Fairs & fests: From MicroFest to Hoots and H'Owls

This weekend

<b>Morton Arboretum's Fall Color Festival:</b> 7 a.m. to sunset daily through Monday, Oct. 31, at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Scarecrow Trail and special events. Trick or Trees runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends in the children's garden and includes games, fall crafts, tree seeds to take home, and small pumpkins to purchase and paint. General admission is $9-$14; free for members. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org.

<b>29th Annual Autumn Drive:</b> 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 14-16, in Woodstock and other McHenry County towns. Local farms offer produce, jams, soaps and more. Also, antique vendors, tractor rides, petting zoos, hayrides, apple and pumpkin picking and more. Free. For directions and a list of vendors and venues, see autumndrive.net.

<b>Cosley Zoo Pumpkin Fest:</b> 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Monday, Oct. 31, at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton. Straw pyramid, cornstalk tunnel, and apples, gourds, pumpkins, cider, corn stalks and bales of hay for purchase. Fest is included with $4-$5 zoo admission; free for members and kids 17 and younger. cosleyzoo.org.

<b>Didier Farms Pumpkinfest:</b> 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Monday, Oct. 31, at Didier Farms, 16678 Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Hayrides, camel rides, Animal Land Zoo, parakeet exhibit, Pumpkin Playland, pig races and more. Free, but some activities require tickets. didierfarms.com/pumpkinfest.

<b>Randall Oaks Fall Festival:</b> 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Sunday, Oct. 30, at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Hay maze, corn bin play area, fall treats, pumpkins for purchase and face painting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $3-$5. On weekends, bonfire from noon to 5 p.m. and hayrides for $2. Most activities included with zoo admission: $3.25 for residents, $4 for nonresidents, free for kids younger than 2. (847) 428-7131 or dtpd.org.

<b>Fright Fest:</b> Opens at 5 p.m. Friday and at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday through Sunday, Oct. 30, (and 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31), at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Drive, Gurnee. Daytime hours are family-friendly and include shows and a trick-or-treat trail. In the evenings, ghouls will appear and the haunted houses will be open. For a schedule and admission fees, see sixflags.com/greatamerica.

<b>Moonlight Hayrides:</b> Thirty-minute tractor-drawn hayrides at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-22, at Primrose Farm Park, 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. Bonfire, marshmallow roast, hot chocolate and cider. $8 for residents; $12 for nonresidents. Kids 15 and younger must be accompanied by a paying adult. (630) 513-4370 or primrosefarmpark.com.

<b>Naper Settlement's All Hallows Eve:</b> 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15, at the Naper Settlement Museum, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. The 12-acre museum campus and its 13 historic buildings turn into a village of fear with haunted houses, Edgar Allan Poe stories in the schoolhouse, “Potter Fate - Death By Prophecy” presented by the Magical Starlight, a reptile show, strolling spooky characters and more. Event is not recommended for children 8 and younger or for those who are easily scared. $15; free for members. Tickets are available at the Naper Settlement visitors center or at the door. (630) 420-6010 or napersettlement.org.

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HawkFest 2016:</b> Friday through Sunday, Oct. 14-16, at various Lake County venues, including Lake Forest College and the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, with Saturday and Sunday morning bird walks at other locations. Event kicks off at 7:15 p.m. Friday at Lake Forest College with raptor experts Dave Johnson and Vic Berardi, who will discuss the history of hawk watches in northern Illinois. The fest features a variety of activities for new and experienced birders. Many activities are free; admission for fee events is $7 per event or $25 for an all-access pass. For a daily schedule and details, see lcfpd.org.

<b>Corn Harvest:</b> 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16, at Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, West Chicago. Visitors are invited step back to the 1890s by helping to pick corn from the fields, load wagons and more. Plus, horse-drawn hayrides ($5 per person), corn-husk doll making, tours of a 19th-century home and barn and visits with a beekeeper and a blacksmith. Free. Sponsored by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. (630) 876-5900 or dupageforest.org.

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Pumpkin Fest:</b> 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 15, in Cook Memorial Park, on Route 21, between Church Street and Cook Avenue, Libertyville. Pumpkins, music, dancing, service vehicles to explore and more. Event is hosted by Libertyville Junior Woman's Club. Free. Guests are asked to bring a nonperishable food donation for Libertyville Township Food Pantry to receive a free pumpkin. libertyvillejuniors.org.

<b>15th Annual Touch the Trucks:</b> 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 15, on Church Street, between Brainerd and Milwaukee avenues, Libertyville. Kids can explore a variety of service vehicles. From 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., there is a “Quiet Touch the Trucks” session for those who are sensitive to noise. No vehicle horns, bells or sirens will be used then. Event is hosted by Libertyville's Cook Park Library. Free. (847) 362-2330 or cooklib.org.

<b>Blackberry Farm's Pumpkin Weekends:</b> 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in October at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora. Roll in the corn crib, ride the Pumpkin Train, experience the new pumpkin paddle, plus crafts and harvest decor. $4.50-$8; free for kids younger than 2. (630) 892-1500 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

<b>Pumpkin Trolley:</b> 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-23, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 361 S. La Fox St. (Route 31), South Elgin. Ride an old-time electric trolley car to the pumpkin patch and choose a pumpkin to purchase. Regular fares are $5, $3 for 65 and older, $2 for kids. (847) 697-4676 or foxtrolley.org.

