Oktoberfest
Sept. 25 & 26
Brookfield Zoo
3300 Golf Road
https://www.CZS.org/Oktoberfest2021
Enjoy authentic German food, beer and music at this seasonal event at the zoo. Zoogoers can visit the beer garden on the East Mall from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and purchase menu items such as bratwurst, sausages, pretzels with beer cheese and more. Dance to live polka music throughout both days. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission: $24.95, $19.95 for seniors 65 and over, $17.95 for ages 3 to 11, plus $15 parking.
Take Home Pumpkin Painting Kits
Sept. 30
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple St.
(630) 986-1976
https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info
Paint and decorate a mini-pumpkin with this fun take-home kit. Registrants will receive an email Sept. 29 with a pick-up time. RR
Oktoberfest
Oct. 1-2
Naper Settlement
523 S. Webster St. Naperville
(630) 420-6010
https://www.napersettlement.org
Celebrate fall inside the event’s signature beer tent with live music, traditional German cuisine, live polka bands, rock music at night, themed contests and a selection of local and traditional Oktoberfest beer varieties. On Saturday, an expanded children’s area will have activities for the whole family. Time: 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 1, noon to 10 p.m. Oct. 2. Cost: $15, $10 for kids 4-12. RR, MD
Fall Color 5K Run & Walk
Oct. 2
Morton Arboretum
4100 Route 53, Lisle
Enjoy the arboretum’s scenic, rolling course and celebrate the finish with live music and a complimentary beer at the post-race party. On-site participants can choose from a shotgun start or open start; a virtual 5K option is also available. On-site participants receive race shirts with timing strips and recovery food. Awards will be given to the top three males and females overall and age division winners in the shotgun start. Walkers are also welcome. Proceeds supports the arboretum’s work to plant and protect trees. Times: 8 a.m. shotgun start, 9:30 a.m. open start. Cost: $45. RR, MD
n The Ins and Outs of Oak Trees
Oct. 2
Mayslake Peabody Estate
1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook
(630) 206-9566
Celebrate Oaktober with a walk through an oak savanna, then relax in Mayslake Hall’s historic library with some white oak bark tea. Take a docent-led tour of the library and study, both featuring wonderful 100-year-old oak walls and flooring, and leave with acorn flour recipes from the 1920s. Wear good walking shoes and dress in layers for outside and indoors. Masks are required indoors. This program is for ages 18 and older. Time: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Cost: $10. RR
Halloween Spooktacular
Oct. 2 & 3
McAninch Arts Center
College of DuPage
425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn
(630) 942-4000
Maestro Kirk Muspratt leads the New Philharmonic — in costume — in conjuring up witches, sorcerers and poltergeists with a program including Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld,” Berlioz’s “Witches Sabbath” from Symphonie Fantastique, the march from “The Damnation of Faust” and music from “Dracula,” “The Addams Family,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” “Psycho” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Times: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 3 p.m. Oct. 3. Tickets: $53, $51 for seniors.
Moonlight Mansion Tour
Oct. 4, 5, 18, 19, 25 & 26
Mayslake Peabody Estate
1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook
(630) 206-9566
After the sun sets, enjoy a guided tour of the mansion and hear urban legends, tales of hauntings and stories of mischief while learning about the building’s architecture, history and ownership. The program is for ages 12 and up; those under 18 must be with an adult. Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Cost: $15. RR
Take-Home Kit: Teen Yarn Pumpkins
Oct. 8
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple St.
(630) 986-1976
https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info
Take home a kit with everything needed to make a yarn pumpkin. RR
Cantigny Fall Festival
Oct. 9
Cantigny Park
1S115 Winfield Road, Wheaton
(630) 668-5161
This full day of attractions includes a craft show, pumpkin decorating, a petting zoo, hay rides, inflatables, food trucks and more. Entertainment includes a giant juggling scarecrow (10 to 11:30 a.m.), live music by Second Hand Soul Band (noon to 4 p.m.) and a comedy juggling show (12:35 and 2 p.m.). Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Free with parking fee of $5; some activities have small fees.
Glass Pumpkin Patch
Oct. 13-17
Morton Arboretum
4100 Route 53, Lisle
(630) 968-0074
The Morton Arboretum’s 11th annual Glass Pumpkin Patch features demonstrations by artists as they turn bits of glass into stunning molten pumpkin masterpieces. Guests also can visit the new Halloween tent to find enchanting and frightful works of art to decorate the home and garden. Glass pumpkins are available for sale from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 15 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 16-17. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost: free with timed admission of $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, $11 for kids ages 2-17 and free for those 2 and younger.
