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Halloween Favorites Return to the Chicago Botanic Garden

Three family favorites-Spooky Pooch Parade, HallowFest, and Trains, Tricks & Treats-will bring mischief and magic back to the Chicago Botanic Garden this Halloween season.

The fun begins with the Spooky Pooch Parade from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 18, the only day of the year dogs are allowed at the Garden. Participants are invited to dress up their dogs, mingle in the Krasberg Rose Garden and walk a special parade route. Judges will award prizes for Best Overall Halloween Costume, Best Puppy in Costume, Best Senior in Costume, Best Horticultural Interpretation and Best Dog/Owner Costume.

WBBM-TV meteorologist Ed Curran will serve as master of ceremonies; other judges include WBEZ Worldview host Jerome McDonnell, Barbara Brotman of the Chicago Tribune, LeeAnn Trotter of WMAQ-TV, Susan Randstrom of Chicagoland Gardening, and Janice Brown of Chicagoland Tails Magazine. Nonprofit organizations and special vendors will be on hand to share information and sell dog-related products.

Registration opens on August 26. Advance registration is $14 per dog for members; $19 for nonmembers. Day-of registration is $20 per dog for members; $25 for nonmembers. The usual parking fees apply. Registration is not required for spectators.

Celebrate both Halloween and the end of the Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America season with Trains, Tricks & Treats from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19 (weather permitting). Visitors are encouraged to come in costume and trick-or-treat inside the exhibition, specially decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, goblins, spider webs, seasonal plants and more. Stations throughout the Model Railroad Garden will offer treats and a planting activity. Tickets are available at the Model Railroad Garden Ticket Booth upon arrival. Tickets are $6 for adults; $5 for seniors; and $4 for children ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and under are free. Members receive $1 off each ticket. The usual parking fees apply.

Festivities continue the following weekend with HallowFest: A Garden of Good … and Evil. The event takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, and from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 26. Visitors can follow a friendly or spooky path to the Regenstein Center, where they'll find such Halloween-themed activities as face painting, fortune telling, seasonal crafts and family-friendly entertainers. A walk through the carved pumpkin gallery, filled with glowing jack-o'-lanterns, will provide inspiration for visitors, who can pick up a pumpkin to decorate at home. A Spooky Snack Shack will serve complimentary treats, and special monster meals will be sold at the Garden View Café.

Visitors can venture outside to tour the Model Railroad Garden, decorated in ghostly lights, and see the special ghost train. A 15-minute ride on the Howlin' Express will take visitors past spooky sights staged throughout the Garden.

Tickets go on sale on August 26. Advance tickets are $14 for members; $19 for nonmembers. Day-of tickets are $17 for members; $22 for nonmembers. Children 2 and under are free. The usual parking fees apply.

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