Invasion of the Scarecrows
Up to 300 scarecrows have invaded Forest Park! Take yourself on a scavenger hunt to see them all and then vote for your favorite one.
Location: Forest Park
Skeletober
After years of eerie silence (ok, one, but that’s not as dramatic), La Grange’s beloved Halloween celebration has clawed its way back to life. This October, Skeletober returns with a spine-tingling revival of spooky sights, local delights, and bone-chilling fun. Skeletons are dancing in the streets. Shops are dressed to distress. And our restaurants are brewing up dastardly drinks to toast the season. Wander downtown — if you dare — and uncover surprises, photo ops, and hauntingly good vibes around every corner.
Location: La Grange
Oak Park First Fridays: Pleasant District
First Fridays is a monthly Oak Park open-air celebration of everything local. Shop the streets, dance to the beats, sip under the stars and discover something new every time. This is how Oak Park does it!
Location: Oak Park
.png)
Tour de Proviso
Get ready for a day of excitement, camaraderie, and a unique two-wheeled adventure at Tour de Proviso. This pedal-powered celebration of health and wellness brings together 14 communities. Check out specials from local businesses!
Location: Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park
BOO! at the Zoo
Get ready for a fang-tastic time at BOO! at the Zoo, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s family-friendly Halloween celebration. This event is packed with not-so-scary thrills, festive decorations, and plenty of fun for all ages. Admission to BOO! at the Zoo is free with Zoo membership.
Location: Brookfield
La Grange Witches Ride
Hear ye, hear ye, witches of La Grange! The time has come for the Third Annual Witches Ride! Summon your broomsticks, bewitch your bicycles, and don your most spellbinding attire, my pretties! Gather your fellow enchantresses and ready yourselves for a truly magical experience at the Third Annual La Grange Area Witches Ride! May our cackling be merrier and our spirits soar higher than ever before!
Location: La Grange
Haymarket Martyrs' Monument & Radical Row Tour
Join the Historical Society of Forest Park for an hour-long tour of the Haymarket Martyrs Monument & Radical Row Tour. Learn the story of the Haymarket Affair, the monument, and those who choose to be buried near this monument to the 8 hour day and those who died for it.
Location: Forest Park
Berkeley-Hillside Autumn Fest
Get ready for a weekend full of fun, community, and fall festivities at the Hillside-Berkeley Autumnfest on the Prairie Path. The Prairie Path will come alive with live entertainment, delicious food, games, and activities for all ages. Explore unique vendors, take in the sights of the season, and enjoy a lively atmosphere right in the heart of our community.
Location: Berkeley, Hillside
.png)
Forest Home Cemetery Bike Tour
Join Amy Binns-Calvey for an exciting bike tour of Forest Home Cemetery! Explore beyond the typical sights as we visit intriguing locations such as the Potawatami burial mound, the Ancient Order of Druids plot, a Civil War mortar, IOFF, Billy Sunday's memorial, and more.
Location: Forest Park
.png)
Gangster Tour
Join organized crime historian John Binder on the “There Goes the Neighborhood” tour of gangster history in Oak Park and River Forest, visiting the of notorious made men as Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Sam Giancana, “Tough Tony” Capezio, and “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn.
Location: Oak Park, River Forest
47th Annual Eddie Biondo Fall Fest Parade
Gather your friends, family and neighbors to see floats, marching bands, local schools and more showcasing the heart of Franklin Park. The parade marches from the intersection of Grand Avenue and Scott Street, heads east on Grand, then north on 25th Avenue (Rose Street) and ends at Addison and Scott Street (North Park). Be sure to join us after the parade for our annual Pumpkin Fest at North Park.
Location: Franklin Park
Pumpkin Fest
The fun isn’t over after the Eddie Biondo Fall Fest Parade. Continue celebrating at North Park with the Pumpkin Fest! There'll be loads of bright orange pumpkins waiting to be painted and taken home. The afternoon is full of family-fun music, games, activities, and food!
Location: Franklin Park
Trunk-or-Treat
Join Riverside Parks & Recreation for its third annual trunk-or-treat. Come along with us for an evening filled with spooky decorations and sweet treats! Be sure to bring something to collect your candy as you walk through the illuminated Halloweenland!
