Festivals: Welcome fall at a seasonal celebration

Scarecrow fests, corn mazes and pumpkin patches make saying so long to summer a little easier. So take your kids or grandkids and check out what suburban fall festivals have in store for the weekend ahead.

This weekend

Fall Color Festival: 7 a.m. to sunset daily through Saturday, Oct. 31, at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Enjoy the fall colors of trees and plants from more than 40 countries, see nature-themed scarecrows, and take part in activities for kids and families. Theater hikes at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through October. Costs vary with activities. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org.

Cosley Zoo's Pumpkin Fest: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Saturday, Oct. 31, at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton. Straw pyramid, cornstalk tunnel and more. $4-$5; free for kids, zoo members and Wheaton Park District residents (with ID). cosleyzoo.org.

St. Charles Scarecrow Festival: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Main and 4th streets and along the riverfront in St. Charles. More than 150 handcrafted scarecrows, carnival, petting zoo, live music, food and the Autumn on the Fox arts and crafts show. Free. (630) 377-6161 or scarecrowfest.com.

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at City Park at Highwood City Hall, 17 Highwood Ave., Highwood. Live music, hay rides, pony rides, pumpkin carving, nightly pumpkin lightings, pet costume contest, parade, live music, 5K/10K Pumpkin run and more. $2 donation per person. For those bringing a pumpkin to donate to the wall of pumpkins, admission is free. Proceeds benefit the Autism Society of Illinois. highwoodpumpkinfest.com.

Halloween Hayrides: 5, 6 and 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at the Lake View Nature Center, 17W063 Hodges Road, Oakbrook Terrace. Family-friendly evening includes outdoor story time, exploration time in the Nature Center, a spooky craft activity and refreshments at the campfire circle. Rain dates are Saturdays Oct. 10 and 17. $5-$6. (630) 941-8747 or obtpd.org.

Moonlight Hayrides: Thirty-minute tractor-drawn hayrides at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10, at Primrose Farm Park, 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. Bonfire, marshmallow roast, hot chocolate and cider. $8-$12. Kids 15 and younger must be accompanied by a paying adult. Registration is required. (630) 513-4370 or primrosefarmpark.com.

Pumpkin PALOOZA: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at The Growing Place, 2000 Montgomery Road, Aurora. Giant pumpkins, pumpkin crafts, face painting, hayrides, pumpkin games, dulcimer and fiddle music with the Dona Benkert Trio, pumpkin treats and more. Free. (630) 820-8088 or thegrowingplace.com.

Cantigny Fall Festival: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Harvest-time activities at the parade field with food, live music and a children's book fair. Free with $5 parking; small fee for some activities. cantigny.org.

Harvest Fest: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Kingswood United Methodist Church, 401 W. Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove. Performances by the Kingswood Glory Fingers Puppet Team and the Kingswood Praise Band. Other highlights include a petting zoo, children's games, pumpkin sales and decorating, bake sale, craft fair, food and more. Free. (847) 398-0770 or kingswoodumc.com.

Heritage Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Fischer Farm, 16W680 Old Grand Ave., Bensenville. Events include candle making and pumpkin painting, petting zoo, pony rides, arts and crafts, Keith Baumann & The Hard Times Bluegrass Band, historical military re-enactors, firing of the cannon on the hour and more. Free admission and parking. A $5 wristband will get children (younger than 12) one pumpkin (while supplies last), pony rides and unlimited access to the petting zoo. Outdoor picnic food available for purchase. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held Saturday, Oct. 24. bensenveilleparkdistrict.org.

Paint the Town Pink: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the gazebo at Deer Park Town Center, 20530 N. Rand Road, Deer Park. Fundraiser for the fight against breast cancer. Free yoga, group Tabata, a fashion show, retail discounts and more. Free admission, but a $15 donation is encouraged. shopdeerparktowncenter.com.

Barrington Scarecrow Festival: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, Memorial Park, Main Street, downtown Barrington. Scarecrow decorating, music, kids' activities and more. Free. barrington-il.gov.

Dog Days of Dundee: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Randall Oaks Park, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Contests, activities, demonstrations, dog play area, specialty vendors, rescue groups and more. Free pet microchipping by Dundee Animal Hospital. Free. dtpd.org.

Morton Arboretum Family Weekend: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday through Monday, Oct. 10-12, at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Storytelling, face painting, science experiments, critter shows, live music and more. Costumes encouraged. Free with regular admission. mortonarb.org.

Palatine Stables Fall Festival: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Palatine Stables, 1510 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine. Wagon rides, petting zoo, entertainment, pony rides, riding demonstrations, vendor booths, kids' zone, scarecrow decorating contest, concessions. Free; some events have a fee. palatineparks.org.

Pumpkin Weekends: 11 a.m.to 4 p.m. Saturday through Monday, Oct. 10-12, at Blackberry Farm, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora. Crafts, harvest decor, pumpkin stories, corn crib and pumpkin paddle. Pumpkin carver on Saturday, Oct. 10. $4.50-$8. Free for children younger than 2. (630) 892-1550 or foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.

Bark-N-Art: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at City Limits Harley-Davidson, 2015 N. Rand Road, Palatine. Local artists and vendors, music, food trucks and adoptable dogs. Proceeds will benefit animals in need through The Buddy Foundation. Free; donations welcome. (847) 358-2112 or citylimitshd.com.

Hoffman Estates Pumpkin Fest: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Vogelei Park and Barn, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates. Live music, crafts, games and a pumpkin-carving contest. Free. (847) 285-5432.

Mount Prospect Fall Festival & Oktoberfest: 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Emerson Street and Busse Avenue, Mount Prospect. Fall Fest runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and is geared toward families with pumpkins, trick-or-treating and more. Oktoberfest follows from 4 to 11 p.m. with live entertainment, German food and beverages. Free admission. downtownmountprospect.com.

Island Lake Fall Festival: 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Veterans Park, Route 176, Island Lake. Kids' Halloween costume contest, free hayrides and crafts, pick-a-pumpkin ($3) and ice cream sundaes ($1). Free admission. villageofislandlake.com.

Danada Fall Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Danada Equestrian Center, 3S507 Naperville Road, Wheaton. Horse shows, pony rides, stable tours, hayrides, nature art and photo show and more. Free; some activities require fees. (630) 668-6012 or dupageforest.org.

Next week

Patty Turner Center Oktoberfest: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Patty Turner Center, 375 Elm St., Deerfield. Features a buffet of Bavarian fare from the Edelweiss Inn in Chicago and Oktoberfest sounds from the Johnny Wagner Trio. $25 members; $35 nonmembers. (847) 940-4010 or deerfieldparks.org.

Historic Halloween program: 7:15 to 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the McHenry County Historical Society Museum, 6422 Main St., Union. Ghost stories from award-winning storyteller Jim May, optional "haunted entrance" and Halloween refreshments. $5-$7. (815) 923-2267 or mchenrycountyhistory.org.

BARKtoberfest: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at The Lucky Monk, 105 Hollywood Blvd, South Barrington. BARKtoberfest is an Oktoberfest-themed fundraiser to help raise money for the Animal House Shelter in Huntley. Event features a cocktail hour, three-course Oktoberfest food/beer pairing, silent auction/raffles and some of Animal House Shelter's adoptable dogs. $50 admission. (847) 898-0500 or animalhouseshelter.com.