They're back! Halloween parties take over suburban venues this weekend

Halloween parties and specials have returned in full force to entertainment venues and restaurants in the suburbs and city this weekend. If you don't have a costume yet, it's time to get creative, as most venues are hosting costume contests that could net you cash or gift cards.

BaseCamp Pub

5750 Lakeside Drive, Lisle, (331) 777-4712, basecamppub.com/events/. Don your best costume to BaseCamp's Halloween bash starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, for a chance to win $500. Big Bang Baby will be playing STP and '90s hits. Plus, there will be Halloween cocktail specials and swag and giveaways, too. Cover is $10 at the door.

BOOZE Bar Crawl

2-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at venues in Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect and Palatine. Why go on a bar crawl in one town when you can visit up to 13 bars and restaurants across three towns along the Metra UP-NW train line? That's the idea behind the BOOZE Bar Crawl, which includes drink tastings, food specials and giveaways at bars such as Peggy Kinnane's, Cortland's Garage, Big Shot, Armand's and La Tasca in Arlington Heights; Emerson's Ale House, Mrs. P & Me, Station 34 Pizza & Pub and Mia's Cantina in Mount Prospect; and Durty Nellie's, Madcats, Tap House Grill and Emmett's in Palatine. Choose your starting location - La Tasca, 25 W. Davis St., Arlington Heights; Emerson's Ale House, 113 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect; and Tap House Grill, 56 W. Wilson St., Palatine - and then hop off and on the train to visit the participating venues. Must be 21 or older; restaurants will be checking IDs. Tickets are $55; $25 designated driver at eventbrite.com/.

Broken Oar

614 Rawson Bridge Road, Port Barrington, (847) 639-9468, brokenoar.com/events. Halloween is a four-day event at Broken Oar Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 27-30, featuring a nightly costume contest for cash prizes and live music. Thursday offers $1 drafts and a DJ dance party at 9 p.m.; Hillbilly Rockstarz headlines at 8 p.m. Friday; Rumor Hazit plays at 8 p.m. Saturday; and there's a band appreciation party starting at 2 p.m. Sunday. No cover.

Buffalo Creek Brewing

360 Historical Lane, Long Grove, (847) 821-6140, buffalocreekbrewing.com/. For fans of candy corn, Buffalo Creek's Candy Corn Ale is back starting Friday, Oct. 28. Made with real candy corn, it's $8 for a 12-ounce pour.

<b>Crawl-o-ween</b>

Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont, rosemont.com/thepark/event/crawl-o-ween/. Eight venues, four hours, spooky specials, all for a $10 cover ($15 the day of). Costumes are encouraged for the pub crawl from 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, around the park. Participating venues include Adobe, Bub City, Crust, Five Roses, Kings, Park Tavern, Sugar Factory and Tiki Tiki. Must be 21 to join the crawl. Buy tickets at eventbrite.com/.

Drink Nightclub

871 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, (847) 397-3100, drinknightclub.com/. Put on your best Halloween costume and head to Drink this weekend as the nightclub goes all out with its Halloweekend parties Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29. First prize for the costume contest is $500 on Friday and $1,000 on Saturday. Plus, there are three areas featuring music, drinks and more.

Durty Nellie's

180 N. Smith St., Palatine, (847) 358-9150, durtynellies.com/. 7th heaven will be headlining the costume party starting at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. Tickets are $12 for the 21-and-older show. Come back at 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, for the Saturday Night Live-themed Halloween party featuring prizes for the best costume. It's $8 for the 21-and-older show.

Halloween Bar Crawl

Various venues in River North, Chicago, barcrawllive.com/crawls/halloween-bar-crawl-chicago. Why go to just one party when you can go to several as part of three Halloween Bar Crawls from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28; 3-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30; and 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31? Costumes are strongly encouraged, as there will be a costume contest, plus spooky drinks, DJs, music, free entry to at least five venues and more. Venues include Gold Coast Social Club, LiqrBox, LITE Chicago, Electric Hotel, Joy District, Hubbard Inn, Underground, Bounce and more. Tickets start at $15.

Hampton Social

705 Village Center Drive, Burr Ridge, (630) 219-0009; 4999 Old Orchard Center, Skokie, (847) 307-5207; 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (224) 633-5414; and locations in Chicago; thehamptonsocial.com/. Hampton Social's special Halloween Frose (yes, it's orange) with a black sugar rim is back, now through Monday, Oct. 31. Reservations are requested.

Haunted Halloween Ball

Congress Plaza Hotel, 520 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, hauntedhalloweenball.com/. If you dare, join this 21-and-older Halloween costume party from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in the historic hotel, which has been transformed into an abandoned hotel run by zombies. Expect DJs, dancing and a costume contest. Tickets start at $20.