Location: Riverside
Oak Park Plein Art Festival Exhibit
Fat Cat Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of paintings painted during the Oak Park Plein Air Festival.
Location: Oak Park
Zombie Candy Hunt
Hunt for candy! Wear a costume, bring your own flashlight, and bag for all your goodies. All participants must be accompanied by a parent. Early bird registration fee of $10 ends on Friday October 3th. The event will be moved inside if there is inclement weather.
Location: La Grange
Witch Crawl
Grab your pals, put on your best witchy attire, and join in the Brookfield Witch Crawl — an unforgettable evening of fun, including adult trick-or-treating, costume contest and more!
Location: Brookfield
Kids Magic Show
Kids of all ages will be entertained and amused at this popular magic show by James Jensen. Jim’s style of close-up magic is engaging with the audience and presented in a fun and entertaining way. This show is kid friendly but also fun for adults.
Location: North Riverside
Tellers' Night
Experience personal real-life stories from professional storytellers at Robert’s Westside, 7321 Madison Street in Forest Park. Enjoy handmade cocktails, mocktails and craft beer and order something delicious from Robert's kitchen.
Location: Forest Park
Spooky Stories and Poetry at the Forest Home Cemetery
Enjoy a night of spooky tales at the Lehmann Mausoleum at the Forest Home Cemetery! This program is for adults 18 and up.
Location: Forest Park
13th Annual Casket Races
The Forest Park Casket Races are a delightfully eerie and offbeat annual event that's fun for the whole family! Watch costumed racers race their coffin-shaped carts and see which one wins the top spot.
Location: Forest Park
Cemetery Tales at the Casket Races
Step into Forest Park’s haunted history during the annual Casket Races! This pop-up museum on the history of cemeteries in Forest Park is the perfect chance to uncover the stories that make the village’s connection to the dead so unique. Stop by for a little learning, a little mystery, and a lot of Halloween fun. There will also be treats for trick-or-treaters!
Location: Forest Park
.png)
Trunk-or-Treat
Location: La Grange
Riverside Spooktacular Ghost Walk
The Olmsted Society of Riverside’s "Riverside Spooktacular: Phantoms of the Past" ghost walks are back again and even more spooktacular than before. This year, history comes back to life with some ghosts from Riverside’s past. Learn a bit about Riverside history with an extra helping of eerie occurrences, spooky stories and local lore.
Location: Riverside
.png)
Wines in the Wild
Wines in the Wild features the perfect blend of wildlife and - you guessed it - wine! Join in on a wonderful evening in the newly renovated Discovery Center at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. The evening will include wine and liquor tastings with representatives from wineries and distilleries throughout the United States, delicious food from our catering team, the SSA Group, animal ambassadors, as well as a silent auction with unique travel, wine, and Zoo-centric items!
Location: Brookfield
Riverside Haunted House
Riverside Parks & Recreation invites you to step inside our haunted house, where shadows move, the walls whisper and where nothing is quite what it seems. You will be greeted by ghosts and ghouls, crackling witches, and few mysterious creatures. Don’t let your guard down, this haunted house may have a surprise or two that is waiting for you.
Location: Riverside
.png)
Frank Lloyd Wright Races
Enjoy a run, jog, or walk through the tree-lined streets of Oak Park and take in the remarkable architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright as you make your way through the course. All participants receive a long-sleeved shirt.
Location: Oak Park
Boo! Brunch
Join Brookfield Zoo Chicago for a fun-filled brunch in the Pavilions! Enjoy a live Interactive DJ spinning spooky tunes, capture memories at our spine-tingling photo ops, and enjoy spooky face painting for all kids – included! Every child also receives a free pumpkin to decorate.
Location: Brookfield
.png)
Funny is Female Comedy Festival
Get ready to laugh with Funny is Female, a 4-day comedy festival featuring performances from 55 female comedians from all over the country with Megan Gailey and Patti Vazquez headlining. Purchase a pass to access all the shows or buy individual show tickets!
Location: Oak Park
Wonderween Pumpkin Fest
Join Wonder Works in celebrating Halloween and pumpkins! With cost of admission, your child will explore such autumn magic as pumpkin painting, character meet-and-greets, a Halloween scavenger hunt, a costume selfie station, a fall obstacle course and not-so-spooky animal encounters. Don't forget to wear your costume!
