Restaurant Row offers bites filled with local culinary flavors. Tickets cost $25 if purchased online or $30 at the show. chicagochocolatefestival.com. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Art in Arlington Heights
Meet local artists, tour their studios and purchase artwork at the Art Around the Town Studio Tour, hosted by the Arlington Heights Historical Museum and Heritage Gallery, 110 W. Fremont St., Arlington Heights. $5. Visit ahmuseum.org for a list of participating artists. Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Ziemba is Dolly
Tony Award-winner Karen Ziemba (“Contact”) stars as the titular matchmaker in Drury Lane Theatre's “Hello, Dolly!” the musical by composer/lyricist Jerry Herman and writer Michael Stewart inspired by Thornton Wilder's 1955 play “The Matchmaker.” Rachel Rockwell directs and choreographs and Roberta Duchak serves as music director for this production featuring David Lively as Horace Vandergelder and Jeff Diebold as Cornelius Hackl. See it at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The show opens Thursday, Oct. 24. $35-$49. (630) 530-0111 or drurylane.com. Previews continue at 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
'Noises Off'
Get a behind-the-scenes look at a the making of an onstage comedy production in the classic farce “Noises Off” at Oakton Community College's Footlik Theater, at 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines. $12 general admission; $10 for students and seniors; $8 for groups of 15 or more. (847) 635-1900 or oakton.edu. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Wowing Williams
The Elgin Symphony Orchestra teams up with guest conductor Matthew Kraemer and guest saxophonist Timothy McAllister for the concert “Movie Greats by John Williams,” which features iconic music from films like “Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and more. Hear it at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. $25-$60. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Real estate comedy
Clockwise Theatre opens its season with an examination of the cutthroat world of urban real estate in “Carnegie Hill.” Written by Dorian Palumbo and directed by Wayne Mell, the play is about eight female realtors who weigh ambition against personal ethics. See it at the theater at 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $20. (800) 838-3006 or clockwisetheatre.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Sunday family dinner
Sit down with the family for a Sunday dinner at Cibo Racconto, 10441 Touhy Ave., Rosemont. It's a four-course family-style feast priced at $36 for four people. Choose a salad, a side dish, two pasta dishes and any entree from the menu — such as the chicken Vesuvio or Marsala, eggplant Parmesan or Italian giambotta. Add an extra person for $9. Kids 5 and younger eat for free. (847) 699-2020 or ciboracconto.com. 3 to 9 p.m. every Sunday
Va pensiaro
Continue this year's bicentennial celebrations of composer Guiseppe Verdi's birth when da Corneto Opera Orchestra & Chorus performs his early hit “Nabucco” in concert at Millennium Park's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago. $30-$45. (312) 334-7777 or dacorneto.org. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20
Oak Brook ghosts?
“Searching for Peabody's Tomb” is an interactive Halloween experience where groups of 15 to 20 people seek out ghosts at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook. $10. (630) 986-8067 or firstfolio.org. 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20