Fairs & fests: Halloween happenings across the suburbs

<b>This weekend</b>

Morton Arboretum's Fall Color Festival: 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 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends in the children's garden 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.

Cosley Zoo Pumpkin Fest: 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.

Didier Farms Pumpkinfest: 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.

Randall Oaks Fall Festival: 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.

River Trails Park District Monster's Bash: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Weiss Community Center, 1500 E. Euclid Ave., Mount Prospect. Wear a Halloween costume, decorate pumpkins, trick-or-treat and play carnival games. Plus, entertainment, photo booth, hayrides and s'mores. Free. rtpd.org.

Fright Fest: 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.

Halloween Happenings: 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Wheaton Park District Community Center, 1777 S. Blanchard St., Wheaton. Costume pageant, games and prizes, trick-or-treat trail, crafts, airbrush tattoos, balloon artist, concession stand and more. $15 residents, $17 nonresidents. wheatonparkdistrict.com.

Moonlight Hayrides: Thirty-minute tractor-drawn hayrides from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22, 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.

Pumpkins & Treats: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Crafts, pumpkin decorating and trick-or-treating. Costumes encouraged. Free with paid $5 parking. cantigny.org.

Hallow-Palooza: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Rakow Center, 665 Barrington Ave., Carpentersville. “Thriller” dance class every 30 minutes, costume contest, treasure hunt, indoor driving range, spooky storytime, bounce house, trick-or-treating, magic show from 6:30 to 7:30 and 8 to 9 p.m., pumpkin decorating (while supplies last) and more. $10 at the door. (847) 428-7131 or dtpd.org.

Pumpkin Hunt: 6 to 8:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Oak Brook Park District Indoor Family Aquatic Center, 1450 Forest Gate Road, Oak Brook. Search for capsules filled with candy and pumpkins. Swim afterward. For kids 6 months to 12 years old. $8-$12. obparks.org.

Haunted Hike: 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and 6:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21-22 and 28-29, at Camp Big Timber, 37W955 Big Timber Road, Elgin. This 26th annual event features games, food, treat bags and music. $10; $8 for scouts in uniform. Kiddie Hike for $8 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 22 and 29. (630) 584-9250 or threefirescouncil.org.

BatFest: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Batavia Riverwalk, Houston Street and Island Avenue, Batavia. Halloween parade at 11:50 a.m., games, downtown trick-or-treating, pumpkin bowl, costume contest at 12:15 p.m. and games. Hayrides with a donation of nonperishable food or cash for the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry. At 8:30 a.m., take part in the BatFest 5K walk/run and 10K run along the Fox River Trail. It's sponsored by the Batavia United Way. Register at 5kbatavia.com. See downtownbatavia.com.

Boo! at the Zoo: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 22-23 and 29-30, at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W. 31st St., Brookfield. Fest features not-so-scary activities including trick-or-treat stations, special zoo chats with animal care staff and demonstrations by professional pumpkin carver Steve Dahlke. The costume parade kicks off at 1 p.m. each day by the North Mall. Parade is followed by a costume contest. Other highlights include the Haunted Hayride, scarecrow-making, a corn maze and more. Zoo admission is $12.50-$17.85; free for kids 2 and younger. Parking is $11. (708) 688-8000 or czs.org.

It's the Great Pumpkin! Hunt: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23, at Red Oak Nature Center, 2343 S. River St., Batavia. Follow clues and riddles to find the Great Pumpkin. $2 Fox Valley Park District residents, $4 nonresidents. (630) 897-1808 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Blackberry Farm's Pumpkin Weekends: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays 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.

Pumpkin Trolley: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23, 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 ages 65 and older, $2 for kids. (847) 697-4676 or foxtrolley.org.

Halloween Party: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Bloomingdale Public Library, 101 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale. Games, refreshments, balloon artist. Costumes encouraged. Held outdoors under a tent. Free. mybpl.org.

Treat the Streets/Monster Bash: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Antioch band shell, 900 Skidmore Drive, Antioch. Trick-or-treat at downtown area businesses from noon to 2 p.m. Monster Mash Bash from 1 to 4 p.m. at the band shell. Take part in a pumpkin roll, costume contest, carnival games and other activities. Free. (847) 395-2160 or antioch.il.gov.

Great Pumpkin Celebration: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Round Lake Area Park District, 814 Hart Road, Round Lake. Costume contest, indoor trick-or-treating, fantasy maze, corn maze and hayrides, kids' entertainment, carnival games and prizes and more. Free. rlapd.org.

Boo Bash: 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the ARC Center, 201 W. National St., West Chicago. Costume contest, coloring contest and kids' activities. $5; free for kids 2 and younger and for adults with a paying child. webtrac.we-goparks.org.

Cryptid Chase: 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Lippold Park, 2343 S. River St., Batavia. Scour the woods in search of strange and mystical creatures like Bigfoot, Nessie, faeries and more. For all ages. $10, $15 for nonresidents. Register at (630) 897-1808 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Gilberts bonfire and hayride: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Memorial Park, 355 Tyrrell Road, Gilberts. villageofgilberts.com.