<b>Bolingbrook Brew Fest:</b> Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at McQ's Bar & Grill, 730 N. Bolingbrook Drive, Bolingbrook. VIP admission is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Indoor beer festival with more than 20 specialty, seasonal and small-batch beers from local, regional and national craft brewers, plus food and more. $45 general admission; $60 VIP. bolingbrookbrewfest.com.

<b>Naperville Pumpkin Race Festival:</b> Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Rotary Hill, 38 Martin Ave., Naperville. All ages and abilities welcome. Pumpkin Race kits are $20 and can be purchased at Wagner Farms (9937 Route 59) in Naperville or online at turningpointeautismfoundation.org.

<b>Pumpkin Fest:</b> Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Vogelei Park & Barn, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates. Live music, pumpkin decorating and games. The country band Wild Daisy performs from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Free admission; guests are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food items to donate to a local food bank. visithoffman.com.

<b>Family Fall Fest:</b> 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at MB Financial Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont. Free horse-drawn hayrides around MB Financial Park's inner drive until 4 p.m. Other free activities include balloon sculpting, face painting, magic acts and pumpkin painting until 5 p.m. Pumpkin carver Steve Dahlke will carve a 500-pound pumpkin. At 4 p.m., the Chicago 6 (former 1985 Chicago Bears Dan Hampton, Otis Wilson and Steve McMichael along with John McFarland and Ed Kammerer) performs a free concert on the park's great lawn. Free. rosemont.com.

<b>Fifth Annual Hoots and H'Owls:</b> 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Randhurst Village, at Rand and Elmhurst roads, Mount Prospect. Event opens with a costume pet parade. Prizes awarded to the top three entries. For parade details, see dailyherald.com/contest/hootsandhowls. Other highlights include appearances by real owls from the Stillman Nature Center, face-painting, balloon-twisting, stilt walkers, pumpkin decorating, sand sculptures created by The Sand Sculpture Company of Woodstock and more. Free. (847) 259-0500 or randhurstvillage.com.

<b>Scarecrow Scramble 5K Run/Walk & Fall Festival:</b> 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Lisle Community Park, 1825 Short St., Lisle. Includes Youth Run, Tot Dash, music, food, hayrides, costume contest, bounce house, face painting and crafters. Provides recreational scholarships for families in need and benefits the Lisle Teens with Character program. $8-$35. Walk for kids 10 and younger is free. lisleparkdistrict.org.

<b>Pumpkin Fest:</b> 3:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Community Protestant Church, 418 N. Prairie Ave., Mundelein. Pumpkin decorating, face painting, refreshments and more. Free. communityprotestant.org.

<b>Pub in the Park:</b> 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at 5200 Miller Road, Lake in the Hills. Craft beer and food truck festival. VIP admission hours are 3 to 7:30 p.m. Last pour at 7:15 p.m. Advance tickets cost $45 general admission, $65 for VIP; tickets at the gate cost $10 more. pubinthepark.org.

<b>Ghost Story Train:</b> 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 15 and 22, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, 361 S. La Fox St. (Route 31), South Elgin. Take a ride to the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve. Listen to spooky stories and sing campfire songs while eating s'mores. Costumes welcome. Suitable for all ages. $13.20 per person for the one-hour event. (847) 697-4676 or foxtrolley.org.

<b>MicroFest:</b> 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Elgin Community College's Arts Center, Building H on the Elgin Community College campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. Evening begins in the art center's lobby, then moves to Blizzard Theatre at 7 p.m. See performances from bluegrass band Whiskey Shivers, actor/musician John Slade's “I Sing Walt Whitman” and actor/dancer/juggler Peter Davison's “Tossed & Found.” Enjoy fare from ECC's culinary arts and hospitality program, beer from Two Brothers Brewing Company, and a lobby party with music, a magician, games and more. Tickets for performances cost $26. Food, beer and beverages sold separately. (847) 622-0300 or facebook.com/eccartscenter.

<b>Haunted Quarry:</b> 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, 22, and 29, at Hall Quarry Beach Park, 100 S. Water St., Batavia. Admission is $8 ($6 in advance through Friday, Oct. 14). Not suitable for kids 10 and younger. (630) 879-5235 or bataviaparks.org.

<b>Spooktacular Fall Fest:</b> 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at Park Avenue and St. Charles Road, Lombard. Crafters, live entertainment, pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating, petting zoo, trick-or-treating and food vendors. $1 wristband for unlimited games and activities. lombardtowncentre.org.

<b>Strike for Vets Charity Bowling:</b> Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at Fox Bowl, 1101 Butterfield Road, Wheaton. Register at 11:30 a.m., bowling at noon. Paralyzed, quadriplegic veteran bowlers can join the event by wheelchair bowling using IKAN Bowler. Benefits military families at Hines VA Fisher House facing medical crises. $25. Register online at fofhil.org.

Next week

<b>Grayslake Pumpkin Fest:</b> 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Central Park Aquatic Fields, 250 Library Lane, Grayslake. Kids' Halloween games and activities, moonwalk, giant slide, Halloween character path, costume contest and more. $8-$12. glpd.com.