Joe's Live

5441 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 261-0392, joesliverosemont.com/. Get ready to party at the Fool House: The Ultimate 90's Dance Party Presents: Vampires, Witches & Wolves Halloween Party starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Come decked out, as there's a costume contest for cash prizes. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of for this 21-and-older show.

KINGS Dining & Entertainment

5505 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 233-0099, and 1500 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago, (312) 973-4920, kings-de.com/event/halloweekend-at-kings/. If you're a “Hocus Pocus” fan, you're in luck, as KINGS is hosting a Hocus Pocus-themed Halloween Costume Party at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Of course, there will be a costume contest with $100 for first place and $50 for second. And a DJ will be spinning top hits. Specialty boozy cocktails include the Spellcaster and the Glorious Morning.

Martini Room

161 E. Chicago St., Elgin, (847) 741-0349, martiniroomelgin.com/. Don your best 1920s-themed costume for Martini Room's 1920s Murder Mystery Martini Party starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. The $50 per person event includes 1920s-themed hors d'oeuvres, raffle prize giveaways for the mystery winners and all murder mystery materials. Special Halloween and 1920s speakeasy-inspired cocktails will be available for purchase at this 21-and-older event. Buy tickets at eventbrite.com/.

Offshore Rooftop & Bar

Navy Pier, 1000 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, offshorerooftop.com/event/nightmare-on-navy-pier-halloween-party/. Creativity counts when it comes to dressing up in costume for Offshore Rooftop's Nightmare Halloween Party from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 29. Adults 21 and older can party with passed bites, a four-hour open bar, giveaways, a costume contest, music, dancing and more. Tickets start at $125 at eventbrite.com/.

Peggy Kinnane's

8 N. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, (847) 577-7733, peggykinnanes.com/. The band Replay will be hosting a costume contest with prizes during Peggy Kinnane's Halloween party from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 29.

Pinstripes

7 Oakbrook Center Mall, Oak Brook, (630) 575-8700; 1150 Willow Road, Northbrook, (847) 480-2323; 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (847) 844-9300; pinstripes.com/halloween-2022/. Kids and adults who come in costume Sunday and Monday, Oct. 30-31, will get 50% off bocce ball or bowling and a special treat. Reservations are recommended.

Puttshack

1828 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, puttshack.com/. Puttshack invites mini golfers to come in their most creative costumes Friday through Monday, Oct. 28-31, and enter a raffle to win a $500 Puttshack gift card (the winner will be announced on Nov. 1). There will be live DJ sets on Friday and Saturday, plus sippers such as the Spooky PainKiller that comes with a piercing eyeball.

Skeleton Key Brewery

8102 Lemont Road, Suite 300, Woodridge, skeletonkeybrewery.com/. A costume contest, special tappings, a wandering magician and food from Pair-It-Up are all on tap during Skeleton Key's Death's Shadow Social starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28.

Tap House Grill

56 W. Wilson St., Palatine, (847) 934-3000, taphousegrills.com/palatine/. Dig out your raddest clothes from the '80s and '90s for Tap House's Halloween Throwback Party starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Of course there's a costume contest, with the winners announced at midnight. A DJ will be spinning old-school tunes, and there will be throwback drinks on the menu, including the $5 Zombie Dust, $8 Witches Brew and Goon Juice pints. On Sunday, Oct. 30, kids get their own Halloween party that includes a kids meal, a pumpkin to decorate and a Taffy Apple. It's $15.99 per child; seatings are at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

Timothy O'Toole's Pub

5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee, (847) 249-0800; 10 W. Grand Ave., Lake Villa, (847) 979-0600; 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, (847) 984-2599; timothyotooles.com/. Don a costume and make a night of it Saturday, Oct. 29, with Timothy O'Toole's Halloween Bus Pub Crawl. The party bus departs from O'Toole's in Lake Villa at 7:45 p.m., then travels to O'Toole's in Gurnee, before finally stopping at O'Toole's in Libertyville at 9 p.m. for a costume party in the 412 Lounge from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The grand prize costume contest winner will receive a $1,000 Timothy O'Toole's gift card, and the best dressed couple will win $200 cash. Winners will be announced at midnight. Tickets for the pub crawl are $10; there's a $5 cover for those only attending the costume party at the Libertyville location.

Two Brothers Roundhouse

205 N. Broadway, Aurora, (630) 264-2739, twobrothersbrewing.com/restaurants/roundhouse/. Costumes are encouraged for the Halloween Party featuring Le Grande Band at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. The cover is $5. Come back on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. for a pumpkin painting party in the cafe for all ages. It's $15, which includes a pumpkin, paint and supplies. The Roundhouse is hosting a second Halloween party at 8 p.m. Saturday featuring DJ Buddy James. There will be prizes for best costume. No cover.