A real 'Halloween Happening' in Naperville

This is no ordinary Sunday afternoon in the park.

Spooky themes, silly costumes, Halloween-themed dance performances and a magic show will materialize in and around the Grand Pavilion in Naperville's Centennial Park beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, courtesy of Naperville Park District, before vanishing into the annals of history.

The park district started it's annual Halloween Happening "as a safe community event," said Sue Omanson, the district's community development manager.

It has since become a fall tradition, going on for more than three decades and typically drawing about 4,000 people.

"It's for kids and their families. It gives them an opportunity to wear their costumes," she said. "It's been at various places. It was at Naper Settlement for a long time, and a good long time ago it was moved to the Riverwalk."

Kids are welcome to wear costumes and explore four themed areas: Halloween Way, Fairytale Lane, King Arthur's Court and Adventure Alley.

Omanson said there will be 31 games, six inflatable rides, a hay bale maze and hayrides, along with performances that include a show featuring children's musician Super Stolie.

The Elan Dance Company will present three pieces by junior, apprentice and senior dancers.

"It's a pre-professional dance company we have here at the park district," artistic director Kristy Meza said. "We're a performance-based company, which means we don't compete."

The company does eight shows a year, including appearances at Navy Pier, in Evanston and at the Fox Valley Dance Showcase.

The junior company, ages 9 to 12, will lead off Sunday's performance at 1:30 p.m. with a piece that combines "Thriller" with "Heads Will Roll."

"'Glee' actually did the version that we're doing," said Meza. "It's a fun and light jazz piece."

The apprentice company, featuring dancers ages 12 to 15, will do a modern, contemporary number titled "The Hill."

"It's kind of spooky and fun for the Halloween theme," she said.

Featuring dancers ages 13 through 18, the senior company will perform a piece called "Lucid Dream."

"It's more straight-up modern dance," she said.

All dances will be performed on the grass in minimalist costumes.

"When they choreograph it, they keep that in mind," she said. "We try to keep it super simple when we're outside. We usually get a really great crowd, a really great mixture of ages."

Magic Matt, aka Matt Scherer, takes the stage at 3 p.m. A veteran magician, Scherer regularly appears at Brookfield Zoo and is scheduled to appear there during the Holiday Magic event in December.

"I've appeared at fairs all over the Midwest," he said. "I appear at restaurants five days a week. I've been doing this since I was a kid."

This will be Magic Matt's first appearance at Halloween Happening.

"It's pretty much a family fun, interactive show with a little Halloween flavor to it," Scherer said. "I have helpers up throughout the show, kids clapping their hands and wiggling their fingers. They're the little stars of the show. The reactions of the kids are what make the show."

There is no admission fee for the event, presented with the cooperation of volunteers.

"We have 130 to 150 volunteers who help. A lot of them are high school students. That's really a fun part of it because they help the little children. They work four or five hours and then they have pizza afterward," Omanson said.

If you go

What: 36th Annual Halloween Happening

Who: Sponsored by Naperville Park District

Where: Grand Pavilion along the Riverwalk, Naperville

When: 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

Admission: Free

Info: napervilleparks.org