Festivals Oct. 7-13: Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest, St. Charles Scarecrow Fest, fall fests and more

Ongoing

Didier Farms Pumpkinfest: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 30 at Didier Farms, 16678 W. Aptakisic Road, Lincolnshire. Hayrides, corn maze, pig races, Animal Land Zoo, Pumpkin Playland and more. Prices vary by activity. didierfarms.com.

Fall Festivities at Keller's Farmstand: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30 at Keller's Farmstand, 2500 Johnson Road, Oswego. Dozens of different varieties of apples, a huge corn maze with a vampire theme, lots of photo opportunities and vampire checkpoints, a three-acre farmland play area, animals, wagon rides, pumpkin patch, farmstand and more. $14. KellersFarmstand.com.

Goebbert's Fall Festival: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 30 at Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard, 42W813 Reinking Road, Pingree Grove, goebbertspumpkinpatch.com, and 40 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, goebbertspumpkinfarm.com. Both locations offer animals, corn stalk mazes, wagon rides, pig races, fall food, produce and more. South Barrington offers a duck derby, giraffe barn, a magic show, pony and camel rides, a pumpkin-eating dinosaur and a haunted house. Tickets are $18 on weekdays, $22 on weekends and holidays; $12 seniors; free for kids 2 and younger.

Pumpkin Fest: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 31 at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton. Children's rides, animals, straw pyramid and thousands of pumpkins scattered on the zoo's lawn. $9 nonresident adults 18-54, $8 nonresident adults 55 and older; free to members, Wheaton Park District residents and kids 17 and younger. Timed-entry reservations are required at cosleyzoo.org/pumpkin-fest.

Randall Oaks Fall Festival: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 30 at Randall Oaks Zoo, 1180 N. Randall Road, West Dundee. Pedal tractors, pumpkins for sale and fall treats, and on weekends hayrides for $3 and animal shows. $4.25 for residents, $5 for nonresidents, and free for kids 1 and younger and U.S. military with ID. dtpd.org/randall-oaks-zoo.

Pumpkin Daze at Abbey Farms: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 10, at Abbey Farms, 2855 Hart Road, Aurora. Corn maze, pumpkin patch, zip line, jumping pillow and megadrop slide. Petting zoo, live music and beer tent available on the weekends. Shop for doughnuts, apple cider, pumpkins, fall decor and more. $15-$22; free for kids 2 and younger. abbeyfarms.ticketspice.com/pumpkin-daze-2022.

Crustoberfest: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through Oct. 31 at Crust Brewing, 5500 Park Place, Rosemont. Bavarian specialties, live entertainment and more. Live music from 5-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October, and the Zicke-Zacke Party Band performs from noon to 3 p.m. every Sunday. crustbrewing.com.

Pier Pumpkin Lights: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31 at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. Free experiential fall spectacle includes nearly 1,000 pumpkins stacked in elaborate and photo-worthy displays. navypier.org.

Pumpkin Weekends: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 10, at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora. Family-friendly fall activities. Miss Jamie's Farm performs a children's concert from 1-1:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Admission of $7-$8 includes all rides and attractions; pumpkins can be purchased for $3. foxvalleyparkdistrict.org or blackberryfarm.info/.

Richardson Adventure Farm corn maze: 3-9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, through Oct. 30, at Richardson Adventure Farm, 909 English Prairie Road, Spring Grove. The maze, which celebrates the history of James Bond, features 10.3 miles of trails across 28 acres. It includes a 10-minute option (left turns only) and a 1.5-hour option. Also features a 50-foot observation tower, train rides, carousel, wagon rides, zip line, 150- and 100-foot slides, Zorbing, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, pedal kart tracks, live music on weekends, kiddie play area, jumping pillows, pig races, air cannons, paintball shooting gallery, craft beer tent, food trucks and more. $18, $16 for kids 3-12, and free for kids 2 and younger. richardsonfarm.com.

Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up: 4-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 4-11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 31 at Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up, 1265 W. LeMoyne, Chicago. Corn maze, photo ops, pumpkin patch, carnival games, food and drinks and more. $22; family and group rates available. jackspumpkinpopup.com.