Monster Madness: 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Lisle Recreation Center, 1925 Ohio St., Lisle. Games, ghouls, petting zoo, pony rides, pumpkin patch, straw maze, prizes and Creepy Café. For ages 10 and younger. $10 for a 25-punch card. lisleparkdistrict.org.

Ghost Story Train: 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 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.

Raise A Ruckus Fall Harvest Fair: 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Christian Heritage Academy, 315 Waukegan Road, Northfield. Annual fall fundraiser is open to the community. Games, square dancing, barbecue dinner and more. $15-$40. Tickets available at christianheritage.org.

Zombie Apocalypse: 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Wheeler Park, 822 N. First St., Geneva. Participants will be divided into flights (groups of 10 to 15 people) and will start approximately 5 minutes apart from each other. Each flight will be led by a trained guide from safe zone to safe zone. Space is limited, so register early. Suggested for kids 11 and older. $10-$15. Family-friendly hour from 5 to 6 p.m. for kids 10 and younger. genevaparks.org.

Halloween Hayride: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Batavia. Ride around Lake Gregory, family activities and make s'mores. For ages 2 and older. $6 Fox Valley Park District residents, $8 nonresidents. (630) 892-1550 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Halloween Trunk or Treat: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Heritage Park, 32440 Darryl Road, Lakemoor. Trophies awarded to the best-decorated vehicle, best adult costume and best kids costume. To participate in the best-decorated vehicle contest, register online or at village hall. Plus, candy, taffy apples, “Witch Walk,” pumpkin buckets and more. Free. lakemoor.net.

Scarewalk: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Cabin Nature Center, 111 S. Wood Dale Road, Wood Dale. Family-friendly hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Walks for kids 10 and older from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. $5. wooddaleparkdistrict.org.

Nightmare on Chicago Street: 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, on Chicago Street, between Douglas Avenue and Villa Street, Elgin. Elgin's annual Halloween party features music, food, drinks, vendors, games, graffiti artists and special guests. Kids 17 and younger not admitted without a parent/guardian. Early-bird tickets cost $12. Admission is $15 after the first 8,000 tickets are sold. nightmareonchicagostreet.com.

Nightmare on Stevenson Drive Haunted Trail: 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Stevenson High School, 1 Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire. The Stevenson High School Foundation sponsors a haunted trek around the campus that ends with a party in the stadium. Event features food, music, Bumpin Balls, a photo booth and athletic competitions. Entry is $25, with proceeds benefiting the Stevenson-to-College program. Register in advance at d125.org/foundation or in person at the event.

Haunted Quarry: 7 to 10 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 22 and 29, at Hall Quarry Beach Park, 100 S. Water St., Batavia. $8. Not suitable for kids 10 and younger. (630) 879-5235 or bataviaparks.org.

CROCtoberfest: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Wildlife Discovery Center, 1401 Middlefork Drive, Lake Forest. Meet live reptiles including “Bubba” the alligator, who will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Experts will discuss crocodiles and provide close-up encounters with a variety of reptiles. Plus, face painting, food and more. Admission is a $10 donation per person, which will help the Wildlife Discovery Center care for its animal residents. A portion of proceeds will help support crocodile conservation. Visitors can use the free shuttle bus service at the Lake Forest Hospital staff parking lot, which will run every 15 minutes. (847) 810-3663 or cityoflakeforest.com.

JCC Elaine Frank Apachi Day Camp Fall Fest: 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Lake County Community Campus/JCC Elaine Frank Apachi Day Camp, 23280 N. Old McHenry Road, Lake Zurich. Petting zoo, hayride, “Garoon Gateway to Science,” crafts, mini golf, face painting, snacks and more. $25 a family in advance or at the door. jccchicago.org/fallfest.

Trunk or Treat: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Round Lake Beach Metra Station parking lot, 600 E. Mallard Creek, Round Lake Beach. Youngsters can trick-or-treat in a safe environment. Carnival games, jump house, food and more. Event is sponsored by Calvary Presbyterian Church. (847) 546-4444 or calvarychurchrl.org.

<b>Next week</b>

HalloweenFest: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Libertyville Sports Complex, 1950 Route 45, Libertyville. Activities for families with kids 10 and younger. Children are encouraged to wear costumes. Event features a Kids' Fun Zone, DJ entertainment, indoor train ride, climbing of “Spider Mountain” and more. Advance registration is $7 for kids; event day registration is $10; free for adults. (847) 918-7275 or libertyville.com/recreation.

Great Barrington Area Taste Fest: 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, Chicago Marriott Northwest, 400 Hoffman Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Taste the signature dishes of dozens of restaurants, microbrewers, wineries and distillers. $30. Register at barringtonchamber.com or (847) 381-2525.

55th Annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival: Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 26-30, in downtown Sycamore. Features hundreds of decorated pumpkins, teen and kiddie carnivals, scary stories, Autumn Craft and Treasures Market, giant pumpkins and more. Fireworks at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Parade at 1 p.m. Sunday. Free. For a schedule, see sycamorepumpkinfestival.com.