Boo bash: Naper Settlement’s new Family Spooktacular designed for youngsters

Naper Settlement’s new Halloween happening replaces the long-running All Hallows Eve with an event geared toward the younger crowd and a headlining act to appeal to the masses.

Family Spooktacular, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Naperville museum campus, succeeds All Hallows Eve, which ran for 21 years and featured Halloween activities and entertainment designed for preteens, teens and adults, Settlement spokesperson Denise Wilt said. The change was in response to community feedback, which indicated people were looking for an event for the younger set, she said.

“People were requesting earlier hours, they wanted more live music and hands-on experiences designed for younger visitors, the 12-and-under age range,” she said. “People were looking for another Halloween event, just one that was more for the littles.”

Spooktacular is aimed squarely at Gen Alpha.

“We’re really excited to see it come to life,” Wilt said. “We’ve got a lot of fun things planned for it.”

Among them will be trick-or-treating at the historic buildings, a Halloween inflatable zone, a costume contest with prizes, painting, slime-making, bubbles, laser tag and photo ops. The huge gargoyle and werewolf sculptures created for All Hallows Eve by Naperville resident Paul Kuhn will be on display.

There will be five local food trucks and a Spooky Spirits bar for adults, she said.

The highlight of the event will be performances by the Disney tribute act, The Little Mermen & The Princess Pals.

“They are known globally as the No. 1 Disney tribute band recognized by Disney and Broadway.com,” Wilt said. “They have a pretty big following and we’re really excited to welcome them. It’s perfect for families and if you’re a Disney adult, you can come enjoy the experience as well. They dress in costume and really bring Disney songs to life with a rocking twist.”

Alexis Babini is the founder of the Mermen/Princess Pals group, which now boasts multiple touring companies. He also plays guitar and sings and will join the cast in Naperville Sunday.

“The Little Mermen & The Princess Pals combines the energy of a rock band with the powerhouse vocals and theatricality of musical theater,” Babini said in an email.

“We perform in character costumes, bringing Disney favorites to life with the spirit of a stadium concert where everyone gets to sing at the top of their lungs. It’s a dazzling, interactive musical spectacle that reimagines the Disney songbook as a live rock concert … with plenty of opportunities to sing, dance and become part of the show.”

Babini is a Berklee College of Music graduate, singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist who grew up on the Disney renaissance movies of the 1990s.

“As a touring singer-songwriter, I started slipping Disney songs into my sets and the response was electric,” he wrote. “Suddenly, a room full of strangers knew every word and was singing together. I wanted to build an entire show around that feeling.”

One of the things the group hears the most is that parents had just as much fun as their kids, Babini said.

“These songs belong to several generations, and seeing children, parents and grandparents singing together is pretty wonderful. The kids hold nothing back. They arrive in costumes, dance their hearts out and light up at the first notes of a favorite song. We want families to leave smiling, feeling connected and still singing on the way home.”

Audiences will hear songs from across the Disney movie catalog, he wrote, from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to “Tarzan” to “Encanto.”

Wilt hopes the community embraces the new Halloween event.

“We would love to make this an annual event moving forward, so we’re really excited to see this event come to life,” she said.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids 4-12 and free for kids 3 and younger.

Also this weekend at Naper Settlement is the museum’s popular 21-and-over Halloween bash, Howlin’ at the Moon. It runs from 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and features a Food Truck Graveyard and Booze Bar along with live music both nights, a costume contest with prizes, black light painting, fire dancers, moonlight market, photo ops and more, she said. Tickets cost $25.

“It’s a good way for adults to experience the fun of Halloween as well,” Wilt said.

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.