Lisle parks host Halloween happenings this weekend

As you toss on your witch hat and cape or don fangs for the Halloween happenings at the Lisle Park District this weekend, make sure to remember your running shoes, too.

The park district will host holiday activities on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15, starting with Monster Madness on Friday night at the new recreation center on Ohio Street. The family fun fair will include carnival games with prizes, a pumpkin patch, pony rides, petting zoo and a hay maze.

Cheryl Patterson, park district recreation program manger, said the event — geared toward ages 10 and younger — attracts hundreds of families and has grown over the last decade.

“This particular event has kind evolved over the years, because every year we kind of tweak it and make it better,” Patterson said. “This year, it will be in our new facility, and that adds a different element to it.”

Then on Saturday night, children and adults can follow the lit path that starts in Community Park and join in the seventh annual Scarecrow Scramble. This is a U.S.A. Track and Field-certified 5K run/walk that is sanctioned by the Chicago Area Runners Association.

Children can participate in either the Youth Run or Tot Dash, which also begin in the park.

“What’s fun is that this is a night race, which makes it different from many other runs,” Patterson said.

Following the 5K, the park district will host a bonfire, costume contest, raffle and hayrides.

Proceeds from the race benefit Partners for Parks and Character Counts in Lisle. The parks organization provides scholarship funds for families who cannot afford to participate in park district programs, and supports the park district by paying for projects or equipment not covered in the district’s budget.

Character Counts, a communitywide alliance in Lisle, promotes good character through community service projects.