Six Flags Great America Fright Fest: 5-11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 30; plus 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Drive, Gurnee. Daytime hours are family-friendly with trick-or-treat and Halloween crafts. Evening hours include haunted mazes, roaming zombies, scary clowns and spooky shows. Tickets start at $54.99 for a one-day ticket; Haunted Attractions pass starts at $29.99. Oktoberfest takes place on the Mooseburger Patio from 6-10 p.m. Fridays and noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30. sixflags.com/greatamerica.

Chicago World Music Festival: Through Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago, and various locations in Chicago. Citywide, multivenue festival featuring more than 30 artists and ensembles representing 22 countries and regions of the world. The festival also celebrates 10 years of Ragamala, the largest all-night-long presentation of live Indian classical music in the U.S. Free. chicago.gov.

Open House Chicago 2022: Through Oct. 31 at various locations in Chicago. Free festival offers a monthlong series of self-guided history and architecture tours throughout Chicago, accessible via an interactive mobile app, along with the signature weekend event on Oct. 15-16 that provides behind-the-scenes access to architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites across Chicago. openhousechicago.org.

Friday, Oct. 7

Autumn on the Fox Arts and Crafts Show: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at Pottawatomie Park, 8 North Ave., St. Charles. More than 100 crafters will be selling jewelry, metal art, stained glass, photography, primitive wood, whimsical folk art, fall decor and food products. artoftheheartland.com/autumnonthefox.html.

MainStreet Libertyville's First Fridays: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, on Main Street in Libertyville. Music, refreshments, special discounts and more. Free. mainstreetlibertyville.org.

Scarecrow Fest: Noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, in downtown St. Charles. 37th annual festival featuring 85 handcrafted scarecrows on display throughout downtown. Vote to decide the winners in four categories: mechanical/mega; clubs, nonprofits and schools; individuals; and business. The family zone in Lincoln Park features live music and dance performances, magic show, giant bubble artist, a photo op area, scarecrow in a box and more. Plus, Touch-A-Truck, professional pumpkin carving and more. Autumn on the Fox Arts and Crafts Show is at Pottawatomie Park. Free. scarecrowfest.com.

Fall Festival/Oktoberfest: 4-11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and 1-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Emerson Street and Busse Avenue, Mount Prospect. Friday includes food and music. Fall Fest for Kids is from 1-4 p.m. Saturday and includes pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treat candy line, hay rides, food and music in the downtown area. Oktoberfest is from 4-11 p.m. Saturday featuring German food, spirits and music. mpdowntown.com/events.

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival and Skeleton Invasion: 4-11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at 17 Central Ave., Highwood. Three all-you-can-carve pumpkin stations, food, artisan craft vendors, interactive skeleton displays, pumpkin wall lighting each night, live music on three stages, carnival rides, games and more. On Sunday: Pet costume contest at noon and kids' costume contest at 1 p.m. and pumpkin pie-eating contest at 2 p.m. Music from Yankee Cowboy and The Mosquitos at 8 p.m. Friday; R Gang at 7:30 p.m. and Kevin Purcell & The Nightburners at 8 p.m. Saturday; and Downtown Charlie Brown at 5:30 p.m. and Mr. Blotto at 6 p.m. Sunday. highwoodpumpkinfest.com.

Aurora First Fridays: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in downtown Aurora. Food trucks, art shows, live music and more than two dozen participating venues. auroradowntown.org.

Autumn Fest Geneva Self-Guided Jack O' Lantern Walk: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the Kane County Courthouse, 100 S. Third St., Geneva. Over 50 local Geneva merchants will be displaying jack-o'-lanterns in their windows or outside their businesses for families to walk around and vote on their favorites. fb.me/e/1PbExSzyV.

Fiesta y Kermes: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Waubonsee Community College, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove. Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with food vendors, community-based organizations, performers and live music. Open to the public. calendar.waubonsee.edu/event/fiesta_y_kermes.

Houby Fest: 5-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, at Austin Boulevard and Cermak Road, Cicero. A festival celebrating the Houby mushroom featuring food booths, vendors, carnival, arts and crafts, music, sidewalk sale, Houby Queen Pageant, Houby parade at noon Monday and more. cicerofestivals.com/houby-fest.html.