Location: Oak Park
Haunted Hemingway: Ghost Stories
Join the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park for an evening of literary ghost stories read by Chicago-area writers at the Hemingway Birthplace Museum.
Location: Oak Park
Boos & Brews Brewery Bus Tour
The Boos & Brews brewery bus tour is back this year! Get ready for a day of tricks & treats, beers & beats, and fantastic eats at Imperial Oak Brookfield, BuckleDown, Milk Money and Hop District breweries. Boos & Brews kicks off at 2 p.m. at each location, with two buses running a continuous route between the four breweries until 6 p.m.
Location: Brookfield, La Grange Park, La Grange, Lyons
Riverside Spooktacular Ghost Walk
The Olmsted Society of Riverside’s "Riverside Spooktacular: Phantoms of the Past" ghost walks are back again and even more spooktacular than before. This year, history comes back to life with some ghosts from Riverside’s past. Learn a bit about Riverside history with an extra helping of eerie occurrences, spooky stories and local lore.
Location: Riverside
Fall Family Fun
Join the Oak Park Hemingway District in celebrating fall! This special family-friendly event has all you need to have a fabulous fall time, including a costume contest, scavenger hunt, treats and crafts, as well as an early childhood resource fair.
Location: Oak Park
Zoo After Dark: Boos & Brews
Get ready for an unforgettable evening of thrills, chills, and specialty drinks at Zoo After Dark: BOOs & Brews, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s exclusive Halloween event for adults! This 21+ evening features a lively costume contest with fabulous prizes, a high-energy dance party featuring DJ Nurotic, and up-close encounters with animal ambassadors.
Location: Brookfield
Trick-or-Treat at the Park
Dress up in your Halloween costumes and head over to Franklin Park! This trick-or-treat event is held outdoors around the walking path. Register your family’s table and decorate it. The candy you bring for your table must be in a sealed bag.
Location: Franklin Park
Scary Skate
Get into the spirit of Halloween by joining in on a spooktacular time on the ice! Wear your scariest or most creative costume and get half-off admission to Franklin Park Ice Arena. Best costumes get prizes!
Location: Franklin Park
The Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest's Heroic Beethoven
Treat your ears to the dulcet and moving music of Ludwig van Beethoven at the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest's 2025 season opener, "Heroic Beethoven." Hear the symphony play Beethoven's Triple Concerto and his Symphony No. 3, also known as "Eroica." The concert starts at 4 p.m., but come early and enjoy a pre-show conversation with the musicians at 3 p.m.
Location: River Forest
.png)
Harvest on Harrison
Gather your family and friends and join the Oak Park Arts District for a day of spooky fun including an artist vendor fair, DJ, costume contest, face painting, along with trick-or-treating and special events at the businesses along Harrison Street!
Location: Oak Park
.png)
Invasion of the Scarecrows Bike Ride
This Halloween-season ride will have you pedaling through Forest Park to track down the scarecrow invaders that have popped up around town. From spooky to silly, these straw-stuffed characters are ready to give you a fright—or at least a smile. Bring your own bike, soak in the autumn air, and enjoy a morning of scarecrows, pumpkins, and a dash of Halloween mischief!
Location: Forest Park
Trivia Night and Costume Contest
Get ready for a night of frightful fun and friendly competition at the OPRF Chamber's Halloween Trivia Night! This spooktacular event includes a delicious dinner, costume contest, cash bar and trivia fun! Event proceeds go toward supporting local non-profits.
Location: Oak Park
.png)
Halloween Shadow Puppet Show
Fat Cat Art Gallery presents this frightfully fun shadow puppet performance based on the classic tale, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," starring the Headless Horseman, a ghostly soldier who lost his head during the Revolutionary War. He rides through the night searching for it—and anyone in his way! Get tickets now; you won't want to miss this.
Location: Oak Park
Ghosts of Christmas Past: Lip Sync Contest
Dress up as your favorite late rock star and lip sync to one of their songs on stage at Bobby's Eastside to win cash prizes and fame and glory at this free Halloween event!
First Place: $150
Second Place: $100
Third Place: $50
Location: Forest Park
Trick-or-Treat & Costume Contest
Calling all ghouls, goblins, super heroes, princesses and more for a mall-wide trick-or-treat event and costume contest at North Riverside Park Mall.
Location: North Riverside