Take-Home Kit: Fall Leaf Creations
Oct. 14
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple St.
(630) 986-1976
https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info
Get creative by making a leaf masterpiece with this take home kit. RR
OAKtober Walk
Oct. 17
St. James Farm
2S541 Winfield Road, Warrenville
(630) 933-7248
Enjoy the fall colors and learn about oaks on a guided walk. Participants may bring crayons and paper to make their own leaf and bark rubbings. The program is for those 5 and older; those under 18 must be with an adult. Time: 2 to 3 p.m. Cost: $5. RR
Virtual Cultural History of Hallowe’en
Oct. 21
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple St.
(630) 986-1976
https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info
Despite what some have tried to say, Halloween as we know it is a surprisingly modern holiday. Learn about the true origins of the spookiest night of the year, some of the wildest ways people have celebrated and the legends that surround it. Time: 7 to 8 p.m. RR
Howlin’ at the Moon
Oct. 22-23
Naper Settlement
523 S. Webster St. Naperville
(630) 420-6010
https://www.napersettlement.org
Howl along with live music by some of the area’s best cover and regional rock bands at this event for adults 21 and older. Feast your fangs into local cuisine from the Food Truck Graveyard. Quench your undying thirst with Dead Guy Ale, Knotty Vines wine and hard cider at the Boooze Bar. And let your curiosity take hold with special performances by the Carnival of Curiosities, an illusionist, fire dancers, liquid lights and more. Costumes are encouraged. Time: 5 to 10 p.m. Cost: $20. RR, MD
Fall Oak Colors
Oct. 23
St. James Farm
2S541 Winfield Road, Warrenville
(630) 933-7248
Celebrate OAKtober on a 30-minute covered wagon ride through one of the largest oak forests in DuPage County. Those under 13 must be with an adult. For additional dates as the colors change, visit the website listed above. Times: 1, 1:45 and 2:30 p.m. Cost: $5, free for under 5.
Cider and Ale Festival
Oct. 23
Morton Arboretum
4100 Route 53, Lisle
(630) 968-0074
Savor 20 3-ounces samples of hard cider and seasonal beers selected from more than 30 local breweries and cideries. Breathe in the fresh autumn air and stroll among the trees while sipping. Tasting booths will be safely spread out along the Meadow Lake, Frost Hill and Conifer walking paths. Ticket purchasers must be 21 or older. Time: 1 to 4 p.m., noon to 4 p.m. for VIP guests. Tickets: $65, $75 for VIP. RR, MD
Pumpkin Night Hike for Families
Oct. 24
Fullersburg Woods
3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook
(630) 933-7248
Use pumpkins and lanterns to light the way on a self-guided night hike, with a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt for kids to complete and a treat at the end. Hikes leave every 15 minutes. The program is for all ages; those under 18 must be with an adult. Time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cost: $10, free for 3 and younger.
Virtual Teen Game Night — Werewolf
Oct. 27
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple St.
(630) 986-1976
https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info
Join on Zoom for an epic game of Werewolf. Halloween costumes are welcome. Time: 4 to 5 p.m. RR
Boo Bash
Oct. 29
Cantigny Park
1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton
(630) 668-5161
Little ones ages 3 to 5 years old and grown-ups are encouraged to come dressed in costume to enjoy Halloween stories, crafts and a special treat. Time: 10 to 11 a.m. Cost: $12 per child. RR, MD
Corn Harvest
Weekends in October
Kline Creek Farm
1N600 County Farm Road, West Chicago
(630) 876-5900
Experience life as a field hand while helping to harvest this year’s corn crop, which will feed the farm’s livestock throughout the year and provide seed for next year’s plantings. Learn about the importance of this crop to farmers in the 1890s and today. The program is for all ages. Time: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Scarecrow Trail
Daily in October
Morton Arboretum
4100 Route 53, Lisle
(630) 719-2468
Take a stroll around Meadow Lake to view scarecrows created by local scout troops and school groups. After the walk, vote for your favorite scarecrow. Cost: free with timed admission of $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, $11 for kids ages 2-17 and free for those 2 and younger.
Key
RR - registration required
MD - member discount