Lincoln Park Wine Fest 2022: 5-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, at Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood, Chicago. Open-air market featuring wine and food pavilions and ticketed wine tastings. $45 in advance, $55 at the door, $80 VIP. lincolnparkchamber.com.

Oktoberfest at Time Out Market: 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at Time Out Market Chicago, 916 W. Fulton Market, Chicago. DJ, stein hoisting contest, Oktoberfest sampling and giveaways and more. Saturday includes a kids' storytime at 11 a.m. Sunday includes kids' face painting and balloon twisting from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. timeoutmarket.com/chicago.

NAMI DuPage Octoberfest and Carnival: 6-11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton. Carnival and food trucks all three days. On Saturday: Pancake breakfast from 8-10 a.m., car show ($20 entry) from 9 a.m. to noon, and Uncorked and Untapped wine and beer tasting ($20) from 4-7 p.m. On Sunday: Kids' activities from noon to 5 p.m. Music from Vital Signs at 9:30 p.m. Friday; The Neverly Brothers at 7:30 p.m. and Sugar Highway at 9:30 p.m. Saturday; and Serendipity at 4:30 p.m. and 7th heaven at 6:30 p.m. Sunday and more. General admission is $10, $5 for kids 4-9, and free for kids 3 and younger. namidupage.org/news-and-events/events/octoberfest.

Santa's Village Spooktacular Drive-Thru: 6-9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9 and 14-16, and 5:30-9 p.m. Oct. 21-23 and 27-31, at Santa's Village, 601 Dundee Ave., East Dundee. Drive-through Halloween scenes featuring The Witches Broom Lot, Mad Scientist, Alien Landing, Monster Mash Bash and more. $25 per vehicle in advance, $30 at the gate. SantasVillageDundee.com.

Ghost Stories in the Park: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7; 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion, 912 Sindt Court, Naperville. Summer Place Theatre's annual event with storytellers sharing ghost stories — some old, some original. $7. Tickets at summerplacetheatre.org.

Itasca Bonfire & Brews: 7-9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Springbrook Nature Center, 130 Forest Ave., Itasca. A night of beer tasting around a bonfire for ages 21 and older includes four beer tastings and a s'mores kit. Yard games available. Tickets are $25 at itascaparkdistrict.ticketleap.com/bonfiresandbrews2022.

Saturday, Oct. 8

Holiday Craft Fair: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 25519 W. Route 134, Ingleside. Holiday craft fair offering a variety of crafts. Food for purchase and door prizes. Handicapped accessible. Free admission. trinityonthehill.org.

Panting Four Paws Festival: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Lippold Park, 2500 Harding Lane, Woodstock. Includes a 5K/10K run and a 1-mile walk with your pup, vendors, games for dogs and food. $40 for the 5K, $45 for the 10K, $20 for the 1-mile walk. Register at raceroster.com/events/2022/59447/panting-four-paws-festival.

Fall Diddley: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Boone County Fairgrounds, off Route 76, Belvidere. The 37th annual juried craft show features 250 artisans from across the country selling a variety of items. Proceeds benefit the Mental Health Resource League of McHenry County. $7 for those 12 and older; free parking. mhrl.org.

Family Fall Fest: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 8, at The Depot at Wild Meadows Trace, 511 S. York St., Elmhurst. Costumes are encouraged for the Elmhurst Park District's Safety Town trick-or-treating, fall festivities, games and food trucks. Free admission. epd.org/news/family-fall-fest.

Homecoming Parade: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, on Lockport Street, downtown Plainfield. The 70th Annual Plainfield Community Homecoming Parade. plainfieldil.gov.

Boo! at the Zoo: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 8-23, at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. Costumes are encouraged for this Halloween-themed event that features creatures, creepy crawlers and more. Kids can take home a sweet treat. czs.org/booatthezoo.

Cantigny Fall Festival: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Cantigny Park Parade Field, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Crafters, pumpkins for sale, book fair, live music and fall treats. Free with $5 parking. (630) 668-5161 or cantigny.org/event/fall-festival.

Naperville Artisan Market: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, at CityGate Centre, 2139 CityGate Lane, Naperville. Features up to 100 local artisans. Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to RSVP. napervilleartisanmarket.com.

Fall Festival at Palatine Stables: 10:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Palatine Stables, 1510 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine. Family event for kids 2-11 accompanied by a guardian. Activities include pony rides, petting zoo, pumpkin decorating, fall-themed make-and-take crafts and an area for photo ops, including a visit with a live horse. Preregistration is required by Thursday, Oct. 6. palatineparks.org/rccms/fallfestival.

Arts & Drafts: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Orland Park crossing, 14225 95th Ave., Orland Park. Unique art, craft beer, live entertainment and food. 10 tastings and souvenir glass for $25. orlandparkchamber.org/arts-drafts.

Danada Fall Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, at Danada Equestrian Center, 3S507 Naperville Road, Wheaton. Equestrian performances, hayrides, kids' activities, displays, food and more. Free admission and parking; fees for some activities. dupageforest.org.

Fall Fest at Brothers' Field: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Brothers' Field, 344 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove. Live music, pumpkin painting, kids' crafts, tractor rides, food truck, cotton candy, Do-It-Yourself Scarecrow Day and more. brothersfieldlonggrove.com.

NSYMCA Fall Fest: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the North Suburban YMCA, 2705 Techny Road, Northbrook. A family day of fun, games and music for all ages, including a bounce house, bingo, carnival food, a balloon guy and a battle of the bands. Free. nsymca.org.

Scarecrow Day: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Brothers' Field, 344 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove. Build a custom scarecrow to be displayed in town for the rest of October Days. A small registration fee per scarecrow includes a wood base, hay for stuffing and building guidance from a team of volunteers. Register in advance through LongGrove.org.

Wauke-Con: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, at Three Brothers Theatre, 115 N. Genesee, Waukegan. Waukegan's comic book convention, with proceeds benefiting Three Brothers Theatre. Each ticket earns a chance to win a comic signed by Ray Bradbury. $10, $5 with military ID, free for kids 12 and younger. waukecon.wordpress.com.

Lombard Fall Fest: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Lombard Common, west of Paradise Bay Water Park, 433 E. St. Charles Road, Lombard. Family-friendly fun featuring games, crafts, candy hunt, Boo Bingo and more. Pick out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. Bring canned and nonperishable goods or a monetary donation to support the Outreach House. Free. lombardparks.com/fall-fest/.

OAKtoberfest: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Maryknoll Park, 845 Pershing Ave., Glen Ellyn. Go Green Glen Ellyn and the Glen Ellyn Park District host a fall celebration to celebrate Illinois oaks. Free. gogreenglenellyn.org.

Northbrook Autumnfest: 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Meadowhill Park, 1479 Maple Ave., Northbrook. Pumpkin patch, fall hayride, bonfire with s'mores, apple cider, pumpkin decoration contest, crafts, inflatables, games, pumpkin chuckin,' DJ, entertainment, and performances by the Northbrook Theatre Youth Company and children's musical entertainer Nanny Nikki. nbparks.org.

Roselle Founders Day Festival: 2-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Clauss Recreation Center, 555 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Roselle. The centennial celebration features a Zip Line, Euro Bungy, rock climbing wall, bounce house, hay rides, corn maze, pumpkin decorating, balloon artist, airbrush tattoos, food trucks, beer garden, touch-a-truck and fireworks. Music from 16 Candles and Final Say. Free. rparks.org/event/founders-day-festival.

Wheeling Park District Oktoberfest: 2-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Heritage Park Performance Pavilion, 201 Community Blvd., Wheeling. German and domestic beer, bratwurst and live entertainment from the International Polka Association Tribute Band at 2 p.m. and 7th heaven at 5 p.m. Stein-holding contest at 4:15 p.m. Free admission. wheelingparkdistrict.com.

Fox Lake Pumpkin Jubilee: 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Community Garden Green, 17 E. School Court, Fox Lake. Carve pumpkins and add them to a pumpkin wall that will be on display all night. Plus, artisan craft and food vendors. foxlake.org/392/Pumpkin-Jubilee.

Water Lantern Festival: 3:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Lincoln Park South Lagoon, 2341 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago. A floating lantern event that includes food, games, activities, vendors, music and thousands of lanterns adorned with letters of love, hope and dreams launched on the water at 6:30 p.m. $45.99 in advance; $55.99 the day of. waterlanternfestival.com/chicago.php.

Oktoberfest at Sidecar Woonerf & BierGarden: 4-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at Sidecar Supper Club & Beer Garden, 12 N. River St., Batavia. Pig roast, stein-hosting contest, craft beer, games, music from Whoosh! at 8 p.m. in the beer garden and more. sidecarsupperclub.com.

Ghost Story Train: 5 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 8, 15 and 22, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, off Route 31, South Elgin. Ride a spooky trolley down to the haunted forest for an evening of family-friendly frights. Listen to spooky stories around the campfire with treats from Margie's Girls' Kitchen and join in as a musician leads campfire songs. Costumes are welcome. Departures at 5, 6:15 and 7:30 p.m. $20. foxtrolley.org/Ghost-Story-Train.

Ignite the Night!: 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Barrington Hills Park District/Riding Center, 361 Bateman Road, Barrington Hills. A nighttime fall festival featuring a cookout from 5-8 p.m., beer and wine, a bonfire, bluegrass music from Anderlik and Church, narrated horse-drawn wagon rides, stargazing, flashlight tours for kids and dancing. $60 in advance, $75 at the event, $40 for ages 10-20, $15 for kids 9 and younger. Benefits Citizens for Conservation. For tickets, see CitizensForConservation.org/ignite-the-night.

Sunday, Oct. 9

Annual Pumpkin Patch: Noon to 7 p.m. daily from Sunday, Oct. 9, through Oct. 31 at Prince of Peace United Methodist Church, 1400 S. Arlington Heights Road, Elk Grove Village. Pumpkin patch features pumpkins of various sizes. as well as decorative gourds. popumc.com.

Fall Authors Fair 2022: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Books will be available for purchase and signing from local adult and YA authors. Light refreshments will be served. gailborden.info/authors.

Indigenous Peoples Day Chicago: 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie Blvd., Chicago, and 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Dance, music and other performances to celebrate the Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere. Sunday will showcase a variety of Indigenous rock, EDM and hip-hop music ending the night with an Indigi-Dance party at Logan Square Auditorium. Monday features Indigenous musical performances and dance mixed with Latin fusion at the Old Town School of Music. Free, donations accepted. Reserve tickets at oldtownschool.org.

Wednesday, Oct. 12

Glass Pumpkin Patch: Pumpkin exhibition: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 12-13, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14. Sale hours: 1-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16, at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Explore colorful, handblown glass pumpkins at the 12th annual exhibition and sale. Glass-blowing demonstrations from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15-16. Free with Arboretum general admission fee ($8-$16 and free for kids 1 and younger). mortonarb.org.

Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns: 6-10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 12-16 and 19-23, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. See more than 1,000 hand-carved pumpkins, some as large as 150 pounds. The LED-lit jack-o'-lanterns will be staged along a festive, paved pathway where visitors will encounter characters and can watch live carving. General admission is sold out, but VIP tickets are available. chicagobotanic.org.

Thursday, Oct. 13

Witches Night Out: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in downtown Long Grove. Village merchants will stay open late for adults to enjoy shopping, sipping and dining. Participating businesses will feature specials, discounts, giveaways and more. LongGrove.org.

Kiwanis Club Oktober Fest: 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Warehouse 109, 14903 S. Center St., #109, Plainfield. Admission includes German food, live music, beer tasting, beer stein holding contest, 50/50 raffle and more. All proceeds go to the Plainfield Kiwanis Scholarship Fund. plainfieldchamber.com.

Elevate Chicago Dance 2022: Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 13-16, at six locations in Chicago. Features 30 local dancemakers and dance companies in staged works, dance on camera, virtual reality, augmented reality, works-in-progress sharings, installation performances, outdoor experiences and industry conversations. The full festival lineup will be announced in mid-September. chicagodancemakers.org.

Grayslake Pumpkin Fest: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Central Park, 250 Library Lane, Grayslake. Kids' Halloween games, hay rides, Halloween character path, costume contest and more. $10 for residents, $12 for nonresidents on or before Oct. 12; $15 at the door. Adults can attend for free with a paying child. glpd.com.

Illinois Regional College Fair: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Representatives from nearly 140 colleges and universities in Illinois and across the U.S. will provide information about admission to their institutions. Also includes a financial aid session. clcillinois.edu/events/collegefair.